Adding an Initials Field to a Form

[ChristineJJohn]

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!!!!!

[Thom Parker]

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.

[Ronald Lashley]

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. 

[jonno7]

Second this.  I need to setup the forms ahead of time with the signature fields and initials fields identified already so they don't have to be re-identified every time the form is sent out for signing via adobe sign. Is there a way to do that? 

[Ronald Lashley]

There are a few bugs regarding the interface between Adobe DC and Adobe Sign they have yet to address like utilizng radial buttons. If you use them in Adobe DC and go to send using AdobeSign it automatically defaults those radail button fields to "anyone" so again you have to modify each radial button to the signer which is not okay when you have mutliple people a form is being routed to. 

And as we all see none of us have had a reasponse from Adobe on the Initials field as of yet. 

[Thom Parker · Accepted solution]

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

[SimonESATS]

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.

[Ronald Lashley]

And do you all have any plans to make this happen automatically? It's a bet of a hassle to think you're creating the form only to have it change. Prepare Form should seamlessly convert into "Prepare Form For  E-signing" It should seamlessly convert based on the initial code provided without recoding at all.   

We are moving into EA and Management Console with Workflow creating and housing templates for routing purposes. Hopefully, we will do away with Initials for our needs in favor of utilizing the "Approval" feature instead of marking up the document with unneeded initials. 
Thank you

[kristinck]

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

[Novatu Counseling]

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

[Ronald Lashley]

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

[jeffseaver]

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)

[lionhairp]

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]

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

[Simon3259816290zn]

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.)

[mariahweyne]

When preparing a form that needs signatures you need to clic on "This document requires signatures".

[Simon3259816290zn]

Oh awesome! Thank you!! (Mine looks a little different, but the option is there under the three dots to the right of "Prepare a form.")