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Topic: Creating Print and Fill pdf forms
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Shihtzustaff
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 Creating Print and Fill pdf forms
Posted: March 22 2007 2:01 PM
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Hi Everyone - I have a form I am trying to convert to pdf. I want people to be able to fill out the pdf and send it back it back to me. What software will do this? I have tried cutepdf and I can't seem to figure it out. Thanks!
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Christian_SEO
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RE: Creating Print and Fill pdf forms
Posted: March 22 2007 3:35 PM
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I don't know if you can do it with cudepdf, but with Acrobat you can fill out a form and then save the data in a text file. Then you can send the text file to someone who can load it into a copy of the PDF that was used to collect it. You can then print out the form.
I don't know if any want to get the data to stay in the form.
If you can describe more about what you are trying to do we may have some other suggestions.
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[This message was last edited by Christian_SEO on Apr 20, 2007]
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ahz
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RE: Creating Print and Fill pdf forms
Posted: March 23 2007 8:21 AM
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OpenOffice.org can create PDFs where the results can be submitted as a web form (to a web server). There's a chance you could also get it to submit via the user's e-mail client, but I don't recommend it.
(However, OOo does not seem to be able to create forms where the user can save the data in the PDF file.)
Also check out Scribus.
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Shihtzustaff
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RE: Creating Print and Fill pdf forms
Posted: March 23 2007 8:54 AM
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At my previous job we had a bunch of pdf forms. We were able to type in the forms and print them. What I want to do is create an application form, in pdf format, that I can email to volunteers. They would then fill it in and send it back. Thanks!
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ahz
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RE: Creating Print and Fill pdf forms
Posted: March 24 2007 9:53 AM
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Do you mean fill in on paper or on the computer? Do you mean send back electronically or through snail mail?
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Christian_SEO
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RE: Creating Print and Fill pdf forms
Posted: March 24 2007 8:09 PM
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Shihtzustaff means to send and return electronically via email.
Shihtzustaff: You cannot do what you want with a PDF form in the manner that you want. You cannot enter in information into a PDF and have it stay in the form using the Acrobat reader.
You CAN save the data from the form in a file as I mentioned. If you export the form data it will save it in a file with an "fdf" extension. If you can get your client to export the data to a file and then send that to you, you can import it into your copy of the form and print it.
It is also possible to use a PDF as a web submission form (I think), but a real web form may be easier to create and maintain.
Oh, there are also utilities that you can set up on your web server and it will take the input from a form and use that to create the PDF that you want. Depending on what you need at the end, that might be the way to go...
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[This message was last edited by Christian_SEO on Apr 20, 2007]
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Shihtzustaff
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RE: Creating Print and Fill pdf forms
Posted: March 26 2007 11:34 AM
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Thanks everyone. I was really hoping it would be possible!!!
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achaikin
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RE: Creating Print and Fill pdf forms
Posted: March 27 2007 11:54 AM
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You should check out Adobe Designer. You can import an existing form from Microsoft Word, and some other adobe applications. You can then save the form as a PDF file.
However, you'll still have the problem for users being able to fill out the form and saving the changes for you. Only users with Adobe Acrobat will be able to save changes directly to the PDF file without doing some other routes already mentioned in this thread.
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jmdonahoe
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RE: Creating Print and Fill pdf forms
Posted: March 27 2007 5:04 PM
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You should indeed be able to do this. I only know because my health insurance company claim forms are in .pdf, which I can download, fill in the relevant spaces, and then save as a .pdf. In fact, I've taken their general form, made my own "templates" for each member of my family and can go in and modify those files as needed for each claim, and save them as yet a different file name. I do all this from my end only with Adobe Reader 7, so on their end, they must have done it with the full Adobe software. Sorry I can't tell you how it's done, but at least you know it's possible and can keep looking for the solution.
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Shihtzustaff
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RE: Creating Print and Fill pdf forms
Posted: March 27 2007 5:16 PM
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You are right!! I can do that too. I wonder how this is done? Anyone??
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aperlson
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RE: Creating Print and Fill pdf forms
Posted: March 27 2007 6:26 PM
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As I understand it, you need Adobe Acrobat Pro (not Reader, not Elements, not Standard) in order to create fill-in PDF forms that can be filled in, saved, emailed back, etc. by recipients with just the Reader. Omniform seems to be another way to go, but users claim a higher learning curve and a long list of features left out.
