accessible forms, automatically tagged (greyed out)

[D.Özel]

I have a problem with creating an accessible .pdf form.
Several form fields were generated from the "Create Form" function. Now I am doing an accessibility check and I see the error Tagged form fields - failed. Now you can tag form fields automatically, but that is grayed out. Now how can I add tags to my form fields? I saw in a video that you should right click on the form field and then you have a big choice there "tag as text" "tag as form" "tag as cell" etc.... only this option is not available to me. I can only paste something in the form field.

[Eric Dumas]

Hi,

Can you confirm the exact version of your software and operating system.

If you can paste text in the form field, it indicates that you are in the 'wrong editing mode' 

The fields should look like this

text field to edit

If they allow you to enter text, you are not in 'Prepare Form' mode.

[MaryHelenShuff]

I have never been able to find a way to TAG a form field that I create inside Acrobat. I have ALWAYS thought this should be an OPTION inside the "Properties" menu for the field that you create.

When I right-click the form field (yes, inside the "Prepare Form" mode), I do not SEE any tagging options (which you described above).

Adobe, PLEASE make the TAG for the FIELD part of the field's PROPERTIES menu!!

[MaryHelenShuff]

I always have to manually lasso each field, one-at-a-time, and hand tag it with the Touch Up Read Order pane. HATE this.

[Bevi Chagnon - PubCom.com]

There are better ways that I teach in my accessible PDF Forms class (which is running next week, www.PubCom.com/classes).

The best method at this time, is to use Adobe InDesign to lay out the form's visible skeleton (the text, labels, etc.) and add the form field controls. When done right, the exported PDF from InDesign is compliant.

If, instead, you're adding the form fields in Acrobat to an existing PDF skeleton, then you'll have to not only add the form field controls into the Tag Tree, but also sequence them into the main layout and correct their annotations. Find / Untagged Annotations. Doable, but not as nice and easy as from InDesign. And definitely more time.

Turns out there are several steps in this process to get a truly, fully accessible PDF form. Looking the above comments, no one yet has addressed all of the steps.

[MaryHelenShuff]

I don't always OWN or HAVE the source file and am required to make the form fields inside Acrobat Pro.

[Bevi Chagnon - PubCom.com]

Then READ the 3rd paragraph above, begins with "If, instead, you're adding the form fields in Acrobat to an existing PDF skeleton,..."

[MaryHelenShuff]

Yes, I read that.

It does not change my opinion that Adobe should ADD the ability to tag a field inside the properties menu of the field.

[Bevi Chagnon - PubCom.com]

<< Yes, I read that. >>

Then you have the answer: how to quickly (well, more quickly) add the form fields to the Tags Tree and sequence them in the reading order when you're working with a pre-made PDF, and not one from InDesign.

<< It does not change my opinion that Adobe should ADD the ability to tag a field inside the properties menu of the field. >>

This is a free and open forum, and all of us grunts here can wish for anything we want. Personally, I'm still waiting to get a pony for my birthday.

But what you're asking for won't accomplish the full task that's needed -- tags and RO. And I'm not sure the tagged form field could be added from the Properties panel at all.

As you know, this is not the best way to give Adobe advice or make your ideas known to them. They do not staff this forum. Go to www.Acrobat.UserVoice.com to request features or report bugs.

[MaryHelenShuff]

thx