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Participating Frequently
November 11, 2025
Question

Prepare Form not Recognizing table cells

  • November 11, 2025
  • 2 replies
  • 212 views

I have a table created in word that I converted to PDF. When I run Prepare form, it isn't recognizing the cells properly.  How can I adjust them so that it does? I don't want to manually create the whole form and it's large and I don't want to have to name them and give them tool tips and fiddle with sizing so they fit precisely in the boxes.

 

Thanks!

2 replies

PDF Automation Station
Community Expert
Community Expert
November 11, 2025

" How can I adjust them so that it does?"  You can't.  Unfortunately.  There are a lot of tricks you can use to quickly create fields, size and align them:

  • Create the first field.  Right-click > Create multiple copies.
  • For sizing:  Select multiple fields, right-click one field, select Set fields to same size > (height, width, or both)
  • For alignment:  Select multiple fields, right-click one field, select Alignment > (many options).

Note:  for the last 2 bullet points, the size or alignment will use the one you right-click for reference.

Participating Frequently
November 11, 2025

The issue is I do not want to manually name and tooltip each one. Won't that method have a whole bunch of cells with the same names? so when someone enters a value into the first all the rest are updated?

Participating Frequently
November 11, 2025

No.  It will add a period and a number to the names.  For example, a field named Text will be Text.0, Text.1, Text.2 etc.


That's perfect for the field names, but not the tooltips. The tooltip needs to remain the same as the original field name.   Something like:

 

Employee Name --------- Employee Name

Employee Name.2 ------- Employee Name

Employee Name.3 ------- Employee Name

 

Im also wondering how to get the fields to snap to the places they would be if the prepare form worked properly, rather than dragging them around 1x1

 

In the past the prepare form has worked perfectly fine, this is the first situation I've come accross where it's haivng a melt down. I was hoping just making the lines a higher weight or something would help. I haven't been able to figure out why it can 'see' some fields and not others

Participating Frequently
November 11, 2025

It's also placing fields across multiple table cells for some reason?