When we’re creating content for our customers (in products or programs) we might consider creating those PDF’s where the end user can type into the document and save it for later. This is called a PDF fillable form. Many people prefer to work with no paper & save all of their work to their computer. I still like to write notes & often print worksheets in the programs I attend. When this question comes up, I always ask, “What does your ideal client need from the forms you’re creating?”
If you’re creating a To-Do List, homework or funsheets you might want to consider some other alternatives before purchasing Adobe Acrobat Pro. The program itself is amazing, but if you’re just creating one or two PDF fillable forms, it’s probably not the right way to invest your money.
Update May 2013: Completely Free PDFEscape is the simplest solution.
You might want to consider some of these alternatives:
- Creating a form in Google Docs (it can be shared, or downloaded or used to create surveys)
- Saving as a normal PDF and giving the link to www.pdffiller.com to the people who don’t like to print.
- SurveyMonkey.com (free for the first 10 questions)
- You can upload your cute PDF files and add in boxes for free at http://www.pdfescape.com/
- Adobe Forms Central is $15 per month – you can do a few for free.
- Subscribe to Mach forms (apparently, very easy to use) http://www.appnitro.com/
- Purchase one of the following: Acrobat Pro, CutePDF Pro, PDFpen Pro, Nitro
Creating PDF Fillable with Open Office and Adobe Acrobat Reader
- Insert Form controls and fields by go to View -> Toolbars -> Form Controls.
- Use the layouts element you’d like, right click and modify to the properties
- Repeat until you’ve created all of the form elements you need
- Include instructions for your users to “Save as PDF” instead of just “Save” to store their data
- Export as PDF and choose to Save it as a fillable PDF
And remember, the most important thing is making it simple for your ideal client to move forward in their business/life. Sometimes a really pretty form with lots of bells and whistles holds us back from getting it into their hands when they need it. Or it can complicate things, when a simple email would do the trick. Do what’s best for you & your client relationship. And have fun!
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p.s. if you’re looking for information on creating a PDF report (or an ebook style report) check out my reference guide
Hey dear admin. Thank you. Many people prefer to work with no paper & save all of their work to their computer. I still like to write notes & often print worksheets in the programs I attend. You are doing so well work. Keep it up
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very nice post i visit your blog on daily basis for the sake of valuable knowledge please keep it up and provide us this sort of knowledge thank you .
Great post. I was checking this blog and
I am impressed! Very helpful info particularly the last part
? I care for such info a lot. I was seeking this particular
information for a very long time. Thank you and good luck.nice beat.valuable post.great website…
amazing blog, i like it very much. your work is much appreciated
pdf files form is looking for , so i just find it
wao so cool sir keep it up sir you are doing great job love u sir
just thank’s sir
Very Good tips Admin, I appreciate your on your great work. Thanks
Great post. I was checking this blog and
I am impressed! Very helpful info particularly the last part
🙂 I care for such info a lot. I was seeking this particular
information for a very long time. Thank you and good luck.nice beat.valuable post.great website…
thanks for sharing this info! I was looking for help to how can i create a PDF form for survey for my class!
Thank you so much for this information. pdfescape.com is great! Very simple to use, and it’s totally free. Only $20 for the year, I honestly feel that’s really a donation at that price. PDFFiller is cool also, I am sure it’s more robust than pdfscape, however, it’s $84 for the year.
If you’re looking for something to try and get your feet wet or develop a quick way of creating a PDF filliable form, pdfscape is perfect to begin with.
Good tips. I can’t wait to try some of them.