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customer editable PDF from ID6?

Feb 20, 2013 7:11 PM

Tags: #design #pdf #text #indesign #form #editable #customer

Greetings!

 

I know my question has been answered a million times but I'm wrestling with a document and thought I'd turn to the crowd on this one.

 

I've had success in the past making customer editable PDFs (i.e. forms) from InDesign. For whatever reason I'm struggling to get Acrobat to recognize the text fields I want to be active in a project I'm currently working on.

 

In the past I've done more traditional forms that gather basic info like name, address, phone etc. But what I'm trying to create is a "template" gift certificate for a business where they can enter the amount and the service or product offered on their own without having InDesign. The basic goal is to maintain the branding and design we have across platforms (i.e. print/ web) without having my customer hitting me up every day for a custom build.

 

Take a look below at the samples. First is a mock-up screen grab of the ID layout. I've blanked the specifics but you get the idea.

Next shows the outline of the layout. The two empty text boxes represent the "editable" areas.

 

When the document is exported as a PDF and the form regonition is run in Acrobat Pro, it's always the same message:

 

"No new form field annotations were detected."

 

Is here a way to "tag" boxes in InDesign? Is this something I should be asking the Acrobat folks?

 

I'm stumped. If anyone could shed some light, I'd appreciate it.

 

Thanks.

 

Screen Shot 2013-02-20 at 9.41.33 PM.png

 

Screen Shot 2013-02-20 at 9.57.24 PM.png

 


 


 


454 Views   4 Replies   Latest reply: Michael Riordan, Feb 22, 2013 7:44 AM
 
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  • MikeWenzloff
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    1. MikeWenzloff,
    Feb 20, 2013 8:20 PM   in reply to author_unknown
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    Have you made the input fields into form fields?

     

    cert.png

    Are you including a color profile? This adds weight to the PDF.

    Export as an interactive PDF versus print?

     

    interactive.png

     

    Mike

     
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  • author_unknown
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    2. author_unknown,
    Feb 21, 2013 8:30 AM   in reply to MikeWenzloff
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    Thanks Mike. This was a big help.

     

    I wasn't aware of the "buttons & forms" palette. Perhaps it's because I've only recently upgraded from CS5. After I set up the text boxes I want as editable and export to a PDF, I can go into Acrobat Pro and set any styling (font, color, size etc.) that I want to maintain.

     

    Not to press my luck, but let me ask a related but more Acrobat focused question. Once my customer has made her changes and wants to distribute the PDF to her clientelle, is there a way she can "strip" the editabilty of the text before she sends out the PDF file? If this is something to take to the Acrobat board, let me know.

     

    Thanks again!

     
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  • MikeWenzloff
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    3. MikeWenzloff,
    Feb 21, 2013 8:57 AM   in reply to author_unknown
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    The easiest means, assuming the client has Acrobat, is to use password security that does not allow changing the document.

     

    Beyond that, and again with Acrobat, one can export the PDF out as a TIFF, right-click on it and create a PDF from it...but it will be a much larger PDF.

     

    Best I can do.

     

    Mike

     
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  • Michael Riordan
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    4. Michael Riordan,
    Feb 22, 2013 7:44 AM   in reply to author_unknown
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    To "flatten" the form data into the PDF and prevent it from being further edited as a form, you could run an action. The form will cease to be a form, so start with a copy. Here's a link to an action, already made by the good folks over at AcrobatUsers.com:  http://acrobatusers.com/actions-exchange/flatten-fields-and-comments

     

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