How to edit a fillable PDF form using Acrobat X

How to edit a fillable PDF form using Acrobat X

Donna Baker – March 26, 2012

Open the PDF form that you want to edit. Open the Forms set of tools and click Edit. There are many fields in the form, and we need a way to see the fields better. Click Preview to switch the view. Click the Highlight Existing Fields button to show a colored highlight over the fields. You can tell where a field is missing, or if it’s the wrong size.

Click Edit to return to the Form Editing mode. Acrobat X includes grids to help lay out the fields. Select  View > Show/Hide > Rulers & Guides >Grid to see the grid overlay the page. Click the Zoom drop-down arrow and increase the zoom to  200%.

Let’s add a new text field. Click the Add Text Field button, and click the page where you want to place the field. Acrobat automatically adds a field and a box to name the field. Type a new name for the field, then click the edge of the field’s frame and drag to resize it.

This set of fields are different sizes. Instead of trying to select them on the page, just select them in the Fields pane—click the first field, named tiny-weight. Then press Shift + click the last field, named large-weight to select all five fields in the Fields pane.

On the page, right-click a field that is the correct size to open the shortcut menu. Choose Set Fields to Same Size > Both. You see all the fields resize automatically. Use the grid lines to reposition the fields if necessary.

You can line up fields using commands, too. Select the fields you want to align, and right-click the field that’s in the correct position to open the shortcut menu again. Click Align, Distribute or Center > Align Right. The fields line up perfectly!

Click Preview again to check out the work you’ve done so far. Continue your edits as necessary.