Text leading/formatting problems with Interactive PDFs

[Eager_Flair6C12]

Hello amazing people! I need some help with a bit of a Interactive PDF/Acrobat/Preview/text leading conundrum but here is some background...

Background: So a client (a school) has tasked me to create school report(s) as an editable interactive PDF. This PDF needed to be designed for consistency and have the outcome of it's fields have very specific sized fonts in their respective fields. That was the easy part... The files were first made in InDesign and text fields defined within InDesign with Interactive for PDF tools (buttons and forms specifically). Next each file was opened with Acrobat Pro DC and the "prepare form" tool was used to define specific font(s) and font sizes (Arial Narrow to be exact – specifically chosen by the client). Sent it off and received initial sign off (client used macOS's Preview to fill the form out) – So far so good...

Here is the problem: The individual teachers in the school have different computers and different operating systems. When the client(s) fills the forms out in Adobe Acrobat/Reader, the leading of the first line of text changes. This has two negative outcomes: The first is cosmetic, leaving a rather ugly negative space at the top of each text box. The second is practical, reducing the number of lines per text box by one. Both problems were unacceptable to the client. Therefore, after some troubleshooting with them, the long and short of my solution was that the client default to using macOS's Preview for all their reports to achieve what they want both visually and practically. However, some of the teachers using Preview 9.0 have a similar first line leading problem with the added problem of the text becoming small when copy and pasting their reports from Microsoft Word and/or Excel into the Preview. The only answer I have for them is that they are copying the text formatting from Microsoft Word and to type the text directly into the text field or use a plain text format like Notepad or Text Edit. The leading even changes if the file, though filled out in Preview, is opened in Acrobat Pro DC. Is there a way to fix this text leading/formatting issue within Acrobat and/or InDesign?? Furthermore, is there a way to make it revert back to it's default leading as visually tested as per in Indesign??

(please see screen shots attached below)

A note about redesigning to accomodate the programs/format's shortcomings: A solution which was deliberated would be to redesign the text fields to be higher up to take the first line leading shift into consideration. However this in itself creates a few problems. The first is the "blue highlighted fields" not conveying what the final file would look like when printed (which the client intends to do). The second is that the design has to be aligned very specifically and manually in InDesign to be consistent. It would be nice to test it's look within Indesign without setting it up to compensate for the shortcomings of the next program and even more so when the 3rd party program (Preview) displays the file better than it's originating program (Acrobat/Reader). This should not be an acceptable standard within a flagship visual program and/or service. This is not me berating anyone but a cry for help from a lowly graphic designer wanting to solve a problem higher than his pay grade.

[Test Screen Name]

Preview notoriously breaks PDF forms, so it seems unusual to find it a solution to anything. Really, you are trying to do document composition rather than simple form filling, and I suspect PDF forms are too limited for you. Did you consider Word forms? Word isn't free but it sounds as if they may have it already.

[Eager_Flair6C12]

Thanks, will look into it for future reference*. It's not an ideal solution, however, as it's a new skill to learn and I am almost MS word illiterate. Took a bit out of my designer pride to even suggest Preview as a solution. The ideal was to get a Creative Suite solution and for a (better) solution to go to a another company's program should be proof enough that the devs need to action this. To some extent, I'm just hoping that someone has found a solution I couldn't see or didn't know about. One would think that it would be easy to find some consistency within sister programs.

This is not the first time I've made interactive PDFs. Its just the first time the client has been so picky about how the final product looked and translated. Normally I'd tell them: this is the way it is and if you want it in this format you're not getting any better than this. However, for one program to design visual accuracy and for its sister program to mishandle the file is kinda not ok. I'm kinda in the client's corner with this one.

*For some context, this project was picked up from the client's original vendor and the project was already under way and on what was quoted, it's unlikely they'd like to pay for my time educating myself for MS Word and redesigning ten documents.

[George_Johnson]

They can get better than that if they're willing and able to install and use Adobe Reader. It won't corrupt PDF forms like Preview does and will display the fonts correctly.

[George_Johnson]

I meant to add that you can turn off the field highlighting with JavaScript, or a user preference can be changed so that field highlighting is disabled for Reader. Either is a simple matter.

[Eager_Flair6C12]

Thanks for your reply. However field highlighting is not the main issue and it will still require a redesign the client might not be happy paying for. The issue is the first line text leading* when used in Acrobat and/or Reader which makes the final layout appear ugly and loose a line of text. Is there a way to fix the first line text leading in JavaScript?? Please point me in the right direction.

*I know that Adobe Reader/Acrobat doesn't borrow the text formatting like Preview but for half of the client's teachers using Preview generates a better outcome when it comes to it's first line text leading.

As a bit of a reiterated side note: The client's teachers have different operating systems (both Windows and MacOS). Having consistency between users is important. Ironically, half the teachers using Preview don't have a problem. The other half using preview have problems similar to Acrobat and Reader's text leading problem with the added effect of making the text small. All I'm asking for is consistency where the file designed and tested in InDesign looks like it should in Acrobat/Reader and not unpredictably change it's text leading for no apparent or measurable reason.

[Test Screen Name]

Could the rich text formatting be fixed in HacaSxript if you only want a standard format? I see the main problem as when to do it.

[Eager_Flair6C12]

Not sure I completely understand all of that. As a primarily visual creative/print designer, I am pretty illiterate when it comes to JavaScript... but if you could send me to a tutorial or page to figure it out, I would be most grateful. At least that way I can collaborate with people who understand it a little better than myself.

Just so you know the client's IT department can't solve it and think it's something I can fix... which, I have in no way, given them the impression that I can (which is both flattering and hilarious).

[try67]

It's not possible to set a default leading value for such a field. You can apply it in advance to the default text that appears in it, but if the user deletes that text and enters a new one, it will be gone. PDF forms are really not meant for such advanced layout features. They are simple containers for text, with some very basic formatting options.

[Test Screen Name]

Oops, I meant JavaScript, not whatever got typed. But yes, it's programming, not straightforward and potentially with serious and unacceptable performance issues.