How to Create Editable PDFs for Retail Signs Without Adobe Subscription

[tamera_0985]

I am needing to create editable 8.5x11 signs for the customer service team to edit for each of the retail locations. Example: a new product come in, they would change the text to the name of the product, edit the pricing, description and I want some of the signs to have an image placement for them to upload a photo of the new product OR a product goes on sale, etc. What is the best way to create this if they do not have an adobe subscription? Currently not all of the computers have the new brand fonts I created for them so I need to make sure that fonts stays the same when they edit it. Examples added. 

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[leo.r]

In brief:

-PDF isn't suitable for this task. While it's possible to edit PDF to a certain extent, it's not a proper, efficient, or in fact reliable format to achieve what you need.

-Even if you embed your fonts in PDF, when you edit PDF the fonts still have to be present on the machine you edit PDF on.

[BobLevine]

As pointed out already, and only so you know it's not a lone opinion, this will not work. Rethink the whole thing!

[John D Herzog]

You could have them change the text with forms, but it is still not a good solution. The best solution I have seen for something like this would be server based.

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

@tamera_0985

Maybe InCopy? 

[James Gifford—NitroPress]

Don't count on stores having any access to anything more sophisticated than Word — or maybe Google Docs would be a better choice. IME, anything that requires the slightest bit of expertise out in the retail zone leads to confusion and miserable failure.

Create a preprint in PDF, with defined text areas. Then create a precisely built Word/GD document that has the text in defined frames that are as locked as well as you can manage. Update will be to make the changes in Word or GD, then print on a "styled" preprint, which can be from an earlier pass on the same printer, or something you have commercially printed in bulk.

I've used this successfully even with the, er, busiest store manager/dresser types.

[Derek Cross]

PowerPoint would be fine for this.