Form doubles text when signed on Acrobat mobile

[ebarksdale]

I have several forms that I've made using Acrobat DC that require signatures. When the forms are signed on the computer, they save and print out correctly. However, when they are signed on a mobile device using the mobile Acrobat app, it causes the form info to duplicate over itself. More importantly, it prints out in this manner. We're required to make prints for legal reasons.

• There are not two form fields overlapping here. There is only one when looking up under "Prepare form" after the file is saved.
• I only have this issue with documents signed from a mobile device.
• If I use the Form tools to delete the form blocks, then hit undo, it actually shows up correctly.
• Saving the document as an Archive or Reduced File Size does not fix the issue.
• I do not see a print option that fixes the issue.
• When you first open the form, the blue background for form fields blocks the background field text. If you click the field, it does show it under (see screenshots).

Ideally, I need to prevent this. Any ideas for how to keep this from happening?

Thx

[try67]

You've created two copies of the same field, one on top of another, probably while you were trying to move the field.

Delete one of these copies and it should be fine.

[try67]

Reading your question again I'm actually not sure that's the issue... Does it not happen all the time? If so, it's something else.

[ebarksdale]

It only happens with forms signed via a mobile device. If it's signed via a computer, it does not happen. I've checked, there aren't two form fields, cause if I delete one, the doubled data disappears as well. If I hit "Clear all fields" it still shows the doubled data.

[try67]

OK, then it's not what I suggested.

What app are you using on the mobile device to sign the file?

[ebarksdale]

I know this has happened with the official Acrobat app for iOS. Honestly, I'm not sure if there even is another app that works for filling out PDFs on an iOS device.

[try67]

Try PDF Expert by Readdle.

[ebarksdale]

Correction, the issue seems to occur when using iOS Mail to fill out the form. Is there any way to work around this? This is gonna be the default app that our customers will be using, it seems silly to tell them they need a new app just to fill out our forms?

[fabiena24731689]

Hello,

I have exactly the same problem and I have to print some documents too...

I have tested to export in all proposed formats, but nothing works and I really got no other idea...
Did you find a solution ?

[gkaiseril]

Can you provide a link to a sample form so we can see the form and it's contents since an image does not provide and detailed information about the form's creation and actual file content.

[fabiena24731689]

Here's the link (I just deleted some fields with sensitive datas) :

--> Link <--

[George_Johnson · Accepted solution]

That form was saved with the iOS version of Apple Preview, which always corrupts PDF forms. You should never use it to open a PDF form.

[ebarksdale]

How would you go about telling current and potential customers as well as your sales team to not use Apple Mail/Preview and download Adobe Reader on their phone? That seems like an unreasonable request but is that really what we have to do to use PDF Forms for mobile devices?

[George_Johnson]

Yes, your users need sufficient incentive. It can work well in some situations, but not in general.

[gkaiseril]

One could put a read only field non-printable on the top of the form instructing to use the Adobe Reader or Acrobat to fill -n the form.

There are tools to fix these issues. The practicalPDF Fix Form Utility by Joel Geraci.

[fabiena24731689]

I have tested the Tool by Joel Geraci (thanx for the link !), in Acrobat Pro and Acrobat DC

but when clicking on the "Fix Field Appearances" link that had appeared in the edit menu : nothing happens...

[George_Johnson]

That's because that script was designed to address a somewhat similar but quite different problem, and it doesn't really fix the fields, it simply makes the field value visible (without the original formatting) if it previously wasn't, due to corruption caused by the Preview application on a Mac.

[barrymphotos]

I had the same problem when opening a document I had filled in and sent to someone else to sign. When they returned it, I checked on my iPhone and all looked good. When I later looked at the document on my iMac using Adobe Acrobat Reader, it had the doubled up stuff on some of the fields but not all. I needed to upload the correct document for storage to our Google Drive so I simply did it on my phone and it's all good. Can't use the document on my iMac at all.

[Amal.]

Hi there

Hope you are doing well.

What is the version of the OS and the Acrobat DC you are using? To check the version go to Help > About Acrobat and make sure you have the recent version 24.02.20759 installed. Go to Help > Check for updates and reboot the computer once.
 
Please try to reset the Acrobat preferences as described here https://adobe.ly/4e7Dgs7
 
You may also try to create a new test user profile with full admin rights  or enable the root account in MAC and try using the application there and check.

~Amal