With Adobe Acrobat 9, you can convert any form into an interactive document that people can fill out and return electronically. Start with either a paper form you've scanned or an electronic form you've created in any application. You’ll find this process useful for any forms that need attention and must be returned quickly.

Here’s how.

Create the PDF file.

Convert any electronic document to a PDF file, or scan a paper form directly into Acrobat (choose File > Create PDF > From Scanner).

Use the Form Wizard to create form fields

Choose Forms > Start Form Wizard. Follow the on-screen instructions. When you run the wizard, the document is analyzed and electronic form fields are automatically created.

Evaluate form fields.

Acrobat lists all form fields created in the Fields pane. Scroll through the document to see if any fields were missed or if any extra fields were created. To delete a field, select it in the Fields pane and press Delete.

Add and edit form fields.

Add text fields, check boxes, list boxes, combo boxes, radio buttons and action buttons to the PDF form. Select the type of form field from the "Add or Edit Fields" list in the Forms toolbar, and then click where you want the field to appear.

Save the form

Be sure to save the form with all the fields you've added. Choose File > Save As to save the form with a different name, so that your original static document remains intact.

Learn more about forms with the following Adobe Acrobat 9 video tutorials:

Automating Form Field Creation


Editing Forms in Acrobat


Initiating a Data Collection Workflow Using Acrobat.com

Posted with permission from Adobe