PDF Forms

Standard should be fine, unless you think you'll ever need to use digital signatures. It cannot apply the necessary usage right that allows Reader to sign a signature field.

For some odd reason it also does not allow you to create document-level JavaScripts, which is a silly and counter productive restriction, since it is best practice to place most of your code there. But if you won't be including a lot of programming, it shouldn't be a big problem.

George, can't you still add doc-level scripts in Standard using this.addScript()?
If so, then removing this option from the GUI is even more silly, in my opinion.

Hello George,

Many thanks for your advice.

Regards,
Mark

Hi,

I am right in thinking that when someone types data into a PDF form in Adobe Reader, they will not be able to save the form plus the data? In other words, in order to save the data they will have to print out the form.

Will they able to use the form more than once? In other words, can they use the form, say over a six month period, reporting details and sending it to us each month by email. Or will a new form need to be sent to them after they have used it once?

Lastly, I need to use Reader 9.x as my default PDF viewer. Every time I launch a PDF document it launches Acrobat instead. I have tried setting Reader in file associations and right click on a PDF file, then going to Properties and changing the program to Reader. I would be grateful for advice

Thank you for your patience.

Thanks,
Mark

Mark, you're right, unless the creator of the form added a special right to the file that enables that.
Beside printing, by the way, the form can also be submitted without this special right.

Hi,

How do you create the 'special right' to save data? If they can save the data, can they then use the form again?

Will people be able to use the PDF form more than once? In other words, can they use the form, say over a six month period, reporting details and sending it to us each month by email. Or will a new form need to be sent to them after they have used it once?

Lastly, I need to use Reader 9.x as my default PDF viewer. Every time I launch a PDF document it launches Acrobat instead. I have tried setting Reader in file associations and right click on a PDF file, then going to Properties and changing the program to Reader. I would be grateful for advice

Many thanks,
Mark

That depends on your specific version of Acrobat. In X it's under File - Save As Pdf - Reader Extended PDF. In earlier versions it's under Advanced - Extend Features in Adobe Reader...

Yes.

In Reader X there's a button to set it as the default PDF handler application, under Edit - Preferences - General. I'm not sure if that is also available in Reader 9, but it's worth a look.

Hello,

I am much obliged for your comments.

Regards,
Mark

Hi,

I saved the new document in an evaluation version of Acrobat Pro with 'Reader Extended PDF' - 'Enable Additional Features'. I then closed the form and opened it in Adobe Reader, filled in the form and saved it. Then upon opening it again in Reader, the message below appeared:

"This document contained certain rights to enable special features in Adobe Reader. The document has been changed since it was created and these rights are no longer valid. Please contact the author for the original version of this document."

This now seems to have locked me out of deleting the fields already filled in, so that I cannot reuse the form. It looks as if a new form will have to be issued when one has been completed.

Thanks.

I have created an interactive PDF on Acrobat 9 Pro on Windows and it won't save, print or send on Mac - what to do? (my sincere apologies if this is a real old question - I could not get help anywhere here ...)

The form needs special "Extended Reader Rights" applied to the PDF file. See the FAQs for more information.

great, thanks so much - this would be in setting up the original form? where ... do i find the instructions .. scanned for them

... recommendation to adobe: to make enabled interaction ('extended rights') the default setting.

Don't count on it...

Am I right in thinking that a PDF form can only be used once? In other words when it has been saved, it cannot then be filled in again.

Thanks,
Mark