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  • #2146350

    Write to PDF Form

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    by erwin ·

    What’s the easiest way to write onto a PDF form?

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    • #2461141

      Clarifications

      by erwin ·

      In reply to Write to PDF Form

      Clarifications

    • #2461140

      Is this an [i]interactive[/i] form?

      by nepenthe0 ·

      In reply to Write to PDF Form

      An [i]interactive[/i] .pdf form requires no special software – you simply enter type within the designated form fields. Alas, without special software, you can rarely [i]save[/i] the entered text.

      One workaround to [i]save[/i] the entered text is to use Prt-Sc to copy an image to the clipboard, then Ctrl-V to paste the image into a Word document. A bit convoluted, but it works.

      To edit a .pdf document, you must have special software. Adobe makes its Reader software universally available so that you can open any .pdf document and enter text into interactive .pdf documents. However, Adobe wants you to buy its pricey Acrobat software to create .pdf documents [i]de novo[/i].

      Acrobat is awesomely useful software, but the Professional version, which can create interactive forms, costs $449 retail. It is heavily discounted to educational institutions ($120 per license), so perhaps this is an option for you.

      There are a number a less expensive .pdf editing programs available (check Google), but none that confers the versatility and power of Acrobat.

      Rick/Portland, OR

      • #2461133

        “[i]none that confers the versatility and power of Acrobat[/i]”…

        by older mycroft ·

        In reply to Is this an [i]interactive[/i] form?

        Just how much is Adobe paying you for these adverts then, nepenthe0, eh ?

        What you should have said was “[i]none that confers the versatility and power of Acrobat, [u]apart from Foxit Reader and Foxit Editor – the former being FREE and the latter available on a 6 months free trial and then costing a mere pittance by comparison to Adobe[/u][/i].”

        😉

    • #2462893

      Old Mycroft, get control of yourself –

      by nepenthe0 ·

      In reply to Write to PDF Form

      You know that I resent Adobe’s marketing clout as much as you do. Adobe cleverly discounts Acrobat to educational institutions, fully intending to get students [i]hooked[/i] on Acrobat. It works.

      While in law school, I purchased a discounted Acrobat license for $120. It’s an awesome application, and those who are proficient with Acrobat swear by it. The quality of the product speaks for itself.

      I own no stock in Adobe, nor have I ever considered employment with that organization. You may resent their marketing clout, but dear Old Mycroft, be fair, and give praise where praise is due.

      Rick/Portland, OR

    • #2462891

      Foxit

      by kenone ·

      In reply to Write to PDF Form

      I agree with Old Mycroft with the added benefit of foxit consuming much less HDD real estate.

      • #2462422

        “Give that man a coconut !!” – That’s what I say ! …

        by older mycroft ·

        In reply to Foxit

        Adobe will run to around, or even in excess of 115MB.

        Foxit reader grabs 1.5MB and the editor portion takes it to around 7MB.

        A child of 5 years old could see which one is the better. Long before they get hooked on Adobe. 😉

    • #2462764

      Write what, what sort of form and most important

      by tony hopkinson ·

      In reply to Write to PDF Form

      do you need to see the results of the write within the software that’s doing it.

      There’s loads of free software to amend and create PDF files, near none to render them. and they are all flakey.

      You’ll see them about, check the weasel words. For ?500 quid we’ll display your document wrong, but we will have a look at it if you complain. In one case I created the document with their software and then when I displayed it, it was arse. Worked in acrobat though….

      iTextSharp is what I’ve been looking at recently ony creates and amends though doesn’t show the document.

    • #2462739

      Tony’s got it right

      by nepenthe0 ·

      In reply to Write to PDF Form

      The business community relies heavily upon Acrobat. An extremely useful feature of Acrobat Professional is the ability to create interactive .pdf forms.

      Like most folks, I do my composing and formatting in Word. When the document is tweaked to perfection, I convert to .pdf with a mouse click.

      This compilation can then be easily added to another file, bookmarked, and archived. Should I ever need it retrieved, it can be [i]extracted[/i] from the compilation and shared as an e-mail attachment.

      Unlike Word, what you see is exactly what the recipient views. It cannot be easily modified if security is enabled and permissions are set.

      Old Mycroft, correct me if I’m wrong, but Foxit cannot create interactive .pdf forms. Tony’s right – you get what you pay for.

      I wish Acrobat weren’t so egregiously overpriced. Everyone I know who has thoroughly familiarized himself/herself with Acrobat has made it an indispensable method of archiving and file sharing.

      Acrobat is not optimal for creative templates – that is better done in more flexible formats such as Word. Acrobat should be judged by what it was designed to do.

      Rick/Portland, OR

      • #2462417

        I personally intensely dislike Acrobat.

        by tony hopkinson ·

        In reply to Tony’s got it right

        It’s slow, greedy, bloated, overpriced and certain of it’s features have been demonstrably unsafe.

        However, it does work and it is popular, so who cares what I think.

        The big problem with using another PDF renderer, is they are competing with acrobat, are completely at their mercy, and there can be no guarantees that the document will look the same in two diffrent readers.

        It’s also nigh on impossible to test they will.

        To me rendering a PDF with anything other than acrobat, is just a screw up in waiting.

    • #2462420

      This NAG is gonna run and run and run …

      by older mycroft ·

      In reply to Write to PDF Form

      Y’know, in the UK, kids are brought up on tins of Heinz Beans.

      But there’s at least 15 other makes that all taste different – but they’re all BEANS.

      And all varieties still evoke a fart! 😉

      • #2462414

        Always preferred HP myself.

        by tony hopkinson ·

        In reply to This NAG is gonna run and run and run …

        When uou are looking at doing something with PDFs, you have to think what’s important.
        You can do interactive, but it’s painful, and very constrained, once you go past very simplistic components.

        On the rendering side it depends on how exact your copy of a form has to be. If it was say a goverment form, which would normally be filled in by hand, those guys can get very anal about whether you’ve filled in the ‘real’ form or not.

        Sort of like our reaction to the taste of ‘Family Choice’ beans.

    • #2462393

      PDF Converter Professional 5, software. more here…

      by Anonymous ·

      In reply to Write to PDF Form

      http://www.nuance.com/products/
      This program works similar to Adobe but at less cost.

      Please post back if you have any more problems or questions.

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