Converting Excel Document with Fillable Fields to PDF

Question

Hello - I'm working on an inherited document that needed updating. The underlying file is an Excel spreadsheet with fillable fields such as check boxes. The check boxes work in Excel i.e. when I click the box, a check mark appears. When I convert the Excel document to a PDF Form, the check boxes do not work.  How can I convert the document to PDF and make the check boxes work? There are over 400 lines that need a check box so it would be very helpful to have them convert and not have to add them in the PDF. I have Adobe Acrobat XI Pro.  Thank you.

gkaiseril · Answer

Check boxes and radio buttons have always been problematic when converting an MS Office document to a PDF. The borders of the check boxes need to be thick enough for PDFMaker to detect. If they are not detected, then one needs to manually add the check boxes or radio buttons. Also any actions you have assigned using Excel will not transfer to the PDF since the Macro language of Excel is not JavaScript.

I have found forms are better created using MS Word. The best office program for creating PDF forms is OpenOffice.org.

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