PDF form doubles in size after enabling, adding content

[davew4163863]

Using Acrobat Pro DC -

We have a pdf form that worked flawlessly until recently. Now it appears that after enabling the form, adding content and doing a "Save as" the form doubles in size. This all happenss before any digital signature is implemented. Happens in both Acrobat Reader and Pro DC and on MAC and Windows 10.

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[try67]

"Reader enabling" the form is like applying a digital signature to it, so yes, it's normal that it causes it to become much larger.

Why are you doing it, though? It's no longer necessary, assuming the users of this form have a relatively new version of Reader.

[davew4163863]

try67,

Appreciate your feedback. We occasionally implement an upgrade version of the pdf form and export content from legacy forms, import into the new version and reader enable it so form users can continue to edit and add new content. My understanding of adding a digital signature is it keeps a duplicate in memory to compare authenticity of the signed form. Why would the form need to store a duplicate of a reader enabled form?

[try67]

If your users have Reader XI or DC then you don't need to do that. They will be able to save the filled-in form even without this right.

I don't know the exact ins-and-outs of this right, but it's basically a way to tell the (older) Reader application to allow saving the file. Of course, you want to only do that if this right was applied by an Adobe application (otherwise anyone will be able to do it), so it has to be validated against the file it was applied to. I'm not sure if it's exactly the same as a digital signature, but it's quite similar.

[davew4163863]

So I downloaded the latest version of Reader DC and opened up a non-Reader-enabled form. Accross the top of the document in Reader DC, I get a application message that reads: "Please fill out the following form. You cannot save data typed into this form. Please print your completed form if you would like a copy for your records." I created the form in Livecycle Designer ES4. Please advise. Appreciate your help in solving this issue.

[try67]

Ah, this is an LCD form... That's a completely different story. In that case I believe you still have to apply the Reader-Rights to it to make it savable, but I would seriously recommend you move away from LCD to a "normal" PDF form, if it all possible, as that technology is on its last legs at the moment.

[davew4163863]

Are you concluding the LCD Reader eenabled pdf form will double in size every time it is saved using "Save as?' Is there no way to apply reader-rights to a LCD dynamic form?

Is there a new authoring environment for creating pdf forms enabling new technology? Does Adobe have a migration workflow to convert legacy LCD forms into the new pdf form authoring workflow?

[try67]

No, just the first time, when you enable it.

You can create forms using Acrobat. There's no direct way of converting LCD forms to Acrobat forms, though. You basically have to start over from a static copy of the file.