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jmdonahoe
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RE: Creating Print and Fill pdf forms
Posted: March 27 2007 10:51 PM
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Looks like it, and fortunately for you, Adobe Pro 8.0 is available through TechStock. $45.
Description says: Create fillable forms from scanned paper, PDF documents, Microsoft Word documents, or Excel spreadsheets; combine collected forms into a searchable, sortable, PDF package; and export collected data into a spreadsheet.
Sounds perfect.
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Lgrindrod
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RE: Creating Print and Fill pdf forms
Posted: March 28 2007 5:31 AM
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You can build a form that can be filled in online and then printed using Adobe Acrobat Pro, but I am pretty sure you cannot save or e-mail the completed form. If someone can tell us how, we'd be forever grateful!
[This message was last edited by Lgrindrod on Mar 28, 2007]
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rhdiii
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RE: Creating Print and Fill pdf forms
Posted: March 28 2007 6:14 AM
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WE have been using CutePDF to do this for several months. Adobe Reader will not let you save the filled in form with another name while CutePDF will. We have installed CutePDF on all of our workstations, and use it complete the form after it has been created with Adobe. We are then able to save the form with the appropriate descriptive name in the client's folder while leaving the original pdf form un-disturbed. Adobe does sell a plugin for Adobe Reader to let you do this, but I was told it costs $120.00 per seat with a minimum purchase of 100 seats. Or it may have been $100.00 with a 120 minimum. Either way, I wasn't going to spend $120,000 to do this for 25 workstations.
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Lgrindrod
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RE: Creating Print and Fill pdf forms
Posted: March 28 2007 7:48 AM
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You are using CutePDF Form Filler? If so, at $21 per seat for volume discount, that is still out of our price range. We have 200+ seats. Good to know about, though! Thank you.
Has anyone had any experience with services like http://www.fillablepdfforms.com/index.html? ; I think they work by sending data to a server and recreating the filled in form when the PDF is opened again, but am not positive.
Update...make that http://www.fillablepdfforms.com/?referred_by_techfinder.
[This message was last edited by Lgrindrod on Mar 28, 2007]
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knyhus
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Alternatives to Print and Fill pdf forms
Posted: April 08 2007 10:00 PM
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For alternatives (that's why I tuned in), how about:
- making a form in Microsoft Word? check the help in Word to learn how. Most folks can use that.
- creating a form on your website which will post data via a cgi script to a file you download (I know, old-fashioned, and sounds hard if you're not a programmer, but some web hosts provide pre-made scripts which make it easier)
- using Sharepoint and InfoPath (if you're on the Microsoft platform and if your form-fillers can reach your Sharepoint site, be it internal or hosted). The form data dump into an XML database which you can export to e.g., Excel format.
- I'm sure there are other third-party forms you can also make available on a website - anyone want to recommend your favorite? There are even forms you can create on the web and fill out in the field from a handheld with a wireless connection! But I digress....
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Shihtzustaff
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RE: Alternatives to Print and Fill pdf forms
Posted: April 20 2007 1:36 PM
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I did create the form in word, coverted with cute pdf but it is not fillable. I just don't like sending our letterhead out electronically and conversely I don't want an application form that does not have our logo.
Our website would not support that and I am not the one responsible for it anyway. Thanks!
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dwelp
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RE: Alternatives to Print and Fill pdf forms
Posted: April 20 2007 2:53 PM
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If you create your form in word with the fill in fields, you then protect the document with passwords that prevent any usage other than filling in the fields and printing / saving the form.
The problem is you still have a form that requires Microsoft word to fill out.
Would your graphic standards allow you to water mark your logo so you wouldn't be leaving an exploitable graphic?
Not that they couldn't take the logo right from the web site.
Dave
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johnpsm
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RE: Creating Print and Fill pdf forms
Posted: April 22 2007 5:26 AM
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Why not send them an email and request they go online and complete your form?
Take a look at formspring
You can collect the information and download it into several different formats.
John Grossman
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glophillips
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RE: Creating Print and Fill pdf forms
Posted: April 23 2007 2:52 PM
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I am in the same situation. I just completed a form with drop down selection and found out it cannot be saved by the party completing the form. I used Adobe Designer 7.0 and wish to have the file saved by the person completing. What program would I use to accomplish this? Or would it be less expensive to purchase Acrobat Pro for the work stations I need to complete this form. (currently 4 work stations).
Thanks,
Gloria
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