Adobe Acrobat - fillable forms

[summer912]

How do you make a text box background not print in Adobe acrobat Pro DC?

[try67 · Accepted solution]

You need to change it in the document's Will Print event, and then back in the Did Print event.

Or you can create a hidden but printable field that copies its value, and set the editable field to visible, but doesn't print.

[summer912]

Ok - but the client wants the background to be highlighted as a coloured text box, but not printed on form, Is this possible?

[try67]

Yes, using the methods I described above.

[summer912]

OK thanks for your help - but I can't find the "Will Print" option when I am creating this form.. can you send a snapshot of where it is? Thanks so much.

[try67]

Tools - JavaScript - Set Document Actions - Document Will Print - Edit. Then enter the code and press OK. Repeat for the Document Did Print event:

[summer912]

Thanks - what is the code?

[summer912]

And also is there a way to specify the page set up for printing - a legal size page not letter?

[try67]

To set a field's fill color to transparent:

this.getField("FieldName").fillColor = color.transparent;

To set it back to some other color you'll need to know the color to use... If it's white you can use this:

this.getField("FieldName").fillColor = color.white;

No, you can't specify the page size when the file is printed.

[summer912]

Thanks- I was wondering if you can refer me to any good explainer videos on this topic. I am filling the text box with a colour, but it still prints the coloured fill on the box. Maybe I need to fill the text box in a different way?

[try67]

If you used the code I provided correctly that shouldn't happen.

Can you share the file with us?

[summer912]

Sure - here it is. Thanks!

[try67]

Don't know why, but the download link is not working. Can you share it via something like Google Drive, instead?

[summer912]

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rThMsm0DDJP0CdEKJ5rpbgjjR9c30-OA/view?usp=sharing

[try67]

You need to change "FieldName" to the actual name of the field you want to edit...

[summer912]

So for every separate field I have to apply the javascript?

[try67]

Yes, although if you want to apply it to all fields that's possible too.

[summer912]

Or can you just list all the fields in one javascript 

[try67]

It can be done in a single script.

[summer912]

Thanks so much for your help! I am doing a large number of these forms - can you copy the fields from one to another or is there a way to make templates of pages or sections in Adobe Acrobat?

[try67]

Sure, you can copy fields from one file to another. Just go to Prepare Form mode (in both files) and then select them and press Ctrl+C, then Ctrl+V in the other file.