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ChristineJJohn
ChristineJJohn
Participant
January 30, 2018
Answered

Adding an Initials Field to a Form

  • January 30, 2018
  • 5 replies
  • 50315 views

Hi All,

I’m using Adobe Acrobat Pro DC and converting a Word document into a PDF form with fillable fields (Signature, Name, Title, Date, etc.).

I’m wondering whether there is an “Initials” field that I can add to this final PDF form (i.e. Pages that aren't signed can be initialed)?


I’ve spent well over an hour researching this issue and simply cannot find how to accomplish this.

Thank you in advance!!!!!

    This topic has been closed for replies.
    Correct answer Thom Parker

    There is no "Initials" field for regular PDF forms.  Adobe Sign forms are a special kind of animal. In fact, they are not PDF forms at all.  When you create an Adobe Sign form in Acrobat, you are only creating a kind of placeholder, or template, document that is converted into a real Adobe sign form when it is sent to the Adobe Sign Server. 

     

    If you wanted to, you could create the Adobe Sign form in Word. More is explained in this referece. 

    https://helpx.adobe.com/sign/using/text-tag.html

     

     

    5 replies

    L
    lionhairp
    Participant
    May 9, 2024

    I'm on a mac and I've just figured it out. This is what I did:
    1. Go to Prepare a form
    2. Add the E-signature field to your doc
    3. Right click on the field and select Properties
    4. Under the General tab you'll see Field Type: Signature. It's a drop-down and it's here where you'll find the Initial (see screenshot)

     

    And there you go. Hope this helps!

     

     

    Tip: If your form is password protected, you'll have to change that to No Security (Edit > Protection > Security properties), or else the E-signature field will be grey'd out.


    Thom Parker
    Community Expert
    Thom ParkerCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    May 10, 2024

    That option only applies to the signature field on an Adobe Sign Form.  It does not exist on a regular PDF Form. 

     

    Thom Parker - Software Developer at PDFScriptingUse the Acrobat JavaScript Reference early and often
    S
    Simon3259816290zn
    Participant
    June 14, 2024

    Here's why I'm confused, though. My supervisor emailed me a file, and when I opened it and went to prepare a form, her options (left) were different than mine - including an "Initials field" option. I've been trying to figure out how she has access. (I realize that hers has the "Request Signatures" button and mine only has a "Send" option, so I've tried to do "Fill & Sign," but that doesn't seem to do the trick for me.)

    jeffseaver
    jeffseaver
    Participating Frequently
    December 15, 2022

    This worked for me, but we have an Adobe Creative Cloud package (Acrobat, Photoshop, Illustrator etc). I logged in to https://acrobat.adobe/com/link/home.

    I had already uploaded a file into the Request e-Signature section, and it appeared under Recent

    Clicked on that to re-open it

    This showed a full-page preview of page 1.

    Under Actions panel on right, I clicked on Edit Agreement

    On the Get documents signed page, I went right to the bottom and clicked the blue Next button

    Here's the part I think is counter-intuitive - upper right there's a slide switch, Advanced editing off

    (which implies that if you flip the switch, it will turn Advanced editing off, instead of forecasting a result like "Turn on Advanced Editing")

    Flip the switch, and a panel opens underneath, Signature Fields

    Second item down is Initials

    Click and drag Initials to any section of the page of the document.

    Voila.

    (your mileage may vary)

     

     

      kristinck
      kristinck
      Participant
      September 12, 2022

      SOLVED! Check the "Advanced Editing On" button at the top right corner, then click "signature fields", then DRAG the "initials" box to your document. 

        N
        Novatu Counseling
        Participant
        September 30, 2022

        Where is the "Advanced Editing On" button? I am using Adobe Acrobat Pro on Mac and I don't see it.

        R
        Ronald Lashley
        Inspiring
        November 23, 2022

        I don't think there is and hasn't been since X version. I think its still in Foxit. 

        R
        Ronald Lashley
        Inspiring
        June 12, 2020

        This is a great question that still applies. In DC you are able to add initial fields when you "Request Signature" but why is that Adobe has not placed that option in the initial set up under "Prepare Form"? So now you have to continually modify your created PDF every time you send it out by adding this field to the document. 

         

          Thom Parker
          Community Expert
          Thom ParkerCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
          Community Expert
          September 23, 2021

          There is no "Initials" field for regular PDF forms.  Adobe Sign forms are a special kind of animal. In fact, they are not PDF forms at all.  When you create an Adobe Sign form in Acrobat, you are only creating a kind of placeholder, or template, document that is converted into a real Adobe sign form when it is sent to the Adobe Sign Server. 

           

          If you wanted to, you could create the Adobe Sign form in Word. More is explained in this referece. 

          https://helpx.adobe.com/sign/using/text-tag.html

           

           

          Thom Parker - Software Developer at PDFScriptingUse the Acrobat JavaScript Reference early and often
          S
          Adobe Employee
          SimonESATS
          Adobe Employee
          September 23, 2021

          you can apply the text tagging syntax to your Acrobat fields before using the Adobe Sign shortcut.

          For an initals field place a Acroform text field in the pdf. 

          Edit the name of the fields along these lines:

          myini_es_:signer1:initials (so like the text tag but without the curly brackets)

           

          When processed by Adobe Sign, the AcroForm field converts into a Sign initials field, named myini and is assigned to the first signer. 

          To have a second initials field assigned to the second signer use a tag like so

          myininr2_es_:signer2:initials

          same deal as before, but the field is now called myininr2 and assigned to the secodn signer.

           

          With radiobuttons you can do the same. After creating a radio button group in Acrobat, add the followin after the name of group

          _es_:signer1

          and increase the number for any following signer.

           

           

          Thom Parker
          Community Expert
          Thom ParkerCommunity Expert
          Community Expert
          January 30, 2018

          There is no such thing as an official Initials field in the regular PDF form features. This is however a feature if you are creating a Fill and Sign form, which is a slightly different animal than a PDF Form. 

          But there is nothing stopping you from adding a small required text field for initials. Set the font to a scripted variety, this is what they do for the fill-n-sign forms.

          Thom Parker - Software Developer at PDFScriptingUse the Acrobat JavaScript Reference early and often
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