Workshop Series
Digital Imaging
Creating Adobe PDF Forms
Summary Description: In this workshop you will to create interactive PDF forms. After our tutorial you have an opportunity to create a PDF form.
Relevant Materials:
Other Workshops: Create PDF Documents
Software: Adobe Acrobat 7.0 Professional Digital Imaging Series: The Instructional Resource Center presents a variety of digital imaging workshops to assist faculty and staff. Learn a specific Skill for a particular project, or as a part of a more comprehensive professional development plan. Our Current offerings are: Computer accessories: from Pen Tablets to Tablet PCs Create Buttons, Backgrounds, and Banners in Photoshop Create Videos of On-Screen Activity Create a Web Image Gallery Using Photoshop Image Capture Using Digital Camera Optimize Graphic Files for the Web PowerPoint on the Web Scanning Web-Ready PDF Creation
Web Resources: http://Lynda.com has tutorials, CD-ROMs, and books on a variety of multi-media issues. (Subscription $) http://www.adobe.com/ products/tips/main.html has tutorials on all Adobe products Books: Adobe Acrobat 7 in the Office Adobe Acrobat 7, in a Snap Adobe Acrobat Forms
Voice: (703) 993-3141 | http://www.irc.gmu.edu | Innovation Hall 427 | http://ittraining.gmu.edu | irc@gmu.edu
Requirements:
Specific Software: Adobe Acrobat 6.0/7.0 Professional Specific Hardware: Scanner Operating System(s): Microsoft Windows 9x, 2k, XP
Adobe Acrobat 6.0/7.0 Professional allows you to create PDF forms and have the data submitted online either through electronic mail, spreadsheet, or database. To open Adobe Acrobat Professional: Start > Program Files > Adobe Acrobat 6.0/7.0 Professional. This guide requires that you have a document already prepared with all the labels which will be turned into an Adobe PDF form.
Step 1: Import PDF Document
A. You can create an Adobe Acrobat Professional PDF document by importing file(s), web pages, or through scanner. B. Click on File > Create PDF > Create PDF from File (you can also use multiple files, scanner, or a webpage to import your document). C. Select the document you want to import and click on Open. D. You are now ready to add form fields into your document.
Step 2: Creating Text Fields
A. B. C. D. E. Click on Tools > Advanced Editing > Text Field. Click and drag to make the area for your form text field. A dialog box will appear, allowing you to adjust your text field properties. Click on the General tab. Type in an appropriate Name and Tooltip for your text field and click on Close.
F. You can resize the text field by clicking on a corner/side and dragging it. Align the text field to label.
Note: You can now repeat this step for all your other form text fields.
Step 3: Creating Combo Boxes.
A. B. C. D. E. F. G. Click on Tools > Advanced Editing > Combo Box Tool. Click and drag to create the area for your combo box. A dialog box will appear, allowing you to adjust your combo box properties. Click on the General tab, type in an appropriate Name and Tooltip. Click on the Options tab. Enter the appropriate item fields for your combo box and click on Add. Click on Close. Note: You can now repeat this step for all your other combo boxes.
Step 4: Creating Radio Boxes.
Click on Tools > Advanced Editing Tools > Radio Button Tool. Click and drag to make the area for your radio button. A dialog box will appear, allowing you to adjust your radio button properties. Click on the General tab. Type in an appropriate Name and Tooltip. Click on the Options tab. Enter in the appropriate Export Value for the specific radio button you are working on. (ie.- Yes radio button value = yes; No radio button value = no ) F. Click on Close. Note: When creating radio buttons of the same group, their Name must be the same. A. B. C. D. E.
Step 5: Creating Check Boxes.
A. B. C. D. E. Click on Tools > Advanced Editing Tools > Check Box Tool. Click and drag to make the area for your check box. A dialog box will appear, allowing you to adjust your check box properties. Click on the General tab. Type in an appropriate Name and Tooltip. Click on the Options tab. Enter in the appropriate Export Value for the specific check box. Click on Close. Note: Check boxes should be used to create lists of multiple options, if you want a list where only one item can be clicked, use radio buttons.
Step 6: Creating Submit Button
A. B. C. D. E. F. Click on Tools > Advanced Editing Tools > Button Tool. Click and drag to make the area for your submit button. A dialog box will appear, allowing you to adjust your button properties. Click on the General tab. Enter in an appropriate Name and Tooltip. Click on the Options tab. For Layout, select Label only. Type in a label for your button (ie- Submit, Send, etc)
Step 7: Choosing an Action for Button
A. Within the Button Properties, click on the Actions tab. Here you can assign exactly what the button will do. B. For Select Trigger, leave Mouse Up selected. C. For Select Action, choose Submit a from. Click on Add.
D. Under Actions, highlight Submit a form than click on Edit. A new window will appear. E. Where it says, Enter a URL for this link: type in the e-mail address you want the form to be sent to. ( For example: mailto: johndoe@gmu.edu ) F. Click on Ok. Click on Close.
Note: More advanced users can add Javascript code for the Submit button. This allows the form data to be sent to into an existing ODBC database. In the Button Properties window, for Select Action, choose: Run a Javascript. Click on Add. You can type in or paste in Javascript code to retrieve the form field data, make a connection to an existing ODBC database, and populate the table within your database with the form data.
Author: Hamid Tora Last Update: 07/08/05 Reference:
