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Participating Frequently
January 17, 2020
Answered

How to add draw function on a fillable PDF

Hello,

I am creating a fillable PDF for work and one of the requirements is that the user can use the "draw functin under "fill and sign" to actually sign the form


However, when I create the fillable form, I am only able to add a signature text boxt that asks for a digital signature

 

What should I do?

Thom Parker
Thom ParkerCorrect answer
Community Expert
April 24, 2025

Show me the advanced task.

 


The Advanced Task:

Use a button and timer to capture mouse movements to dynamically build an ink annotation. 

 

Thom Parker - Software Developer at PDFScriptingUse the Acrobat JavaScript Reference early and often

12 replies

Thom Parker
Community Expert
Community Expert
January 19, 2020

The "draw tool" in Acrobat/Reader is  one of the standard PDF markup annotations.  It's also called the pen or pencil tool. You may want to add something to your form to clue the user to use it for a signature. For example, add a "Sign" button that just runs the menu item that activates the pen tool. Have the text on the button change to "Done". Then when they push is a second time it activates the hand tool. Something like that. 

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Thom Parker - Software Developer at PDFScriptingUse the Acrobat JavaScript Reference early and often
Participant
November 19, 2021

Can you please explain in steps how to do this?

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Thom Parker
Community Expert
Community Expert
December 7, 2021

The first part of this is running the menu item that activates the Pencil tool.

 

app.execMenuItem("Annots:Tool:InkMenuItem");

 

You can turn the tool off by running the Hand tool menu item;

 

app.execMenuItem("HandMenuItem");

 

Unfortunately, buttons on the form cannot be pushed when the pen tool is turned on. The user will have to turn this tool off manually. 

 

 

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Thom Parker - Software Developer at PDFScriptingUse the Acrobat JavaScript Reference early and often
try67
Community Expert
Community Expert
January 17, 2020

You don't need to do anything to allow the user to do that. It's a built-in feature of Reader DC.

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Bernd Alheit
Community Expert
Community Expert
January 17, 2020

Don't create a signature field.

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