Participant

Answered

Deleting previously placed text in Fill and Sign

Forum|Forum|10 years ago
April 15, 2015
5 replies
141331 views

How do I go back and delete something I typed into a text box previously in Fill and Sign? When I place the cursor over the text, it just creates a new text box.

Fill & Sign

Correct answer Josh_Corey

Hi;

If you are in https://cloud.acrobat.com/fillsign and have opened the filename.form file as opposed to a filename_filled.pdf file then the text fields previously added should be editable.

If however you are in https://cloud.acrobat.com/fillsign and have opened the filename_filled.pdf file as opposed to the filename.form file then that would be expected, once the form is saved as a PDF the fields are "flattened" and no longer editable.

This FAQ on "What is a .form file" may be helpful: What is a ".form" file?

Another option is that you are using Acrobat DC or Acrobat Reader DC and you have Signed the form and Saved changes. When working in Acrobat/Reader if you add a signature or initials to a form and then save the changes, the fields are flattened and no longer editable.

I hope this is helpful information, let me know if you have more questions.

Thanks,

Josh

G

Grumbleslops

Participant

Yep, same here. I had a 39-page form. Took a day to fill out. I then "signed" it, and went back to make some changes to some fields a few days later. Wouldn't let me.

I am absolutely ******* beyond furious right now. You wouldn't believe how ******* angry I am right now. Adobe - you lot have cost me a lot of time and money.

AkanchhaS8194121

Legend

Hi Grumbleslops

Signing is a final process, when you sign your document it gets locked. Signing makes document secure, once done then document becomes uneditable.

Its a document's designed behavior, not the application. Your document has certain security and its designed in a way that once its filled and signed it can not be edited.

Thanks,

Akanchha

A

AndyQ

Known Participant

Doesn't make it any less an appallingly-implemented feature. I could argue until the cows come home that the software simply should not lock you out like this, under any circumstances. With the current behaviour, why did it not even bring up a dirty great confirmation box that WARNS the user that their massive 39-page form is about to become uneditable if they proceed? A bit of communication from the software about what was going to happen could have saved me from losing all of my work.

That's a good point. If you're going to lock the form permanently after signing you really should provide a pretty stern and strong warning and confirmation dialogue; that'd at least give people a chance to save a copy of the form before comitting. It should have flashing yellow skulls and bio-hazard graphics on it with an alarm siren sound going off and a hundred levels of confirmation.

iceph03nix

Participant

Well this sucks. Just spent a while creating a form, had it saved, and went to test it to see how the fill and sign worked out. Now I have to redo the whole damn project because when I did the sign it saved over the orignal. What shitty programmer thought that was a good idea. I get protecting the form, but it should try to save as a different file name or something instead of defaulting to overwrite the orginal.

ryanl59896268

Participant

Flattening the fields is so stupid, terrible parasitic feature. I need to edit what I just filled in. WTF

A

AndyQ

Known Participant

Exactly. I mean, WTF? You fill in a form and sign it. Oh dear! Made a mistake, I'll just change that telephone number.....nope. Can't even select it as a graphic, object, bitmap whatever and delete it. Why? WTF are were they thinking? How is this any better than pen and paper?

E

eddieo35372991

Participant

Totally agree, this is the stupidest feature I've ever heard of. I now have to go back and re-fill in an 18 page form, instead of simply changing 3 numbers. What a waste of time and energy. I may as well have printed it off, filled it by hand and posted it.

carolm31076458

Participating Frequently

You are talking to the wrong person--I haven't a clue what you're talking about. Sorry and good luck.

Carol

J

Josh_Corey

Correct answer

Community Manager

Hi;

If you are in https://cloud.acrobat.com/fillsign and have opened the filename.form file as opposed to a filename_filled.pdf file then the text fields previously added should be editable.

If however you are in https://cloud.acrobat.com/fillsign and have opened the filename_filled.pdf file as opposed to the filename.form file then that would be expected, once the form is saved as a PDF the fields are "flattened" and no longer editable.

This FAQ on "What is a .form file" may be helpful: What is a ".form" file?

Another option is that you are using Acrobat DC or Acrobat Reader DC and you have Signed the form and Saved changes. When working in Acrobat/Reader if you add a signature or initials to a form and then save the changes, the fields are flattened and no longer editable.

I hope this is helpful information, let me know if you have more questions.

Thanks,

Josh

J

juliae84157296Author

Participant

Thank you Josh! Yeah, I had done something stupid...downloaded page 1 with my filled in information, added a sheet, then hoped to edit what I'd typed on pg 1. Doesn't make sense. Thanks for your help with figuring this out!

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