The PDF format has become the standard format for sharing digital documents because, as for the sheet of paper, any computer or program used to read it, will not be able to change its shape, formatting and graphics.
In essence, PDFs are perfect to be printed without having to do a print preview to check that they enter the sheet correctly and are perfect to send to colleagues or customers or schoolmates because they remain the same as we see them regardless of the system operating or from the program used.
If you want to prepare an interactive document with fields to be filled using the keyboard, useful for anyone who wants to create a registration or information and data collection form, PDF is the perfect file format to use.
The only problem is that creating a custom PDF might not be that simple if you don't know which program to use. To create a fillable PDF file that has forms with empty fields such as text areas, check boxes and multiple choice options, you can use Microsoft Word, or the completely free program LibreOffice .
You can then send PDFs to be compiled without the need for the writer to print them.
READ ALSO: How to fill out PDF forms without printing them
First of all, if we have never done it, download LibreOffice latest version, which is free without limitations, also because it is open source.
Click New to create an empty document.
In the Writer toolbar, go to the View tab, select Toolbars from the menu and then choose and click on Form Controls .
A new toolbar will be displayed through which you can drag and drop the various fields for the construction of a form onto the white sheet.
You can then add text boxes, labels, selection buttons, list boxes, multiple choice options, combo boxes, selection keys and other types of items.
A double click on the label (or by pressing the right button and going to Control field ) created allows you to change and write the text to be displayed ( caption ). In this window you can change the meta tag of the text label (Name), Visibility width, position, which can be displayed in the printout and other things.
The same can be done for the text box, which is the form field where you can write in free form.
The option box works similarly to the checkbox.
For the list box you can press the button with three dots to choose the database as the data source for the drop-down menu.
For the list box and the combo box, I recommend going to read the official LibreOffice guide since when it comes to the Database there can be difficulties for those who are not experts.
Once the form fields are satisfied and added, you can save the document as a PDF by going to the File menu and then choosing Export As > Export in PDF format . In the following window, in the General properties section, choose the Create PDF Form option.
To test the functionality, you can fill in the empty fields and save. If everything has been done correctly, the data is saved and will be displayed by reopening the file.
If you prefer to use Microsoft Word for the same purpose of creating fillable forms, you can follow the official Office guide.
If you want an even simpler and faster solution, you can instead use the tool to create forms with multiple answers from Google Forms, which can be sent online even if they cannot be saved and used in PDF.
In essence, PDFs are perfect to be printed without having to do a print preview to check that they enter the sheet correctly and are perfect to send to colleagues or customers or schoolmates because they remain the same as we see them regardless of the system operating or from the program used.
If you want to prepare an interactive document with fields to be filled using the keyboard, useful for anyone who wants to create a registration or information and data collection form, PDF is the perfect file format to use.
The only problem is that creating a custom PDF might not be that simple if you don't know which program to use. To create a fillable PDF file that has forms with empty fields such as text areas, check boxes and multiple choice options, you can use Microsoft Word, or the completely free program LibreOffice .
You can then send PDFs to be compiled without the need for the writer to print them.
READ ALSO: How to fill out PDF forms without printing them
First of all, if we have never done it, download LibreOffice latest version, which is free without limitations, also because it is open source.
Create a document in the Libre Office Writer program
Libre Writer is the LibreOffice writing program, practically identical to Microsoft Word.Click New to create an empty document.
In the Writer toolbar, go to the View tab, select Toolbars from the menu and then choose and click on Form Controls .
A new toolbar will be displayed through which you can drag and drop the various fields for the construction of a form onto the white sheet.
You can then add text boxes, labels, selection buttons, list boxes, multiple choice options, combo boxes, selection keys and other types of items.
Add label and text box
To add a label, press on the label button, then click and hold on the sheet by dragging with the mouse to decide the size and release. In case of error, you can resize the text field by left clicking on the corner and holding down.A double click on the label (or by pressing the right button and going to Control field ) created allows you to change and write the text to be displayed ( caption ). In this window you can change the meta tag of the text label (Name), Visibility width, position, which can be displayed in the printout and other things.
The same can be done for the text box, which is the form field where you can write in free form.
Add checkbox or option box
Now drag the check box from the toolbar and place it next to the text label field in the document. Click and hold the left mouse button to draw the text field and then right click on it to go to the control field and write the text to be displayed and other properties.The option box works similarly to the checkbox.
Add list box
The list box (which looks like a drop-down menu) is added in the same way as seen for labels. In this case, however, you must add the items in the list by taking them from a table or writing them as free values. In the properties window, then go to the Data tab and write the values to choose and then in the general tab, scroll down to indicate the Items in the list .For the list box you can press the button with three dots to choose the database as the data source for the drop-down menu.
For the list box and the combo box, I recommend going to read the official LibreOffice guide since when it comes to the Database there can be difficulties for those who are not experts.
Creation of PDF with form to fill out
To preview the created form, you can press the menu button at the top of the pencil on the toolbar of the form, the second at the top. You can also do the same by going to the top of the Form menu and clicking to deactivate the structure mode .Once the form fields are satisfied and added, you can save the document as a PDF by going to the File menu and then choosing Export As > Export in PDF format . In the following window, in the General properties section, choose the Create PDF Form option.
To test the functionality, you can fill in the empty fields and save. If everything has been done correctly, the data is saved and will be displayed by reopening the file.
If you prefer to use Microsoft Word for the same purpose of creating fillable forms, you can follow the official Office guide.
If you want an even simpler and faster solution, you can instead use the tool to create forms with multiple answers from Google Forms, which can be sent online even if they cannot be saved and used in PDF.
