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Create Word 2010 'form' and convert it to a PDF with editable form fields.

Anonymous
2010-11-17T02:17:02+00:00

OK, everybody probably knows this but I can't find a complete definate 100% answer...

I have created a form in Word 2010 and I want to save it (or convert it) to a PDF file which allows to reader to complete the fields required. For example- Name: and they could fill in the name field.

I have tried using FORM Fields and many many other things but still not able to get the editable PDF file.

Please help.

Ryn

Microsoft 365 and Office | Word | For home | Windows

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  1. Anonymous
    2010-11-17T13:13:41+00:00

    Word's PDF converter cannot do this - neither for that matter can Acrobat, but at least with Acrobat you can add the editable fields later.

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  1. Anonymous
    2012-09-18T17:58:27+00:00

    PDF is a proprietary format that belongs to Adobe. Microsoft does not produce any software tools that will create PDF format forms and has never claimed to do so in relation to Office. I hear it had enough problems with copyright  when it included the simple PDF creation function.

    For fillable PDF forms you need Adobe's Acrobat - and yes it is quite expensive.

    From wikipedia: While Adobe Systems made the PDF specification available free of charge in 1993, PDF remained a proprietary format, controlled by Adobe, until it was officially released as an open standard on July 1, 2008, and published by the International Organization for Standardization as ISO 32000-1:2008. In 2008, Adobe published a Public Patent License to ISO 32000-1 granting royalty-free rights for all patents owned by Adobe that are necessary to make, use, sell and distribute PDF compliant implementations.

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  2. Anonymous
    2012-01-20T21:08:51+00:00

    Actually, you can create fillable PDF form with free open source tools. OpenOffice (v3 onward) allows you to create fields (view -> toolbars -> form fields) in open writer. Then you can export as PDF (note the settings to create a form and also the submission type). I just set the submission to PDF and foxit can fill the fields and save the filled in form as well.

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  3. Anonymous
    2010-11-17T13:18:03+00:00

    In order to create a fillable PDF form, you must have Adobe Acrobat. Ordinarily you don't create the form in Acrobat but in fact do start with something you've created in Word or another application. You then import that into Acrobat and insert the form fields.

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  4. Anonymous
    2010-11-17T05:28:21+00:00

    AFIK you can't get there from here ...

    In Word, you can create a form, and lock portions of it so that users can't change them, leave others unlocked for data entry.

    In Word, you can change a document, or form into a PDF. But these PDF's are static images of the file, no editing normally.

    So you could create a form with input fields unlocked, give it to the user to fill in, then have them save/print it as a PDF.

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