My text field is scrolling sideways

[watermelon5]

I created a live text field for a note area for an interactive PDF. I converted my text box into a Text Field and selected it to be "Multiline" and "Scrollable". When I export my PDF, open it in Acrobat and start typing in, the text begins typing in the center of the box and scrolls horizontally all the way until it is out of frame.

What did I miss?

[Steve Werner · Accepted solution]

I'm having no problem with InDesign CC 2018 and Acrobat Pro DC. See screen captures below. In Acrobat, you should see a scroll bar like below:

In Acrobat, open the Prepare Form tool. Double-click on the Text form field. Then click on the Options tab and it should look like this:

[watermelon5]

That was very weird. I exported mines from InDesign about 3x's with the same problem and finally had to go in and fix it via the Acrobat form properties as you suggested. I was still very bugged about why it wasn't doing it straight out of InDesign. I tried again with a new document and it worked. I went again with my original document and it worked that time as well. I think it may have been a bug.

Thanks.

[content1971]

Just sent a PDF form out to hundreds of clients with text fields that scroll horizontally. Now I've got hundreds of confused, irritated clients and I look unprofessional to put it kindly.

Turns out, when I convert a text box in InDesign into an interactive box, the DEFAULT setting is Scrollable checked, Multiline unchecked. So my interactive text field will scroll SIDEWAYS out of frame, for some reason that is absolutely beyond me. Why this is the default setting, why this GOTCHA is default, is a question for the ages. Sideways scrolling text out of frame is a use case scenario that I would consider to be ULTRA RARE at best.

If anyone wants that horizontal scrolling, it should be selected. Otherwise, a scrollable text box should be multiline vertically by default. Having to explain this here on an Adobe forum, or spend my time trying to to figure this esoteric information out on a Sunday after receiving a multitude of confused emails, is a user experience that is beyond inexcusable. Where is the QA team?

Having no problem being able to open your PDF, after exporting from InDesign, and turn a text field to multiline is a solution to a problem that should not have existed in the first place. 

And don't get me started about the dogs breakfast that is the Acrobat user interface. Muddling through that mess of menus and modes is an experience I never enjoy.

As always, when using Adobe software, it's caveat emptor. Lord forbid any of this $80 a month SAAS should be intuitive, practical and a joy to use off the hop. Especially after all these years. 

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

@content1971

Have you checked your PDF before sending it to your customers - by trying to fill it with some dummy data?