Fillable PDF

[CurtisMcHale]

I know that you can create one in InDesign and Acrobat Pro. Is there any other way for the end user to be able to save a copy besides them having Acrobat Pro? Any work arounds would be great. My boss wants the form but doesn't want to pay for software.

[-rc]

The only way that I know to add form fields is to use Acrobat pro. Im almost 100 percent sure that there is no end around that..

Id put it at 98.8 percent sure.

[The Repro Kid]

There is an Acrobat Standard version. There's Reader, Standard and Professional. Reader is free, Standard cost around $299 standalone. Standard and Professional will save to PDF, so they can both save Text Field Entries. Reader cannot.

[CurtisMcHale]

I know this is out of the purview of adobe but do you know if Foxit reader can save to PDF? Could this be a workaround?

[The Repro Kid]

I think the "Reader" in Foxit Reader might be a clue. I've no experience with Foxit Reader, but it sounds unlikely.

[CurtisMcHale]

It is a pfd reader. it does have a save as function. I will try when I get home and let you know, if that is okay. I know this is supposed to be adobe focused sorry.:(

[CurtisMcHale]

YES the free reader from Foxit allows you to save the filled out pfd file. It even highlights the fields for you. It does seem that the required field tag is broken so you can't require fields. It survives email and the new file opens fille din Acrobat Pro. I will check on Acrobat reader and let you know.

[The Repro Kid]

The office folks at my last gig couldn't use Reader to save fillable forms I created with Acrobat Pro. But I never tried it myself so I can't vouch for them.

[-rc]

OK.. I think I'm just confused as to what is trying to be done here. Let me try to guess.

You are designing PDF forms. You can design the form in anything you'd like, and take it into Acrobat Pro to add the form fields. You cannot create the form fields in Acrobat Standard or Reader.

When you send that form to someone, by default the form does not allow you to save the information. It will give you a prompt telling you that you need to save the form by printing it.

However - Right after you create the forms in Acrobat Pro, you can go into the Advanced tab, and you will find an option called "Enable Usage Rights for Acrobat Reader" (attached pdf1.jpg). This will allow you to have people who have Reader to save files.

Once you click on this, you get a warning dialog box (pdf2.jpg).

After that, when someone opens the file in Reader, there will be a marking at the top of the screen that tells them that they -can- fill out and save that form information (pdf3.jpg)

[CurtisMcHale]

didn't know that. Thanks RC. That is what I was looking for Foxit reader allows seems to work without any difficulty. I now need to see about combining pages when the purchase order gets longer than the first form.

[The Repro Kid]

...Let me try to guess.

You are designing PDF forms. You can design the form in anything you'd like, and take it into Acrobat Pro to add the form fields. You cannot create the form fields in Acrobat Standard or Reader.

When you send that form to someone, by default the form does not allow you to save the information. It will give you a prompt telling you that you need to save the form by printing it.

However - Right after you create the forms in Acrobat Pro, you can go into the Advanced tab, and you will find an option called "Enable Usage Rights for Acrobat Reader" This will allow you to have people who have Reader to save files...Yes, that's exactly what I was trying to accomplish. Too bad I hadn't caught on to that earlier, thanks.