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  1. Click on the File Tab and click Save as Adobe PDF.

    File Tab in MS WordImage RemovedSave as Adobe PDF Button in MS WordImage RemovedFile Tab in MS WordImage AddedSave as Adobe PDF Button in MS WordImage Added
  2. In the Save As box, go to the Options Box at the bottom.

    Options ButtonImage RemovedOptions ButtonImage Added
  3. In the Acrobat PDFMaker, check Enable Accessibility and Reflow with tagged Adobe PDF and Convert Word Headings to Bookmarks.

    Acrobat PDFMaker Panel with Enable Accessibility Checked
  4. If you want to tag the objects in the Tags Pane yourself, click on the Tags Root and click Delete Tags.

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After your document has been imported into Acrobat, we need to create the form fields. Form fields are like text boxes and allow you to enter your information. There are two ways to add your forms, automatically and manually. To add your form fields automatically, you need to get the Prepare Form Tool. To activate this tool,

  1. Go to the Tool Tab.

    Tools Tab.pngImage RemovedThe Tools Tab in Adobe AcrobatImage Added
  2. Go to the Forms & Signatures Section and find the Prepare Form Tool.

    The Forms and Signatures Section in the Prepare Form ToolImage Modified
  3. Click on the Prepare Form Tool’s dropdown menu and click Add Shortcut. The tool will appear in your Tools pane.

    Prepare Form Button.pngImage RemovedThe Prepare Form dropdown menu with Add Shortcut highlightedImage AddedThe Tool Pane with Prepare Tool at the bottom.Image Modified

This tool will automatically add form fields to your document. One thing to keep in mind is that the tool will only create text box form fields. If you only use form fields for typing in text, that is okay, but if you need to create check boxes, or dates, or other complex form fields, you will need to make those manually. To add your form fields,

  1. Click the Prepare Form Tool.

    Prepare Form Tool.pngImage RemovedThe Prepare Form Tool in Adobe AcrobatImage Added
  2. Select your untagged PDF. Leave the option for This Document requires signatures Requires Signatures unchecked. We will add a signature line ourselves later on.

    The Prepare Form Tool Menu with options for Single File, Scanner, and Create New. There is also a blue start button below.Image Modified
  3. The option for Form Field Auto Detection should be left as on.

  4. Click Start

  5. Now your tool has added form fields to your entire PDF document. Field Names and Tooltips are also added, but you should check those to be sure they are accurate.

    A PDF with form fields on the lines.Image Modified

Section 5.5: Editing and Swapping Form Fields

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  1. Go to the Tool Bar at the top of the screen. Click the type of form you want created. In this example we will click the calendar icon to create a Date Field.

  2. The field is created on your cursor. Click the location where you want the field. Then scale the box to fit the location.

    Date Field Example.pngImage Removed

  3. Now double click on the new field. The Text Field Properties box will open. Give the field a new meaningful name. Be sure to check the Required Box. Now the Date field will appear red. This means it is required to be filled out. Screen readers will alert the reader if the field is required.

    The Text Field Properties box in the General Tab with Date in the Name box.Image ModifiedThe Date form field has been renamed.Image Modified

Unique Field Names

All field names need to be unique. If you do not have unique field names, Acrobat will duplicate any tool tips you made to all of the fields that share the same name. This can cause a lot of confusion if you use a similar name frequently in the document. For example, if you have a field name called Date, you cannot have another field name used in the PDF. If you do, the readers may not know what information to put down. The field many need today’s date or a different date. Keep this in mind when naming your fields.

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  1. Double click on your form field.

  2. In the Text Field Properties box, go to the General Tab. Type in your tooltip in the Tooltip box.

    Tooltip Example.pngImage RemovedThe Text Field Properties Box in the Generals Tab, the name is Full Name. Tooltip is Type your full name.Image Added

Marking Fields as Required

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  1. Double Click on your form field.

  2. In the Text Field Properties box, go to the General tab and check the Required Box.

    The Text Field Properties Box in the General Tab, Required is checked.Image ModifiedThe full name form field box is highlighted red.Image Modified

Required Field Marker Indicator 2 Example:

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  1. Delete the form field you want replaced.

  2. Go to the Tool Bar at the top of the screen. Select the Dropdown Menu button.

    Dropdown Menu Button.pngImage RemovedThe Dropdown Menu Form Field ButtonImage Added
  3. Click and drag your dropdown menu form field to create the form field in its location.

  4. Double click the field to open the Dropdown Properties box. Include a name and tooltip.

    Position Applied For Box.pngImage RemovedThe Dropdown Properties box in the General Tab. Name is Position Applied for, Tooltip is What position are you applying for.Image Added
  5. Next, go to the Options Tab. In the Item box, type in your item and click on the Add button to add it to your item list.

    Document Properties Options Tab.pngImage RemovedThe Options tab with Items listed, Concierge, Front Desk, and HousekeepingImage Added
  6. Test your dropdown menu by clicking the Preview button and clicking on your dropdown menu.

    Dropdown Menu Example.pngImage RemovedExample of our completed dropdown menu with options for Concierge, Front Desk, and HousekeepingImage Added

Buttons

Buttons can be used to make a change on computers. You can use them to clear forms, submit forms, or open files. For our example, we will make a button to clear a form.

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  1. Go to the Tool Bar on the top of the screen and click the Button Tool.

    Button Tool.pngImage RemovedThe Button Tool in AcrobatImage Added
  2. Click and drag to create the button on your line. In this case, the clear form line.

    The clear form field.Image Modified
  3. Go to the General Tab in the Properties box. Give the button a name and a tooltip.

    The Button Properties box General Tab. Name is Clear Form, Tooltip is Click to Clear FormImage Modified
  4. Go to the Appearance Tab and set the font size to 14 and the font to Times New Roman.

    The Appearance Tab with Font Size set to 14, Font set to Times New RomanImage Modified
  5. Go to the Options Tab. Change Behavior to Push. Then set the Label to Clear Form.

    The Options Tab with Behavior set to Push and Label set to Clear Form.Image Modified
  6. Go to the Actions Tab and in the Select Trigger dropdown menu and choose Mouse Up. In the Select Action Dropdown menu, choose Run a JavascriptJavaScript. Click Add Button. Copy and Paste the Javascript JavaScript below.

    The Action Tab with Select Action set to run a Javascript.Image ModifiedThe Javascript Editor with an example of good Javascript to use.Image Modified
  7. Test your new button. You should get a warning asking you to proceed. This means your script works.

    Javascript Warning asking the reader to clear all fields with a yes and no option button.Image Modified

Digital Signatures

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  1. You need to create your own Validation Script. You can do this by going to the Text Field Properties Box.

  2. Go to the Validate Tab, check Run Custom Validation Script, then click the Edit Button.

    Screenshot 2024-03-27 134659.pngImage RemovedThe validation tab with run custom validation script checked.Image Added
  3. In the Javascript JavaScript Editor, type in your JavascriptJavaScript.

    The JavaScript Editor blankImage Modified

Section 5.15: PDF Form Wizard

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