word - creating fillable forms legacy tools (1)

Microsoft Word Fillable Forms

Updated: 1/5/2012 Page 1 of 6

Fillable Forms: Legacy Form Controls

To Use the Legacy Form Controls, when inserting your controls:

1) Click on the Legacy Tools button ( ) in the Controls area of the Developer tab.

2) The following toolbar displays after clicking on the Legacy Tools button:

3) Use only the controls that appear in the first row directly below the Legacy Forms title (and above

ActiveX Controls).

Legacy Form Controls

Form Control Description

Text field, including:

Free form text

Date fields

Numeric fields

Checkbox field

Drop-down (combo box) field

Show/Hide field shading

Legacy Tools

button

Use only these

Legacy controls



Creating Fillable Forms in Word

You can create a form in Microsoft Office Word 2007/2010 by starting with a template and adding

content controls, including text boxes, date fields, checkboxes, and drop-down lists. Other people can

use Office Word 2007/2010 to fill out the form on their computer.

You can also create a form by starting with a sample template. Many are available on the Microsoft

Office Online Web site.

Note: You can print a form that was created by using content controls in Office Word 2007/2010, but

the field shading of the content controls will not be printed.

Create a Form

STEP 1: SET UP WORD FOR CREATING FORMS

In Word 2007:

1. Click the Microsoft Office Button , and then click Word Options.

2. Click Popular.

3. Select the Show Developer tab in the Ribbon check box, and then click OK.

In Word 2010:

1. Click the on the File menu/tab, and then click Options.

2. Click Customize Ribbon from the list on the left-hand side of the dialog box.

3. Under Customize the Ribbon, verify Main Tabs is selected and in the list of Main Tabs below,

check the box next to Developer. Click OK.



STEP 2: OPEN A TEMPLATE OR A DOCUMENT ON WHICH TO BASE THE FORM

1. Click the Microsoft Office Button (for Word 2010, go the File menu), and click New.

2. Under Templates, click My templates.

3. Double-click Normal, and then click Template or Document under Create New.

4. Click the Microsoft Office Button (for Word 2010, go to the File menu), and click Save As.

5. In the Save As dialog box, give the new template or document a file name, and click Save.

STEP 3: ADD CONTENT CONTROLS TO THE FORM

Design the form by sketching a layout first, or use an existing form as a guide. In your form, you can add

content controls, tables, and other graphics elements.

On the Developer tab, in the Controls group, click Design Mode, and then click where you want to insert

a control.

Accessing the Legacy Tools Form Controls

1. On the Developer tab, in the Controls group, click the Legacy Tools button .

2. This will give you a dropdown toolbar of options for Legacy Forms controls (shown below).

Note: You will want to only use the controls shown under Legacy Forms, not the controls

under ActiveX Controls.

Legacy Tools

button

Use only these

Legacy Forms

controls



Insert a text control where users can enter text:

1. Click to place the cursor where you would like to insert the text field.

2. Go into the Legacy Tools toolkit and click on the Text Form Field control .

Insert a date field where users can (and must) enter a date value:


2. Go into the Legacy Tools toolkit and click on the Text Form Field control .

3. Click on the Properties button in the Controls section of the Developer tab (with the cursor still

situated in the Text Form Field just inserted).

4. For Type, select Date.

5. For the Text Format, select the desired date format to use in displaying the date entered by the

user on the form. If you would like to automatically have the field place the current date on the

form, select Current Date as the Type.

Note: If you format a Text Form Field as the Type Current Date, the end user will not be able

to change the value.

Insert a drop-down list that restricts available choices to those you specify


2. Go into the Legacy Tools toolkit and click on the Drop-Down Form Field control .

3. Click on the Properties button in the Controls section of the Developer tab (with the cursor still

situated in the Drop-Down Form Field just inserted).

4. For Drop-down item, type a value you would like to appear as an option in the dropdown list.

5. Click Add >>.

6. Repeat Steps 4-5 until all desired options appear under Items in drop-down list .

7. Use the Up and Down arrow buttons to move the options in the list into a desired order.

Insert a check box


2. Go into the Legacy Tools toolkit and click on the Check Box Form Field control .

3. To adjust properties, click on the Properties button in the Controls section of the Developer tab

(with the cursor still situated in the Check Box Form Field just inserted).

4. If desired, adjust Check box size and/or Default value (checked or unchecked).

Note: You won't be able to select or clear the check box until you protect the form.

STEP 4: ADD INSTRUCTIONAL TEXT TO THE FORM

Instructional text can enhance the usability of the form you create and distribute. You can add

instructional text that will appear in the Word Status Bar (located on the light blue bar in the bottom,

left-hand corner of the Word window ); and/or you can add instructional text that will appear in a pop-

up dialog box when the user is in a field and presses the F1 (Help) key.



To add instructional text to appear in the Word Status Bar for your form users, do the following:

1. While in Design Mode, click on a form control to which you would like to add instructional text.

2. Click on the Properties button in the Controls section of the Developer tab.

3. In the Field Options dialog box, click on Add Help Text The following dialog box will appear.

4. On the Status Bar tab, select Type your own and then click in the white box below it and type in

the instructional text you would like to appear in the Status Bar.

To add instructional text to appear in when form user presses F1 key, do the following:

1. While in Design Mode, click on a form control to which you would like to add instructional text.

2. Click on the Properties button in the Controls section of the Developer tab.

3. In the Field Options dialog box, click on Add Help Text The following dialog box will appear.

4. On the Help Key (F1) tab, select Type your own and then click in the white box below it and type

in the instructional text you would like to appear in the Status Bar.

STEP 5: SHOW FORM CONTROL SHADING

You can turn on and off the visibility of the form control shading. Showing the form control shading

makes it easier on the form user to see exactly where they need to enter data in filling out the form.

Generally, Word defaults to showing the field shading, however, it can be turned off.



To toggle form field control shading:

1. On the Developer tab, in the Controls group, click the Legacy Tools button .

2. Go into the Legacy Tools toolkit and click on the Form Field Shading button .

Add Protection to a Form and Prepare It for Distribution

You can protect individual content controls in a form template to help prevent someone from deleting

or editing a particular content control or group of controls, or you can prepare a form to be distributed

and filled out by locking it. You can help protect all of the form template content with a password.

Tip: If you want, you can test the form prior to distributing it. Open the form, fill it out as the user

would, and then save a copy in a location that you want.

Prepare a Form to Be Filled Out

1. On the Developer tab, in the Protect group, click Protect Document, and then click Restrict

Formatting and Editing.

3. In the Protect Document task pane, under Editing restrictions, select the Allow only this type of

editing in the document check box.

4. In the list of editing restrictions, select Filling in forms.

5. Under Start enforcement, click Yes, Start Enforcing Protection.

6. To assign a password to the document so that only reviewers who know the password can

remove the protection, type a password in the Enter new password (optional) box, and then

confirm the password.

Important: If you choose not to use a password, anyone can change your editing restrictions.

Use strong passwords that combine uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols. Weak

passwords don't mix these elements. (Strong password: Y6dh!et5; Weak password: House27) Passwords

should be 8 or more characters in length. A pass phrase that uses 14 or more characters is better.

It is critical that you remember your password. If you forget your password, Microsoft cannot retrieve it.

Store the passwords that you write down in a secure place away from the information that they help

protect.

Parts of the content of this handout are from Microsoft Online Help for Microsoft Word 2007

(Source: http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/word-help/create-forms-that-users-complete-or-print-in-

word-HA010030746.aspx?pid=CH100991571033)

word - creating fillable forms legacy tools (1)

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