I’m always amazed that there are still tons of PDF forms out on the web that are NOT actually fillable forms. Without form fields, a PDF of a form isn’t terribly usable, unless it’s opened in Acrobat or Reader and printed. One would then fill out the form with (gulp) a pen, and then mail or fax it back. This workflow hardly is efficient. Any form that I create has fillable form fields and therefore can take advantage of Acrobat’s extensive form tracking features. What about those forms that are already out there on the web? Can you fill out a form that does not contain form fields in Acrobat? Yes you can – using the Acrobat’s Typewriter Tool.
This wonderful tool resides on it’s own toolbar. Right-click on a blank spot in your toolbar region, and select Typewriter to show this toolbar. Click on the large Typewriter button, move your cursor over the position on the page on which you wish to type, and click your mouse to set down your insertion point. Begin typing – amazing. You may highlight and format your text using the various options on your Typewriter Toolbar. Font size, typeface, color and line spacing are all adjustable. You can click back on the Hand Tool, and then click on these snippets of text to move or even delete if you wish.
This often-ignored gem is nothing new to Acrobat’s vast arsenal of tools. It’s been there for many versions. Might there be more amazing and useful tools in Acrobat that have eluded you? Learn what PDF technology is all about… and how to use Acrobat 9 to create, edit & enhance your PDF files. I offer training classes in Adobe Acrobat 9, either in your facility or online. To learn more about my Acrobat classes, send me an email to request training information and options. If you want extraordinary PDF files instead of ordinary ones, why not drop me a note?
