Creating forms

You create a form design by dragging objects from the Object Library onto the Layout Editor. Alternatively, you can drag objects defined in an XML schema onto the Layout Editor.

The process for creating forms in Designer is different in the stand-alone and Workbench versions of Designer.

Creating forms with the stand-alone version of Designer

When you start Designer, you are prompted to create a new form, create a new form from a template, or open an existing form. You can also explore the sample forms. When you select the New Form or New From Template option, the New Form Assistant appears.

The New Form Assistant guides you through a series of steps where you choose the type of form design or template to create, how people will fill it, and how you will get the information back.

If you prefer, you have the option of making the New Form Assistant unavailable.

If you have Acrobat 8 or later, you can send PDF forms to multiple recipients by using the Acrobat Distribute wizard.The wizard is available from the File menu in Designer. Sending the form by using the wizard certifies the form originator's identity to form recipients and encrypts the data that the recipients submit when they return a filled form. It also adds usage rights to the form so that form fillers can save the form in Adobe Reader.

To create a form design using the New Form Assistant

  1. Select File > New. The New Form Assistant appears.

  2. In the Getting Started panel, select a method for creating the new form, and then click Next.

  3. Follow the on-screen instructions to create a form.

  4. Name and save the form.

To create a form design without the New Form Assistant

  1. Select File > New. The New Form Assistant appears.

  2. Click the Do Not Use Assistant link. The Assistant Options dialog box appears.

  3. Set the options for using the New Form Assistant and click OK. The New dialog box appears.

  4. In the Standard tab, click an icon to select a page size, and then click OK. An untitled form design is created.

    To view the whole page, the actual size of the page, or an area equivalent to the width of the page, click Actual Size ,Fit Page , or Fit Width on the toolbar. The current zoom setting is also displayed in the toolbar.

To start with a blank form

Click the New button on the toolbar.

Creating forms from Workbench

In Workbench, use the Form Design perspective to create and manage XDP and PDF forms for a AEM forms application. When you create a form, it opens in Designer, where you can lay out the form design and add objects. Workbench displays a tab with an image of the first page of the form design, but all form editing is done in Designer.

When you create a form design, you can specify a data model, a data submission method, the Acrobat or Adobe Reader version, and the form type. You can also select Adobe Reader features for the form, such as commenting, digital signatures, and encryption.

  1. Create a form design from either Designer or Workbench:

    • In Designer, click File > New.

    • In Workbench, select File > New > Form.

  2. Follow the onscreen instructions and then click Finish.

Creating forms based on a template, sample, or existing form

You can create forms based on a template, sample, or existing form in both the stand-alone version of Designer and Designer with Workbench.

  1. Open the template, sample, or existing form on which you want to base the form design.

  2. Select File > Save As.

  3. Browse to the location in which to save the form design.

  4. In the File Name box, type a file name for the form design.

    Note: If you create a form using a template that was created in a previous version of Designer, you can use the Compatibility tab (Form Properties dialog box) to update it to version 7.

Using forms as a model for Guides

Note: Guides is deprecated.
You can use Designer PDF or XDP form designs as the model for creating Guides in Workbench. If you have an existing form guide from an earlier release of AEM forms, you can open it in Guide Builder and your existing Guide definition is imported into Guide Builder. For more information, see Guides based on XDP or PDF forms .
Note: You cannot create a Guide based on a form design created by importing a PDF file as artwork.

Creating forms by importing a PDF

You can import a PDF document to use as the basis for creating a new form design. For more information, see Importing PDF files .

You can create forms by importing a PDF document in both the stand-alone version of Designer and Designer with Workbench.

If you have PDF forms that were created in Acrobat or another application, you can import them as background artwork. After you import the PDF forms, you can add objects to make them interactive.

If you are creating a PDF form design, you can select the Acrobat or Adobe Reader target version. With the target version chosen, you can see when an object is not appropriate for that version.

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