How to align text boxes (or comments) in Acrobat Pro XI

Report · Mar 19, 2013

I just upgraded to Acrobat Pro XI from an older version of Acrobat Pro. I needed to complete a form for my mail order prescription service; the form is a flat form, and there is really no reason for me to go through the process of converting this form to an editable version.

Using the Tools, Content Editing, I added a number of text boxes that I placed in the appropriate areas on the original PDF document. However, when I went to select multiple text boxes, and then tried to align them (not the text within each box, but the text boxes themselves) I couldn't find any option that allowed me to do this. Because of the way the original form is designed, that means that the baseline of both my telephone numbers and birthdate resemble the Himalayas!

After doing quite an extensive search on-line, I found that most people suggest using Comments to fill in flat forms. But, even when I placed multiple text boxes from the Comments menu, there was no option for me to align these text boxes either.

Now, it is not that major a deal for my personal prescription form, but my job frequently requires that I complete flat forms that I receive from our clients, and I would prefer to have those forms look professional, and not like I had been enjoying a nice cocktail at happy hour just before I completed them.

The align objects feature is a pretty universal one, and I know that this feature was available in earlier versions of Acrobat Pro. Where did it go?

Report · Mar 19, 2013

What you may remember, and what is still in Acrobat Pro XI, is the ability to align form fields when in form editing mode.

However, the new text editing features allow some degree of alignment. There is no align tool, nor an align command.

If you're trying to align the baselines of text, I'd first show the rulers (View > Show/Hide > Rules & Grids > Rulers) and draw a guide from the ruler to the baseline of the first text frame. Then as you're moving a frame (and it can be tricky when the frames are small), you want the Move cursor (looks like the Move tool in Photoshop). If you do that you should see green alignment "smart guides" appear as you drag. Finally, while still in that mode, you can tweak the position of a text frame by using the arrow keys on your keyboard to move in approximately 1 point increments.

I would also appreciate the ability to align like in a layout program like InDesign, but they haven't yet included it.

Report · Mar 19, 2013

The problem is the way you added the text. Instead of adding text that way, use: Comment > Annotations > T (Add Text Comment)

You can then use the "Select an Object" tool (black arrow pointing to upper-left) to select several text comments, right-click, and select "Align > Bottom" or whatever you want. The one that you right-click on will be the one that the other fields will align to.

Report · Mar 19, 2013

The method I described is if you choose in Acrobat XI, Tools > Content Editing > Edit Text and Images. This is a new method introduced in Acrobat XI, and an online search would show methods used in older versions of Acrobat.

However, George's method has the advantage that it allows you to access the same align command as with form fields.