Comments on: Automated Forms with Acrobat 8 and InDesign http://indesignsecrets.com/automated-forms-with-acrobat-8-and-indesign.php InDesignSecrets Blog and Podcast Thu, 28 Aug 2008 11:36:06 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: David Blatner http://indesignsecrets.com/automated-forms-with-acrobat-8-and-indesign.php#comment-424162 David Blatner Wed, 04 Jun 2008 15:12:57 +0000 http://indesignsecrets.com/automated-forms-with-acrobat-8-and-indesign.php#comment-424162 Cindy, I have to say that I have mostly given up on the auto form field recognition feature in Acrobat Pro 8, and I just make form fields by hand now. It looks like it will be better in Acrobat 9, but I haven't tested it yet. In general, it's just pretty easy to open the PDF in Acrobat Pro, create the form fields (using the Form toolbar tools), and then save the document. You can enable Reader users to fill in form fields with the <a href="http://www.acrobatusers.com/tutorials/2007/reader_enabled_forms/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">"Enable Usage Rights" feature</a>. Cindy, I have to say that I have mostly given up on the auto form field recognition feature in Acrobat Pro 8, and I just make form fields by hand now. It looks like it will be better in Acrobat 9, but I haven’t tested it yet.

In general, it’s just pretty easy to open the PDF in Acrobat Pro, create the form fields (using the Form toolbar tools), and then save the document.

You can enable Reader users to fill in form fields with the “Enable Usage Rights” feature.

]]> By: Cindy Vojnovic http://indesignsecrets.com/automated-forms-with-acrobat-8-and-indesign.php#comment-424017 Cindy Vojnovic Wed, 04 Jun 2008 12:13:20 +0000 http://indesignsecrets.com/automated-forms-with-acrobat-8-and-indesign.php#comment-424017 I've got the whole CS3, so I'm doing what you recommend in this post, making my layout in InDesign and then exporting as a pdf to make a form. My problems, however, are not addressed in this post. When I use automatic form recognition, I get extraneous form fields-it's seeing some graphic elements as form fields, which they are not, and I can't figure out how to delete these extraneous form fields. Also, I'm getting text entry fields where I need check boxes, and I don't know how to convert these from one to the other. I resorted to just making all the fields by hand. But then, the biggest and worst problem-no one without a full version of Acrobat can fill in the form!!! THATS THE WHOLE POINT OF THE FORM. My boss doesn't need the data in a spreadsheet, it doesn't need to be posted on the web, this is a VERY SIMPLE task-all he wants is for people to be able to key in information or check boxes, save the forms, and email them to him or print them out. I’ve got the whole CS3, so I’m doing what you recommend in this post, making my layout in InDesign and then exporting as a pdf to make a form. My problems, however, are not addressed in this post. When I use automatic form recognition, I get extraneous form fields-it’s seeing some graphic elements as form fields, which they are not, and I can’t figure out how to delete these extraneous form fields. Also, I’m getting text entry fields where I need check boxes, and I don’t know how to convert these from one to the other. I resorted to just making all the fields by hand. But then, the biggest and worst problem-no one without a full version of Acrobat can fill in the form!!! THATS THE WHOLE POINT OF THE FORM. My boss doesn’t need the data in a spreadsheet, it doesn’t need to be posted on the web, this is a VERY SIMPLE task-all he wants is for people to be able to key in information or check boxes, save the forms, and email them to him or print them out.

]]> By: Jane http://indesignsecrets.com/automated-forms-with-acrobat-8-and-indesign.php#comment-418679 Jane Fri, 30 May 2008 18:08:05 +0000 http://indesignsecrets.com/automated-forms-with-acrobat-8-and-indesign.php#comment-418679 When I go to flatten the layers that option is grayed out in the Layers>options pull down menu. Any thoughts or options? When I go to flatten the layers that option is grayed out in the Layers>options pull down menu. Any thoughts or options?

]]> By: Stacy http://indesignsecrets.com/automated-forms-with-acrobat-8-and-indesign.php#comment-247083 Stacy Wed, 09 Jan 2008 21:11:37 +0000 http://indesignsecrets.com/automated-forms-with-acrobat-8-and-indesign.php#comment-247083 If you submit a form with Adobe 8 professional what do other users need installed on their computers to fill the form in and submit it by email? I did this with Adobe 7.0 Professional but some users have upgraded and now can't submit my form by email I don't want the same issue with Adobe 8. If you submit a form with Adobe 8 professional what do other users need installed on their computers to fill the form in and submit it by email? I did this with Adobe 7.0 Professional but some users have upgraded and now can’t submit my form by email I don’t want the same issue with Adobe 8.

