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Noyster2
Noyster2
Inspiring
August 19, 2021
Answered

Creating a form — best practices / troubleshooting

  • August 19, 2021
  • 1 reply
  • 989 views

Hi brilliant INDD friends: I am creating pdf forms for online distribution. I've gotten the basics down but I'm having problems with multiple issues:
• When I create them entirely in INDD the 'tab to next field function' tabs to hyperlinks in the text. I want links to be active but I don't want them tabbed to.
• I've moved some of the form creation to Acrobat — but it is awkward to have to go back to INDD for corrections and then have to re-do all edits in Acrobat. Because I am more familiar with INDD I'd rather do the whole form there. Is this a good practice? Or are Adobe's capabilities more robust?

    This topic has been closed for replies.
    Correct answer Jeffrey_Smith

    Tab Order: you can move tabs in Indesign, but you can not delete a tab. Deleting an unwanted tab can be done in Acrobat. Open the Edit Forms Tool, and the Tab Order will show. Select unwanted tab and delete.

     

    Form Fields and Content: In Acrobat, replace page. This will allow you to replace and update content that was created in Indesign, while retaining the original form elements of the PDF.

    1 reply

    J
    Community Expert
    Jeffrey_SmithCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
    Community Expert
    August 19, 2021

    Tab Order: you can move tabs in Indesign, but you can not delete a tab. Deleting an unwanted tab can be done in Acrobat. Open the Edit Forms Tool, and the Tab Order will show. Select unwanted tab and delete.

     

    Form Fields and Content: In Acrobat, replace page. This will allow you to replace and update content that was created in Indesign, while retaining the original form elements of the PDF.

      Noyster2
      Noyster2Author
      Inspiring
      August 19, 2021

      Thank you for this good information.

      I am still having difficulties with undesireable tabbing to hyperlinks. In the document screenshotted below the tab goes from Text field 1013 (at the bottom right) to the 'ecommerce marketplaces' link (blue in the middle of the page).
      I have found that I can remove the bounding link box from links which are actual urls — which will take them out of the tab stream but maintain the hyperlink function. However, when the link is a phrase, removing the link box will remove the link. And I don't see any reference to the hyperlink in the tab fields.

      Trying hard! and I apprecieate your help.

      J
      Community Expert
      Jeffrey_SmithCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      August 19, 2021

      How is the hyperlink created? I created a test file with hyperlinks, buttons, and fields, and the hyperlink does not show at all in tab order.

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