Typing on a PDF file...

Larry Gude

Larry Gude

Strung Out
...can it be done and how???

I get a fair number of documents that come to me PDF. It would be great if I could just type on the dang things and send them back.

Can it be done???

:buddies:
 
GWguy

GWguy

*
Larry Gude said:
...can it be done and how???

I get a fair number of documents that come to me PDF. It would be great if I could just type on the dang things and send them back.

Can it be done???

:buddies:
Click to expand...

Only if you have Adobe Acrobat (not Adobe Reader), and the original document came from a Word to PDF converter or something, not scanned in. If the document was scanned in to make a PDF, it's nothing more than a picture of the original document and cannot be modified.

You'd have to print the document, write on it and scan it back in.
 
Larry Gude

Larry Gude

Strung Out
I have...

GWguy said:
Only if you have Adobe Acrobat (not Adobe Reader), and the original document came from a Word to PDF converter or something, not scanned in. If the document was scanned in to make a PDF, it's nothing more than a picture of the original document and cannot be modified.

You'd have to print the document, write on it and scan it back in.
Click to expand...

...Adobe Reader and the doc is a .pdf

So, if I buy acrobat, I'm gtg?
 
GWguy

GWguy

*
Larry Gude said:
...Adobe Reader and the doc is a .pdf

So, if I buy acrobat, I'm gtg?
Click to expand...

Not sure.... I don't know if Acrobat will allow you to annotate on a PDF that was the result of a scanned file. I don't have Acrobat on this PC, can't test it for ya.
 
clevalley

clevalley

...
GWguy said:
Only if you have Adobe Acrobat (not Adobe Reader), and the original document came from a Word to PDF converter or something, not scanned in. If the document was scanned in to make a PDF, it's nothing more than a picture of the original document and cannot be modified.

You'd have to print the document, write on it and scan it back in.
Click to expand...

Or if the document was produced in Acrobat... Acrobat is used to create PDF files in its native format, with "fields" anyone with reader can actually type into, but not save (you print it out)...

If you want to try an example to see how it works I can e-mail you a doc for you to try.

Also - upgrade to version 8.1.2 (whatever the latest is) of Reader, there are exploits in earlier versions...

BTW - most people in our organization use something called CutePDF Writer (Freeware) to create PDF documents, they create the document in Word and go to "Print" - one of the printers is CutePDF and it prints the document out to a Word file. Out of ~325 people only 20 really use Adobe Acrobat - the rest use CutePDF, which is free.
 
clevalley

clevalley

...
GWguy said:
Not sure.... I don't know if Acrobat will allow you to annotate on a PDF that was the result of a scanned file. I don't have Acrobat on this PC, can't test it for ya.
Click to expand...

If the PDF was natively created in Adobe Acrobat, you can edit it in Acrobat... if it was converted from Word (.doc) all bets are off.

Also - the PDF file can be locked by the originator so the source cannot be edited... this can drive you crazy as well.

Larry, I would ask the originator how they created the document, and if Adobe Acrobat can help you change the form. Most of the time, I re-create the form using word and use CutePDF to create the source. I do have Acrobat and use for documents where I WANT the user to type into the fields using reader, check boxes, etc...

Just because it says .PDF does not mean it can be edited with Acrobat. Also, you do not know just by looking at it with Reader - again, it is a crap shoot when you open it with Acrobat.
 
Last edited:
Larry Gude

Larry Gude

Strung Out
Thank...

clevalley said:
If
Larry, I would ask the originator how they created the document, and if Adobe Acrobat can help you change the form. Most of the time, I re-create the form using word and use CutePDF to create the source. I do have Acrobat and use for documents where I WANT the user to type into the fields using reader, check boxes, etc...
Click to expand...

...you. I shot off an e mail to them to ask that very question but it's been a good 10 minutes and patience is not one of my two virtues. :killingme
 
R

RadioPatrol

Guest
Larry Gude said:
...can it be done and how???

I get a fair number of documents that come to me PDF. It would be great if I could just type on the dang things and send them back.

Can it be done???

:buddies:
Click to expand...


I see it has already been well covered ........... :doh:
 
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