How to make text flow from one page to the next and be selectable?

[LisaliLisaliLisali]

Hi,

I have a multi-page PDF document. It looks like this:

I am trying to make it so that text entered will automatically flow from the text field BODY1 to BODY2, and so on. I also need it to be selectable when someone else opens it, with CTRL+A like here: https://erc.europa.eu/sites/default/files/press_release/files/erc_press_release_adg2015_results.pdf

How do I do this?

Thank you!

[try67]

Not possible in a PDF file.

[LisaliLisaliLisali]

Hi,

Thanks for your message.

I find that hard to believe. How was it done in the link I reference in my post? It's a PDF.

Thanks!

[try67]

There are no form fields in that file, which is what I had assumed you were talking about (since you posted in the PDF Forms forum)...

Are you talking about static text? If so, all you have to do to achieve that is set the "Enable Scrolling" viewing option, under View - Page Display.

[LisaliLisaliLisali]

OK, so I probably did not explain this well.

I created the form for myself - so I can format the heading, subheading and the body text easily. The recipients of the document will not need to do any editing, just copy the body text if they need to.

I don't want the text to be scrollable, but rather flow onto the next page. If there's a better and easier way to achieve this, please let me know. Perhaps set up headers? Or not create this as a PDF form?

Suggestions?

Thank you!

[Bernd Alheit]

The example is a PDF document exported from MS Word.

[LisaliLisaliLisali]

OK - I get that. But how do I achieve what I need to?

[Bernd Alheit]

Not possible with Acrobat.

[LisaliLisaliLisali]

Hm. I like to believe that nothing is impossible.

How about this, looking at the attached example from my initial post:

- Create a flat PDF with HEADER TEXT on each page and maybe have that section as the page header

- On the first page only have SUBHEADER, followed by BODY1, which flows onto the following page, starting on page 2 where the page 2 header ends

Is this possible? If so, how would I do that?

Thanks!

[try67]

We've answered your question, to the best of our knowledge. If you believe we're wrong feel free to put the time and effort into studying how PDF forms work. If you can get it working, please share with us your findings...

[gkaiseril]

You more than welcome to read the PDF Reference or ISO PDF standard.

LiveCycle PDFs support dynamic fields and dynamic fields that can grow and reflow, but that is a different product.

[Henry Penry]

Not sure if this is exactly what you wanted or if it will work across pages...but while I was trying to find the same answer I found this solution to flowing text from field to field.  It's not perfect, but it pretty much did what I wanted.  I too, find it hard to believe it's "not possible".   Here's the link.  Skip to part about entering the javascript in the edit of the custom properties of the text fields.   https://community.adobe.com/t5/acrobat-discussions/how-to-link-two-or-more-text-field/td-p/1109259