Creating forms with InDesign 5.5 / 6

Forum|Forum|7 years ago
March 15, 2019
3 replies
1105 views

Hi all, hope you can help. I'm creating a poster for work, where we have InDesign 5.5.

I need to add one form - a simple text box, which will allow the customer to enter their own text in the PDF, using Reader.

InDesign 5.5 doesn't appear to allow this, so I've tried at home, where I have InDesign 6.

This has allowed me to create a form field. However, I don't appear to be able to change the font or colour of the text - I just get what looks like black Time New Roman (or similar) when what I really want is white Franklin Gothic.

Is there a way around this in InDesign 5.5 or 6?

If not, can it be done in the new cloud-based InDesign?

Again, if not, can it be done in Acrobat?

I'd really appreciate any help you could give me.

Thanks!

This topic has been closed for replies.

TᴀW

Legend

1. If the font for the form field is specified in InDesign, it is not embedded in the resulting PDF, and the user must have it installed on their machine.

2. If the font for the form field is selected in Acrobat (and the form then saved, of course), it is embedded in the PDF and the user does not need to have it embedded on their machine.

You can change a very limited number of properties in InDesign for the text in form fields: I think only point size and (now) the font (but again, it will not be embedded in the PDF).

You cannot set the colour, alignment, create comb fields, or add calculation or validation scripts, in InDesign natively.

This can be done in InDesign with my commerical FormMaker add-on for InDesign (FormMaker | Id-Extras.com )

For short forms (1 page, up to 10 fields) there is a free version.

Ariel

Visit www.id-extras.com for powerful InDesign scripts that save hours of work — automation, batch tools, and workflow boosters for serious designers.

Steve Werner

Community Expert

Thanks so much, Ariel, for that great explanation!

When teaching about creating forms, I always emphasize that InDesign provides a convenient way of beginning to develop a PDF form. For all the various reasons you have given, and more, you should familiarize yourself with Acrobat Pro to further develop, finalize and distribute the forms.

TᴀW

Legend

Thanks Steve. It's what my experimenting has shown, and I'll be happy if others can confirm or refine these results.

Visit www.id-extras.com for powerful InDesign scripts that save hours of work — automation, batch tools, and workflow boosters for serious designers.

Derek Cross

Community Expert

You need InDesign CS6, and above, to create fillable forms. InDesign is not now “cloud based” — you download it and use it in the normal way on your computer. Adobe checks periodally (maybe once a month) that you’re up-to-date with your subscription.

As mentioned, you create the form in InDesign, export it as an Interactive PDF, then fine tune it in Acrobat Pro.

N

nerionAuthor

Participant

Thanks Derek. So if I got the latest version of InDesign, would I still be stuck with one serif font in black, as in InDesign 6, or could I change fonts and colours?

Or would it just be easier to use Acrobat and save the money?