How to Align Text Top Left in a Field. Where is it???

[Steve Milne]

I give up. This new Acorbat is dreadful. I need to align text on a form to the top left corner. It used to be under properties. Simple, clear and easy to find. Now I can't find it any where now.

Doesn't anyone know how to do this, so it matches, you know, the InDesign document postion??

Why is Acrobat so hard to work with?

[Joel Geraci]

Single-line form fields will always vertically align to the middle. To align to the top, the field must be set to multi-line. This has been true since Acrobat 3.5 and remains the case in New Acrobat in "Prepare a Form" mode.

[Steve Milne]

That doesn't work in the newest Acrobat. I've been trying! There used to be an 'align' option for horizontal and now its gone. Or I cant find it. It still sits in the middle and any further copy it moves down, but the first line doesn't move. So frustrating as I'll need to setthe work up wrong in InDesign and get it in the right position.

[Bernd Alheit]

What font does you use in the field?

[Steve Milne]

Its Arial Bold.

[Joel Geraci]

My screenshot is from the new Acrobat. But Acrobat has never perfectly aligned the text in a multi-line field to the very top of the field rectangle. It's operating exactly as it has since version 3.5 which was released back in the late 90s.  

[JR Boulay]

These (well-hidden) options arrived with Acrobat 6, so perhaps they work better:

1- Using the form edit tool:

2- Using the Hand tool, hit ctrl-E (Windows) or cmd-E (Mac) when typing in the field:

[Steve Milne]

Thanks, but doesn't solve the issue. I've had to lay everything out wrong in InDesign, to get it to be in the right possition in Acrobat. And you are correct, the amount of windows and hidden away features in Acrobat is, in my opinion, an absolute joke. It is not an intuitively laid out peice of software. You set styles in InDesign. Then have to add that style to the 'Buttons and Forms' pallette and THEN have add some of the styles back in in Acorobat! Plus there are at least 3 different styles for pop out windows In Acrobat. Come on, it has to be better than that. It's been a long project... or made to feel longer than it should be.

[Excusatio123]

I've been having the same issue, but I noticed that it only happens with some fonts. In my case I decided to leave the default Helvetica, although I don't like it because it clashes with the remaining font of the document...

[S. S]

Hi @Excusatio123,

Hope you are doing well. Sorry for the trouble.

With all the solutions shared above, I would like to add two steps:

1. Once the properties are set, use the checkbox saying "Locked" on the bottom left of the Properties window to lock it for the current field.

2. Once done, right-click on the same field and click "Use Current Properties as New Default."

This will make sure that the properties remain intact, even after the form is reset[ screenshot for both attached]

Hope this helps.

-Souvik

[Excusatio123]

I am not sure I understand how this steps are going to help. I am still not able to top-left align the text when I use certain fonts

[S. S]

Hi @Excusatio123,

Thanks for writing back.

I see what you are referring to now. Let me get this investigated by the team.

I will update the thread once I hear back.

Thanks,
Souvik

[Joel Geraci]

The rich text settings tend not to stick when you reset the form.