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Elizabeth5EC6
Participant
June 15, 2021
Answered

Creating pdf form from existing Word document

  • June 15, 2021
  • 1 reply
  • 3000 views

I have an existing form in word which i would like to now use to create a fillable pdf version the exact same.  I assumed the existing fields would be recognised in adobe but they are not being picked up or recognised when I open the pdf to create/review the form in adobe.  Why would that be?  The user guidance implies they should be recognised.  Is it the way I am creating the PDF, do I need to embed the fields somehow prior to creating the pdf and opening in adobe?  I have had to make it from scratch in both word and pdf but have alot more to do and limited time to do it.  Any ideas greatly received.  Thanks

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Correct answer Bevi Chagnon - PubCom.com

Word's form controls are not exported to PDF, regardless of whether you use an Adobe program to export the PDF, or another company's. So you will always have to add the form fields and their accessibility features in Acrobat.

 

We recommend 2 workflows for our customers. Choose whichever one works for your situation.

  1. Build the visible form skeleton in MS Word (without Word's form controls).
    • Export to PDF.
    • Add the form fields to the PDF (either manually or using Acrobat's form recognition utility)
    • Tweak, and publish the PDF.
       
  2. Build the visible form skeleton in Adobe InDesign.
    • Add the form fields into the InDesign layout. (Much easier and faster to do than in Acrobat.)
    • Export to PDF.
    • Tweak, and publish the PDF.

 

FYI, the "form skeleton" is the visible, printable portions of the form, such as the title, lables, and instructions.

 

1 reply

Bevi Chagnon - PubCom.com
Bevi Chagnon - PubCom.comCorrect answer
Legend
June 15, 2021

Word's form controls are not exported to PDF, regardless of whether you use an Adobe program to export the PDF, or another company's. So you will always have to add the form fields and their accessibility features in Acrobat.

 

We recommend 2 workflows for our customers. Choose whichever one works for your situation.

  1. Build the visible form skeleton in MS Word (without Word's form controls).
    • Export to PDF.
    • Add the form fields to the PDF (either manually or using Acrobat's form recognition utility)
    • Tweak, and publish the PDF.
       
  2. Build the visible form skeleton in Adobe InDesign.
    • Add the form fields into the InDesign layout. (Much easier and faster to do than in Acrobat.)
    • Export to PDF.
    • Tweak, and publish the PDF.

 

FYI, the "form skeleton" is the visible, printable portions of the form, such as the title, lables, and instructions.

 

|    Bevi Chagnon   |  Designer, Trainer, & Technologist for Accessible Documents ||    PubCom |    Classes & Books for Accessible InDesign, PDFs & MS Office |
    E
    Elizabeth5EC6Author
    Participant
    June 15, 2021

    how disappointing 😞 but thank you for responding Bevi, at least I know now!

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