Skip to main content
Participant
October 6, 2024
Question

How to Change Table Cell Colors Based on Combo Box Selection in InDesign PDF Export

  • October 6, 2024
  • 3 replies
  • 274 views

Is there a way to get the selected answer in a combo box in InDesign to change the cell colour in a table when exported to PDF?

For example, my list is: Completed, In Progress, Not Started.

I'd like the box or cell to change to green when Completed is selected, amber for In Progress and red for Not Started in the PDF.

I know this can be done easily in Excel and wondered if Adobe has similar functionality?

 

 

<Title renamed by MOD>

This topic has been closed for replies.

3 replies

Robert at ID-Tasker
Legend
October 6, 2024

Maybe Interactive PDF would be an answer? 

 

And multi state objects? 

 

TᴀW
Legend
October 6, 2024

Could you post a screenshot of what you have in mind, or upload a document? That might be helpful.

It probably can't be done natively in InDesign, as Bob says.

BobLevine
Community Expert
Community Expert
October 6, 2024

Certainly not in InDesign. Perhaps with some javascript in Acrobat but there's no assurance it will work anywhere but Acrobat. You can pop over to the Acrobat forum and ask there, but my gut tells me this is not a project I'd spend a lot of time and effort on unless you have a small audience and you can assure that Acrobat or Reader on a desktop will be used.

Participant
October 6, 2024

Thanks, that's what Chat GPT has just told me and suggested JavaScript to create an interactive PDF.

I'm hoping the client decides it's a nice-to-have but not a must-have!