advanced editing acrobat forms

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This document suggests ways in which one would create successful PDFS forms. Also to advise on ways to avoid known problems when using Acrobat and creating PDFS forms. ADOBE ADVANCED EDITING CREATING FORMS Acrobat Forms V1 – Author K Baker Information Technology Committed to IT Excellence in the Fight against Cancer Recommendations To contact us at IT please call the Helpdesk on 4444 or email: [email protected] Or visit our web page at http://intra.icr.ac.uk/it/it.htm. Introduction The Advanced Editing Toolbar Click to add a button. You can use buttons to navigate to another page, open a document, submit a form or view a web page. To name a few things. Click to add a check box. This will allow the end user tick selected items Click to add a combo box. This will allow the end user to type a large amount of text on a form as well as drop down lists etc Click to add a radio button. This will allow the end user to select a yes / no button. Click to add a text area for people to be able to type in. Here is the Advanced Editing Toolbar. We will be focussing on the forms menu that comes from the button tool icon. At present we do not use the combo box tool or digital signatures. Before we begin adding buttons and check boxes we need to create the form. The form needs to be produced in software such as MS office, you can use Word, Excel or PowerPoint to create a form, plus any other software that you use. For the purposes of this document I created a form in Microsoft Word then printed it as PDF. Click to list box tool to create a drop down list where the user can select a predefined answer To test your form, simply click on the hand icon. This will allow you to see what the end user will see. To switch back to form mode click on the arrow in the forms menu Before we begin Adding Check Boxes and Radio Buttons Click on the tool you require. Click and drag the mouse in the area you want the Button/ Box to be The Button/Box will appear with a red outline and the Button Properties box will appear Again the general tab is always the same The options tab allows you in both the radio or check box areas, to change the style (tick, or circle) and if you would like it checked as default Adding List boxes Click on the List Box tool. Click and drag the mouse in the area you want the List Box to be The List Box will appear with a red outline and the List Box Properties box will appear The options tab allows you to add the items want in your list. Just type an Item in the Item field and click on add Do this for all items in your list then click on close.

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This document suggests ways in which one would create successful PDFS forms. Also to advise on ways to avoid known problems when using Acrobat and creating PDFS forms.

ADOBE ADVANCED EDITINGCREATING FORMS

Acrobat Forms V1 – Author K Baker

Information Technology

Committed to IT Excellence in the Fight against Cancer

Recommendations

To contact us at ITplease call the Helpdesk on 4444 or email: [email protected] visit our web page athttp://intra.icr.ac.uk/it/it.htm.

Introduction

The Advanced Editing Toolbar

Click to add a button. You can use buttons to navigate to another page, open a document, submit a form or view a web page. To name a few things.

Click to add a check box. This will allow the end user tick selected items

Click to add a combo box. This will allow the end user to type a large amount of text on a form as well as drop down lists etc

Click to add a radio button. This will allow the end user to select a yes / no button.

Click to add a text area for people to be able to type in.

Here is the Advanced Editing Toolbar. We will be focussing on the forms menu that comes from the button tool icon. At present we do not use the combo box tool or digital signatures.

Before we begin adding buttons and check boxes we need to create the form. The form needs to be produced in software such as MS office, you can use Word, Excel or PowerPoint to create a form, plus any other software that you use.

For the purposes of this document I created a form in Microsoft Word then printed it as PDF.

Click to list box tool to create a drop down list where the user can select a predefined answer

To test your form, simply click on the hand icon. This will allow you to see what the end user will see.

To switch back to form mode click on the arrow in the forms menu

Before we begin

Adding Check Boxes and Radio Buttons

Click on the tool you require. Click and drag the mouse in the area you want the Button/Box to beThe Button/Box will appear with a red outline and the Button Properties box will appearAgain the general tab is always the sameThe options tab allows you in both the radio or check box areas, to change the style (tick, or circle) and if you would like it checked as default

Adding List boxes

Click on the List Box tool. Click and drag the mouse in the area you want the List Box to beThe List Box will appear with a red outline and the List Box Properties box will appearThe options tab allows you to add the items want in your list.Just type an Item in the Item field and click on addDo this for all items in your list then click on close.

Creating an Interactive Form

Adding Text Fields to your Form

Click on the Button toolFrom the menu select Text Field ToolThe cursor will change to a plus signDrag the mouse over the area you want the text to be typed. Here I have added so a person can add there name

If you click on the appearance tab, you can change the look and colour of the border and fill, the font style and size

The Text Field Properties will appearIt’s best to give a name to your fieldsYou can also add a tool tip, this is the text that appears when you hover your mouse over the field

You can also change the common properties of the Form Field from the drop down menu displayed above.

Adding Buttons to your Form

Click on the Button ToolClick and drag the mouse in the area you want the Button to beThe Button will appear with a red outline and the Button Properties box will appearThe General Tab and the appearance tab will have the same options as the text field box, so you can change these in the same way.

Adding an Action

You can add an action to a button from the drop down list shown.To have a button that submits a form, click on submit a form from the list and click addThe submit forms selection box will appear. Type in mailto: followed by the email address that you want the data to be sent back toLeave all other settings as they are. Then Click on OK

This will now allow another person to fill out your form and send the data back to you. (providing that they are using Acrobat Reader 7).