Creating a PDF Fillable Form from Scratch in Acrobat

[Stephen26546952mo4e]

I'm trying to help folks in the office use Acrobat Pro to created fillable form PDFs from scratch in Acrobat Pro.  I'm finding that the tools are glitchy, the snap to grid functionality is seemingly impossible to align text labels, and it is making sense that almost all tutorials on creating PDF Forms start with Word or InDesign or something else.

Are any folks here using Adobe Acrobat to create forms from scratch?  You'd think that basic functionality of layout would be super easy to use, and that everyone would use Acrobat as a standalone tool for creating forms.

Or am I just delusional?

[Thom Parker]

You're Delusional.

Acrobat is not a content creation tool.  It's a document finishing tool.  It was a huge mistake from Adobe to include editing tools.  These tools are only provided for experts to examine contents and to tweak a design.  Using it to create content is like pulling your own teeth.  

Besides, it's soo easy to knock out a design in Word.  I frequently use tables to setup my forms, cause tables make aligning content a breeze.  

That said, I do often create test files in Acrobat, but not by using the "PDF Edit" tools.   Instead, I use the text annotation to lay down formatted content.   Then flatten before adding fields. 

[Stephen26546952mo4e]

Yep, I'm delusional. And yet, folks here, there and yonder continue to use Acrobat Pro as a content creation tool and wonder why it is so frustratingly difficult to use.  I'd like to sit down with the Acrobat Pro Product Manager, their head Marketing person, and demonstrate their product using their built in tools to create content and add a form, from scratch.  Then I'd like them all sitting in a conference room with laptops, to be given a form to create from scratch just so I can watch them struggle.  The Marketing does not line up with the capabilities and strengths of the application.  I dare them to meet with me. 🙂

[Stephen26546952mo4e]

Thom, thank you. I have searched high and low for this admission from an experienced Acrobat Pro user, and finally you said it clearly and succinctly.  I can finally move on from bashing my head trying to create forms and content from scratch in Acrobat. 

Acrobat is not a content creation tool.  It's a document finishing tool.  It was a huge mistake from Adobe to include editing tools.  These tools are only provided for experts to examine contents and to tweak a design.  Using it to create content is like pulling your own teeth.