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How to tell if PDF document editable?

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24 replies

by healer 1 view

Closed to new repliesThis discussion is closed. It stays readable, but it takes no new replies.

I accessed a PDF document online. I supposed I could fill in the fields and saved it online but I couldn't. I downloaded it and tried it offline again I couldn't either.

I check the Document Properties -> Security. I do see "Filling of form fields: Allowed". What could be wrong. I do not think I need the Adobe professional application to do the job. I remember I could fill in the fields on one of the PDF forms I had before while having only Adobe reader installed.

24 replies

by oh smeg

Who uploaded the PDF and they have screwed up and the File is not editable.

Though if you only have Adobe Reader on your system it's not possible to make changes locally it would need to be On Line.

Col

by 93961

You can download the editable PDF file on your machine and can edit even if you have Adobe Reader. But you cannot save the edited version on your PC and can submit online the edited version with or without Digital Signature. I am doing this for my Tax Returns for the last 6-7 years.

by oldbaritone

Adobe blocks saving the data in the form, but with a 3rd-party PDF print driver, such as PDF Creator or Cute PDF (both free) you can print the filled-out form into another non-fillable PDF. You lose the form abilities to make changes, but you preserve the data you have entered.

by healer

Don't we have to be able to fill the form in the first place before we can print it to another PDF document? How can I go around and fill the form first?

by oldbaritone

It depends on whether " I supposed I could fill in the fields and saved it online but I couldn't." means that @Healer couldn't enter the form data, or couldn't save the data after entering it. I have experienced the latter many times. Usually I can enter data, but not save it.

by healer

I never have the chance to save it online so I don't know. For all offline PDF forms if I can fill in I can save it.

by a.portman

Many websites have PDF forms that are not really forms. To test your system, go to http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fw4.pdf?portlet=103 and try to fill in the form. Depending on your browser, it should have a are at the top that says, highlight fields. Even without the form fields being highlighted, you should still be able to edit the form. If you can, it is the particular form and they need to fix it.

If you cannot edit the IRS form, try updating your browser and then updating Acrobat reader.

by healer

I try to compare the Document Properties. The one that doesn't work has the following Allowed:
Printing, Content Copying, Content Copying for Accessibility, Page Extraction, Filling of form fields.
Whereas the one that works has everything Allowed except Document Assembly.
The main thing is both allow filling of form fields. So it looks like the setting needs to be more than allowing filling of form fields in order to be able to fill the form fields.

by a.portman

I think your issue is more basic. The "form" has no fields to fill in. It is a common mistake. Someone types up a form in Word, saves to PDF hangs on a web page and says, "I have a form!" But they don't. They have a document with boxes to fill in. To make a PDF form, you need to create a form in Acrobat (ok, or some other PDF writer. I use the real deal.) That makes a form that can be filled in, like the IRS form.

by darryl~

I have made this mistake many times at my workplace.

When creating the form in Acrobat Pro (I use 9 & 10, I think 7 & 8 are the same though) and before saving the pdf to upload you have to "Extend features in Adobe Reader"....this is found under the "Advanced" menu option in Acrobat Pro. What usually happens to me is that I will open a form in LifeCycle Designer to make a couple changes to the form, then save it & then upload it to the site again.....I forgot to open it in Acrobat Pro & extend the features to Acrobat Reader so you end up with a form that can't be saved after being filled out using Reader.

by healer

In my case, it doesn't work. No extra toolbar comes up after I did what is instructed. When I check again the selection doesn't stay either.

by thepickle

The solution is very simple - stop relying on Adobe's bloated garbage, and use a real PDF processor like FoxIt reader. It's small, fast, and not bloated with useless crap. It allows you to save forms AND open them later for further editing.

by healer

I appreciate the Foxit Reader. I had once used it but reverted back to Adobe when there was a quirky bug.
Anyway, Foxit does not make any difference in reading and editing in terms of its ability

by thepickle

Not sure what version you last tried from FoxIt, but as I said, I use it all the time to save/edit/update PDF forms, and I've never come across a form which I wasn't able to save and then continue editing at a later time.

by samaaa11

When I first glanced across the page at this story, I had to do a double-take. It first registered in my brain as "How to tell if a PDF document is edible".

Hope someone gets a laugh outta that. I did.

Happy Thursday!
~ Sam

by rlksoft

Download NitroPDF from nitropdf.com. The software is free, and lets you add text to PDF files as well as create PDF files via the printer

by healer

I've just downloaded, installed and tried. It didn't make any difference than using any other PDF reader. I couldn't using this software fill the form in question at all.

by oh smeg

It works for me though you do have to remove the space that needs to be put into the URL so it can be posted on TR. ;)

Col

by healer

My bad! I simply clicked on the link without noticing the TLD was not there. It is a very useful web site.
I thank you for your recommendation.

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