is it possible to create a form with checkboxes and still be able to use "fill in form fields"?

[7300202]

I'm trying to create a document that allows the user to click and fill in checkboxes, and also be able to use the "fill in form fields" toolbar option to click and add text throughout the document wherever they want. 

Once the document is prepared as a form and checkboxes are added, the "fill in form fields" button disappears. 

Is it possible to create a form with checkboxes that can be clicked into, and still be able to click to add text throughout the form? If not, what do you recommend?

i know i could add a text field into the form, but i want the users to be able to click wherever they'd like to add comments that remain visible on the page. this form has to be easy to use for people that it will be sent to. thanks so much.

[Amal.]

Hi there,

Hope you are doing well, and sorry for the trouble. 

This is the design behavior of the application. Once you turn a PDF into a fillable form, Acrobat switches into form-filling mode. In that mode, users can only type inside the specific fields you added. The “Add Text” / “Fill & Sign” style tools are disabled to avoid conflicts between free-text and form fields.

So, currently, it’s not possible to have both clickable form checkboxes and free-click anywhere text entry at the same time

You can add multiple multi-line text fields and place them where users are most likely to write comments. This keeps everything part of the form and easy to fill. For more information, please check the help page https://adobe.ly/48hpKRW  

Hope this will help 

~Amal

[7300202]

thank you, i appreciate the response. next two questions - 

with the multi-line text fields option, what is the easiest way to set these so that the boxes aren't huge on the page, but that whatever the user types in is visible once complete? for example if the box is big enough for two lines of text, but the user adds three, or adds text longer than the size of the box, how can that be set to adjust so that whatever they add can be seen without having to click the box to read it?

with the adding comments feature, is there a way to set the template document to display the comments on the page, rather than the comment icon? 

thank you so much.

[Tariq Ahmad · Accepted solution]

Hello, 

Multi-line Text Fields – Keeping Boxes Small but Showing All Text

• Set the field as multi-line in Prepare Form.
• Enable Scroll long text:
  • Right-click the text field → Properties → Options tab → tick Multi-line and Scroll long text.
  • This ensures users can type more than the visible area and scroll within the field.
• Auto font size:
  • In Properties → Appearance, set Font Size to Auto. This will shrink text as needed so all content fits within the box.
• Alternative for full visibility:
  • If you want the entire text visible without scrolling, Acrobat doesn’t dynamically resize the field, but you can:
    • Use Expand to Fit in dynamic XFA forms (requires LiveCycle Designer or AEM Forms).
    • Alternatively, add a tooltip (Properties → General → Tooltip) so that hovering displays the full text.

Displaying Comments Instead of Icons

• Acrobat’s default behaviour is to show a comment icon on the page.
• To display comments inline:
  • Go to View → Comments → Show Comments List 
  • In Preferences → Commenting, enable Print notes and pop-ups if you want them visible when printing.
• For templates:
  • There’s no setting to force comments to appear permanently on the page in the PDF itself; they remain as pop-ups or in the Comments pane.
  • Workaround: Flatten comments before sharing:
    • Use Print to PDF with “Document and Markups” selected.
    • Or use Preflight → Flatten annotations (in Acrobat Pro).

Best regards,
Tariq | Adobe Community Team