Question

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  • #2245905

    How to be able to fill in a PDF document?

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    by healer ·

    I have received a PDF document which I am supposed to fill in the spaces. However I can’t. I check the Document Properties -> Security. It has the following. I wonder what could be wrong.

    Printing: Allowed
    Document Assembly: Not Allowed
    Content Copying allowed
    Content Copying for Accessibility: Allowed
    Page Extraction: Allowed
    Commenting: Not Allowed
    Filling of form fields: Allowed
    Signing: Not Allowed
    Creation of Template Pages: Not allowed

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    • #2871182

      Clarifications

      by healer ·

      In reply to How to be able to fill in a PDF document?

      Clarifications

    • #2871147

      Filling in and printing, probably yes, but not saving

      by tobif ·

      In reply to How to be able to fill in a PDF document?

      Typically, you can fill out and print pdf forms. But with Adobe Reader, you always get a warning that you can’t save the form with the data.

      In most cases, at least some kind of workaround is to install a pdf writer, which will “print to pdf”.
      This will create a file you can save on your hdd. But afterwards you can’t change the contents of any field, since it won’t be a form anymore.

      I’m happy using PDF redirect, but at http://download.cnet.com/ you can find several programs that do the same thing.

      Note, however, that some forms may not allow this kind of “printing”.

      • #2851095

        Commenting Allowed makes a difference?

        by healer ·

        In reply to Filling in and printing, probably yes, but not saving

        I have a document from another organization with the following security properties. Only difference is “Commenting: Allowed”. This document allows me to fill in the fields and save. I am using Adobe Reader all the time.

        Printing: Allowed
        Document Assembly: Not Allowed
        Content Copying allowed
        Content Copying for Accessibility: Allowed
        Page Extraction: Allowed
        Commenting: Allowed
        Filling of form fields: Allowed
        Signing: Not Allowed
        Creation of Template Pages: Not allowed

    • #2871146

      Have you tried

      by boxfiddler ·

      In reply to How to be able to fill in a PDF document?

      the ‘Typewriter’ tool?

      • #2871142

        Oh, yes, of course.

        by tobif ·

        In reply to Have you tried

        You can’t fill in form in the reader if it is doesn’t contain any form controls.
        I.e. if you have earlier have been using a form on paper, and now you merely save this document as pdf (or even worse, scan an image of the printed form) then there’s nothing to fill in the normal way.
        In those cases, the typewriter feature in fresh versions of the reader should be able to help you out.

        • #2851091

          How can we enable

          by healer ·

          In reply to Oh, yes, of course.

          the typewriter option if the document doesn’t come with it?

        • #2851077

          Are you able to add the Typewriter toolbar

          by boxfiddler ·

          In reply to How can we enable

          via Tools/Customize Toolbars? If not, you may be correct in surmising that the document wasn’t properly put together.

        • #2861253

          No, I can’t.

          by healer ·

          In reply to Are you able to add the Typewriter toolbar

          What a shame! I thank you for your help!

        • #2861250

          Have you tried this workaround

          by tobif ·

          In reply to No, I can’t.

          If you’re allowed to print the pdf, you could try:
          printing to a virtual pdf printer, like pdf redirect. (Sounds a bit weird, of course, but could help)

          If that doesn’t help, then an additional step could help: Print to the virtual xps printer. Then open the xps file (xps-viewer should open inside Internet Explorer), from here, “print” to pdf redirect (or similar). Now try again to activate the “typewriter”.

          Good hunting!

        • #2861094

          Can’t find free PDF to XPS converter

          by healer ·

          In reply to Have you tried this workaround

          It didn’t help having printed the original PDF document to the “PDF reDirect v2”. Everthing was the same including the Document Security Properties. I couldn’t enable the “Typewriter Toolbar*” as it said “*Only available when document rights are enabled.”

          I have not been able to find free PDF to XPS converter. Microsoft office has an XPS Document Writer but I can’t open a pdf document with Microsoft Office.

        • #2861092

          xps should occur as a virtual printer.

          by tobif ·

          In reply to Have you tried this workaround

          So you need to print from pdf, and select “Microsoft XPS document writer”.

        • #2860969

          I must’ve been blind.

          by healer ·

          In reply to Have you tried this workaround

          I found it but was no good. I did as you said but couldn’t enable the Typewriter. Thanks for your help!

        • #2864851

          Thanks for the feedback

          by tobif ·

          In reply to Have you tried this workaround

          Thanks, now I know.
          So, at the end of the day, you’ll have to print on paper and make notes by hand. It’s a wonderful world. :-/

      • #2851093

        What is the ‘Typewriter’ tool?

        by healer ·

        In reply to Have you tried

        Where is it please? I can’t see it in the menu, nor the toolbar.

      • #2851092

        I’ve just compared

        by healer ·

        In reply to Have you tried

        the one that allows and the one that doesn’t. The one that allows actually has an option of Typrwriter under Tools whereas the other one doesn’t. So it looks like the document wasn’t preapared in a correct way that allows fields to be filled in.

    • #2900819

      the only solution

      by velveteen ·

      In reply to How to be able to fill in a PDF document?

      Convert it to word format.

      Try this pdf converter software.

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