]]> By: Aaron http://indesignsecrets.com/automated-forms-with-acrobat-8-and-indesign.php#comment-211570 Aaron Wed, 05 Dec 2007 20:23:51 +0000 http://indesignsecrets.com/automated-forms-with-acrobat-8-and-indesign.php#comment-211570 Great article, Steve. But is there any way to put form fields on more than 1 layer? For example if you want both a 1-line and 2-line option for a field? Great article, Steve.

But is there any way to put form fields on more than 1 layer? For example if you want both a 1-line and 2-line option for a field?

]]> By: papi http://indesignsecrets.com/automated-forms-with-acrobat-8-and-indesign.php#comment-157175 papi Thu, 18 Oct 2007 08:40:13 +0000 http://indesignsecrets.com/automated-forms-with-acrobat-8-and-indesign.php#comment-157175 Please help, i need a form that, when submitting it should generate a unique number Please help, i need a form that, when submitting it should generate a unique number

]]> By: SarahMac http://indesignsecrets.com/automated-forms-with-acrobat-8-and-indesign.php#comment-139781 SarahMac Thu, 27 Sep 2007 06:01:06 +0000 http://indesignsecrets.com/automated-forms-with-acrobat-8-and-indesign.php#comment-139781 yay! thanks for the tip. Interactive everything is all the rave these days and as a graphic designer I'm having to pick up these interactive skills anywhere I can - post college. yay! thanks for the tip. Interactive everything is all the rave these days and as a graphic designer I’m having to pick up these interactive skills anywhere I can - post college.

]]> By: erique http://indesignsecrets.com/automated-forms-with-acrobat-8-and-indesign.php#comment-15612 erique Sun, 14 Jan 2007 05:30:47 +0000 http://indesignsecrets.com/automated-forms-with-acrobat-8-and-indesign.php#comment-15612 Thanks for the feedback, Jon. I sure didn't mean to imply Pitstop can do what RFFR can, just that I haven't upgraded to Acrobat v8 (and so don't have the benefit of RFFR) because I have been waiting for Pitstop (a vital plugin in my workflow) to become compatible. However, now I have read the above article about RFFR, I am tempted to upgrade regardless of the (unrelated) availability of Pitstop for v8. Thanks for the feedback, Jon. I sure didn’t mean to imply Pitstop can do what RFFR can, just that I haven’t upgraded to Acrobat v8 (and so don’t have the benefit of RFFR) because I have been waiting for Pitstop (a vital plugin in my workflow) to become compatible.
However, now I have read the above article about RFFR, I am tempted to upgrade regardless of the (unrelated) availability of Pitstop for v8.

]]> By: Jon Bessant http://indesignsecrets.com/automated-forms-with-acrobat-8-and-indesign.php#comment-15066 Jon Bessant Tue, 09 Jan 2007 23:01:29 +0000 http://indesignsecrets.com/automated-forms-with-acrobat-8-and-indesign.php#comment-15066 It is anticipated that Q1 2007 is the next round of Enfocus releases: Pitstop 7.1 Jon It is anticipated that Q1 2007 is the next round of Enfocus releases:

Pitstop 7.1

Jon

]]> By: Jon Bessant http://indesignsecrets.com/automated-forms-with-acrobat-8-and-indesign.php#comment-15065 Jon Bessant Tue, 09 Jan 2007 22:59:04 +0000 http://indesignsecrets.com/automated-forms-with-acrobat-8-and-indesign.php#comment-15065 Hi erique, Enfocus Pitstop can detect form fields and remove within a PDF Profile and even within an Action List - but cannot do anything related to what Steve has documented above. Acrobat 8 is fantastic but Pitstop 7 is not related as such (only compliancy with PDF 1.7 features) Jon Hi erique,

Enfocus Pitstop can detect form fields and remove within a PDF Profile and even within an Action List - but cannot do anything related to what Steve has documented above.

Acrobat 8 is fantastic but Pitstop 7 is not related as such (only compliancy with PDF 1.7 features)

Jon

]]>