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Answered

Different form field types are only operating as text fields

Forum|Forum|3 years ago
May 12, 2022
4 replies
2650 views

So, I'm creating a fillable form from scratch in Adobe Acrobat DC and I have various form fields that I've identified within the form. I have a number of text fields, but then date, name, title, and signature fields as well. However, whenever I preview the form, or even close the file and open in Adobe Reader, every single form field only acts as a text field, regardless of how I set it in the properties. What am I doing wrong??

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Correct answer try67

You did. This is an Adobe Sign form. Click on Tools - Prepare Form and then click on "More" at the right side of the window and then on "Revert to Acrobat Form". In the future, do not tick the box that says "This document requires signatures" when creating the form. You will still be able to add regular Signature fields to it.

Bernd Alheit

Community Expert

Have you created a Adobe Sign form?

C

Casey24431999e2pcAuthor

Participant

I've not created forms in Adobe previously.

T

Test Screen Name

Legend

Ah, I think you selected an option "this form requires a signature". It would be better if this were labellel instead

"Don't make an ordinary form. Make a special form for use with the online Adobe Sign service, with entirely different options, and which won't work properly in an ordinary PDF viewer". It's certainly a trap, try without that option (and then you won't get these useless choices either!)

jane-e

Community Expert

@Casey24431999e2pc

Can you show a screen shot that includes one of the fields (selected) with the Properties panel open?

Jane

C

Casey24431999e2pcAuthor

Participant

try67

Correct answer

Community Expert

You did. This is an Adobe Sign form. Click on Tools - Prepare Form and then click on "More" at the right side of the window and then on "Revert to Acrobat Form". In the future, do not tick the box that says "This document requires signatures" when creating the form. You will still be able to add regular Signature fields to it.

T

Test Screen Name

Legend

How would a name field not be a text field? That is to say, what would you want to happen differently?

C

Casey24431999e2pcAuthor

Participant

That's an excellent question. I'm new to creating forms in Adobe Acrobat, so I don't know what to expect differently. All I know is that Acrobat gives me the option, so I included the field type in my form.

try67

Community Expert

The only other type you mentioned is "signature". Did you create Signature fields and they act as text fields? That would be very strange indeed. Are you sure you're not simply creating text fields and intending them to be used for various purposes?

C

Casey24431999e2pcAuthor

Participant

I used the form field tools in Adobe Acrobat DC to create the various types of fields.

So while I don't know what the Name and Title field types are supposed to do differently, I am familiar with how a date field and a signature field are supposed to operate and that functionality is not present. The properties window even identifies the field as a Date field, yet it only functions as an open text field.

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