Fun with Watermarks - Dynamic Text

I needed a dynamic text display in PDF format. I wanted different data information to appear on one page, and in the same area. I also wanted the data to be formatted. For example, certain words within the body of the text to be bold, or italicized, etc.

I could have used normal PDF form text fields, etc. but I wouldn’t have the formatting control that I desired. I also didn't have the time to learn LiveCycle, so it had to be in Acrobat.

My answer was: Watermarks.

I've uploaded a copy of these instructions and my sample PDF to one of my web sites. [url=http://wont-tell-you-my.name/pdfSamples/]Feel free to download them[/url].

1. Create your formatted documents in Word and print to PDF.
2. Create a blank PDF to display your data.
3. In the blank PDF:
a) Create a Drop-Down Listbox named cboChoice
b) Add the options/values:
1) space / space (as in type a space for both)
2) Company 1 / c1
3) Company 2 / c2
c) Turn-off the spell checking
d) Select the “commit the selected value immediately”
e) On the General tab: Visible but does not print
4. From the menus, chuse Document / Watermark / Add
a) Select File / Browse and select the PDF with your first “Company Information” document.
b) Set the “Scale relative to document” to 100% (or whatever meets your needs)
c) Click OK.

Now, we need to rename the new Watermark Layer. But, the nice programmers at Adobe didn’t give us an easy way to even see that we HAVE this layer. So, borrowing a script from this site that I stole...

5. From the menus, chuse Advanced / Document Processing / Document JavaScripts
a) Type-in the name Init (that’s an Uppercase “I”) and click Add
b) Delete everything inside the script editor, and type the following code:

 // make all watermarks visible in the Layers panel...
this.setOCGOrder(this.getOCGs());

6. Right-Click on the Watermark and chuse Properties, and set the following:

a) Name: c1
b) Default State: off
c) Visibility: Visible when on
d) Print: prints when visible
e) Exports: never exports
f) Click OK
7. Save your work. Name the file ResumeExample.pdf

Note: Yes, you can still see the watermark. Click the Eye in the navigation panel.

8. Now, repeat the process from steps 4 through 7 to add your second watermark (which you will name “c2”), with one small exception: in step 5, simply open the Document JavaScripts, and close the dialog. This will make the second watermark visible in the Layers Navigation Pane.
9. Turn-off the Eye in the navigation pane to hide the watermark.
10. Open the Document JavaScripts, and create a new function named WaterMarkShow, and add the following code:

 function WaterMarkShow(sWmName)
{
    var aOCGs = this.getOCGs();
 
    // app.alert("Number of Watermarks == " + aOCGs.length);
 
    for(var i=0; aOCGs && i<aOCGs.length;i++)
    {
        // app.alert("Name = " + aOCGs[i].name);
        aOCGs[i].state = aOCGs[i].name == sWmName ? true : false;
    }
 
}

If nothing else, it’s an interesting exercise in turning on/off layers, and you might find it useful. Keep it with your "sample code," eh?

Enjoy!

-- Terrill --
"42"