How to edit fields in PDF form after saving

[Guest]

I'm very new to PDF forms and thought I would be better at it.  I'm creating forms from Word documents and need to make frequent edits to the PDF form after I've saved it because I'm still learning.  I thought I read somewhere that you should be able to edit the properties of a field after saving a copy, but that didn't work.  I forgot to unclick "scoll multi field" and need to fix it in my text boxes but I cannot edit.  I keep recreating the form over and over again from the Word doc.

[Abhishamster · Accepted solution]

Hi Ally1286,

Save a Copy is required to edit the form only when you have either distributed the form or saved it as Reader extended PDF. In this case if you want add Scroll feature to a field then go to (in DC) 'Prepare Form' tool under the toolset on the right.

On this screen, select the file and click on start. Double click on the field and go to 'Options' tab. Select the appropriate check box.

Let me know if this work for you.

[Guest]

Thank you! I did save the form in Reader Extended PDF so that users can complete the form and save their answers. I was able to edit the properties of the saved form by clicking "Prepare Form" as you advised.

I need to make multiple forms and find Adobe to be very challenging! I'm creating the form templates in Word and then using the Word file to create the PDF form. But I make mistakes and need to make constant edits, like not leaving enough space between questions to fit the text box. Is there an easier way to do this? I could not figure out how to create the form from scratch in Adobe.

Thank you!

[Abhishamster]

Hi Ally1286,

What I understand is that you are trying to edit Labels (Text) also which can be done using 'Edit PDF'. In this case I'll suggest you is to first create PDF from word document then make perform PDF Editing using 'Edit PDF' tool for any formatting or spacing changes. Then take the PDF file in form editing mode and develop it in a PDF Form. Going back and forth between PDF text editing and Form editing will be a tedious task and time consuming.

[stu.colon@outlook.com]

I spent $180 on this scam of a program!  I cant do the most basic function, which is to edit a form that I had saved. It edits THE ENTIRE FORM, EXCEPT MY ANSWERS !   No one know what to do ..

I'm going to purchase PdFfiller 

[try67]

You're probably using the wrong tool. Edit PDF will not let you edit the contents of fields. For that you just need to use the normal viewing mode. If you want to edit the fields themselves go to Tools - Forms - Prepare Form.

[Cosmic Rocket]

For me the problem was that Adobe Acrrobat pro DC decided to change the status of all my fields to "locked" and "read only"

In order to fix that I went to "Prepare form" and then selected all fields and turned off both these settings in the properties.

After that it was back to normal. 

[Crystal Cobb]

Great help!  Thank you!  Is this a default save setting. Anyone know of a way to turn it off??

[Dorrie BW]

I fixed this issue the same way Comic_Rocket did --

[AYOWeb]

What do you do when you select the dan field and it doesn't let you go to properties???? There HAS TO be a better option than this trash. 

[evantheartist]

This is a helpful suggestion. how do you select all the fields in a form without selecting each one individually? some pages in the pdf i am working on allow you to select most of the fields, but other pages won't select all. is there a way to select every field within the document at once. if there is anyting else selected which is not a field, it doesn't let you select properties. thanks in advance.

[try67]

Go to Prepare Form mode, click into the Fields list and press Ctrl+A.