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Answered

Change form fields to auto size text

Forum|Forum|9 months ago
April 15, 2025
5 replies
7380 views

Prior to the latest update, my form fields would auto resize the text.

I have had these same forms for years.

Now all the fields default to scrolling & when I print the forms the text in the fields is cut off.

How do I change this back to auto size?

Also, cannot find how to change just the one field manually.

If anyone from Adobe is reading these posts, this default change is unacceptable & changing font sizes should be made much simpler

Correct answer Amal.

Hi there,

Hope you're doing well, and thank you for reaching out.

To set the font size to auto in your PDF form using Adobe Acrobat, please follow the steps below:

Open the PDF file in Adobe Acrobat (not Reader).
Go to the “Tools” section and select “Prepare Form.”
Double-click on the text field you want to modify. This will open the Text Field Properties dialog box.
In the “Appearance” tab, locate the Font Size setting.
From the dropdown, select “Auto” to allow the font size to adjust automatically based on the amount of text entered.

This setting helps ensure that the entered text fits neatly within the field, especially when the content varies in length.

Let us know how it goes.

JR Boulay

Adobe Expert

When the setting is set to ‘auto’, the maximum character size depends on the height of the field.
This screenshot should help you.

Acrobate du PDF, InDesigner et Photoshopographe

Dave Creamer of IDEAS

Adobe Expert

Also depends on the amount of characters IF Scroll Long Text is off. As more are entered, the type gets smaller.

David Creamer: Community Expert (ACI and ACE 1995-2023)

JR Boulay

Adobe Expert

As its name suggests, Preview is a preview software.
It lets you preview a wide range of file types: PSD, XLSX, DOCX, PPTX, PDF, etc.
But don't expect to find in Preview the same functions as in Photoshop, Excel, Word, Powerpoint or Acrobat...

Acrobate du PDF, InDesigner et Photoshopographe

N

Nuno Andre

Participating Frequently

I appreciate your input, but I use the same tools I know others use. In this particular case, I knew the form would be used by people who use Preview. Preview works for them, so I do not judge or criticize their choices; I will always try to make it easier for them to work.

Dave Creamer of IDEAS

Adobe Expert

It is very common to suggest only using the free Adobe Acrobat Reader when filling out forms. I would at least do that. That way, you are not taking responibility for other programs not rendering PDFs correctly.

This is not meant to judge or criticize, but to teach others that not all PDF readers are created equal. Some just assume that if it can open the PDF, it should work.

David Creamer: Community Expert (ACI and ACE 1995-2023)

N

Nuno Andre

Participating Frequently

I'm sorry to jump in. I have the opposite problem. I prepared a form and set the same specific size and font for every text box. However, when I test it by filling it out, the font size varies, even though all the text boxes are configured identically.

I would appreciate any assistance in resolving this problem. Thank you.

Using Adobe Acrobat Pro on a MacAir - OS Sequoia 15.4.1

Dave Creamer of IDEAS

Adobe Expert

Can you upload a sample PDF?

David Creamer: Community Expert (ACI and ACE 1995-2023)

N

Nuno Andre

Participating Frequently

As previously stated, all text boxes are set to Helvetica, size 8. However, I've noticed that when I test the document in Preview or any PDF reader other than those from Adobe and fill in the text boxes, the text sizes appear inconsistent and different from the customized option defined.
I'm unsure what I'm doing wrong because this is the second time I've encountered this issue. I've tried different approaches:
First, I created text boxes individually and checked the field properties to see if that would solve the problem. On another occasion, I duplicated a text box that was working correctly, but upon testing again, the text sizes were still random.

I'm not sure what to do next, and whenever I look for solutions online, they don't seem to address my specific issue, so thank you in advance for all your trouble and help.

Test.pdf

Dave Creamer of IDEAS

Adobe Expert

Are you saying an _existing_ form has changed? Or just the settings for new forms?

If the latter, simply right-click on a field set up exactly how you would like it and select "Use Current Properties as the New Default". This will extend to other files for _new_ fields.

David Creamer: Community Expert (ACI and ACE 1995-2023)

K

kyla_1381Author

New Participant

The settings on an existing form changed

Dave Creamer of IDEAS

Adobe Expert

I've never seen that happen. I just opened an old form on my system and it wasn't affected. Can you check the creation and modification date of your form to see if it matches your expectations?

David Creamer: Community Expert (ACI and ACE 1995-2023)

Amal.

Correct answer

Community Manager

Hi there,

Hope you're doing well, and thank you for reaching out.

To set the font size to auto in your PDF form using Adobe Acrobat, please follow the steps below:

Open the PDF file in Adobe Acrobat (not Reader).
Go to the “Tools” section and select “Prepare Form.”
Double-click on the text field you want to modify. This will open the Text Field Properties dialog box.
In the “Appearance” tab, locate the Font Size setting.
From the dropdown, select “Auto” to allow the font size to adjust automatically based on the amount of text entered.

This setting helps ensure that the entered text fits neatly within the field, especially when the content varies in length.

Let us know how it goes.

K

kyla_1381Author

New Participant

Thanks that worked well.

Is there a way to apply to all fields without changing each individually?

Dave Creamer of IDEAS

Adobe Expert

Select like fields and right-click on them to select Properties.

David Creamer: Community Expert (ACI and ACE 1995-2023)

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