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Using layers in form creation

Forum Index > Forms: Acrobat > Using layers in form creation
2008-08-21 09:26:16
RichLorn
Registered: May 19 2008
Posts: 46

I hope someone can help, as I can only find information on Acrobat layers in the instructions as they apply to 2d and 3d drawings. I would like to apply layers to a form.
I'm trying to create 2 forms, either directly in Acrobat v8 or in Word 2003 SP1 (Office Basic 2003) to be imported into Acrobat, and appear as a a single 2 layer form. The "top" layer would be the fillable form fields, and the "bottom" layer would display (perhaps in a somewhat shaded or gray'd out text) the instruction for what each field should be. For example, the form field for NAME on the top layer, would have to word NAME on the bottom layer showing through the top layer's name field. For the ADDRESS field, the word ADDRESS would show through from the bottom layer. And so on.
I'm trying to do this because the form has many form fields, and gets too crowded showing the instructions and the fillable fields adjacent to each other on the same layer.
Oh and one more thing... when the form is printed, only the top layer containing the filled in fields should print. Not the under layer.
Thank you for any help you can give.

My Product Information:
Acrobat Pro 8.0, Windows
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2008-08-25 10:07:04
#1
thomp
Expert
Registered: Feb 15 2006
Posts: 4411
If your idea is that the top layer should only be form fields then you are already there. In Acrobat, the fillable form fields, and all interactive elements, are completely separate from the page content, and are always drawn on top of the content. So you could create the Page in word with all of the helpful text on it and then simply place the form fields over top of it.

If however you really do need a 2nd layer of content, these are called Optional Content Layers (OCGs), then you can easily create one by adding a Watermark or Background to the PDF. Both of these functions, availible from the "Documents" menu, create OCGs. Watermarks are in front of the page content and Backgrounds are behind the page content. But, no matter what you add to the page content, the form fields will always be on top. Both can be setup to be visible, or invisible, on print

You can read about controling OCGs with JavaScript here.

http://www.acrobatusers.com/tech_corners/javascript_corner/tips/2006/create_use_layers/

Thom Parker
The source for PDF Scripting Info
[url=http://www.pdfScripting.com]pdfscripting.com[/url]

The Acrobat JavaScript Reference, Use it Early and Often
[url=http://www.adobe.com/devnet/acrobat/]http://www.adobe.com/devnet/acrobat/[/url]

Thom Parker
The source for PDF Scripting Info
www.pdfscripting.com
Very Important - How to Debug Your Script

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