Create an Interactive PDF Form

Introduction

Adobe Acrobat Professional allows you to create PDFs that you can send to people by email, having them fill out the form, and then submit it back to you by email. This occurs in a fairly automated way, and allows you to keep track of the results with a spreadsheet sort of method. The instructions below are outlined for use with Adobe Acrobat Professional 8 in combination with a Microsoft Word document which is being used to generate the original form. Another option you will see is to use one of Adobes prebuilt templates

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Create Interactive PDF Form

1. Open Acrobat Pro 8
2. Under the Form menu, select Create New From
3. Select Start with an electronic document
4. Press Continue
5. If it shows you a Creating and Distributing FYI, press Continue
6. Press Browse…
7. Change the Files of Type to Microsoft Office Word
8. Locate your file, press Open
9. Press Next
10. Wait for it to Import the document
11. Press Next
12. Select Run Auto Field Detection
13. Press Next
14. Press Done
15. Add the appropriate email address
16. Select to add a print button if you want one
17. Press Finish

Edit/Fine-Tune PDF

18. Select Preview PDF tab
19. Test fields but typing in them, notice the fields might be two high on the line.
20. Go back to Design View tab
21. Select one field at a time and nudge them down with your arrow keys
22. Right-click on form fields, select Rename Object, check to see if you like the names it picked.
23. Save the PDF when you’re done

Distribute PDF

IMPORTANT: Always test on yourself and someone else

24. From Adobe LiveCycle Designer, select File menu, then Distribute Form
25. Select Send now via email
26. Press Ok
27. Enter the Return email address (your email address for now)
28. Press Next
29. Accept the default location for Collect Data in this File
30. Press Next
31. Enter your email address, press enter, and enter another person’s email address that will help you out with testing
32. Press Next
33. Add anything you want for a subject and body of the message
34. Press Done
35. Press Ok

Test PDF

36. Check your email and have your helper check their email
37. Open the attached PDF
38. Fill it out
39. Press the Submit by Email button
40. Press Ok for the appropriate type of email client
41. Press Ok again
42. Close PDF, don’t save

Retrieve Data

43. Check your email for the Returned Form
44. Open the attached PDF
45. Click OK on the Add Complete Form to Data Set (ensure it’s going to the place specified in step 29)
46. Repeat these 3 steps for each returned form
47. You’ll see the results in the upper panel above the PDF
48. Save the Data Set PDF

When you're done testing, you can return to the Adobe LiveCycle Designer, and enter the appropriate list of email address in Step 31.

This original post published by University of Idaho in Create an interactive pdf form.