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Customize PDF form fields

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About form field properties

You can use the Acrobat form field Properties to control how the field behaves. This includes setting formatting rules, defining interactions with other fields, imposing input limits, and integrating custom scripts.

Key points:

  • Each form field type has its own dedicated set of properties, neatly organized into tabs.
  • Adjustments to properties take effect immediately upon moving to another property or pressing Enter.
  • All form fields feature a General tab and an Actions tab, with additional tabs like the Options tab, tailored to specific field types.
  • Two universal options are available on every tab: "Locked," which prevents further alterations to field properties, and "Close," which exits the Properties dialog box. If modifying multiple fields, you can keep the dialog box open and seamlessly toggle between fields to make changes.
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Customize PDF form fields in a few simple steps.

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Modify general properties of form field

  1. If you are not in form editing mode, choose All tools > Prepare a form.

    Prepare a form

  2. Open the Properties dialog box using one of the following methods:

    • To edit a single form field, double-click it or right-click it and choose Properties.

    • To edit multiple form fields, select the fields that you want to edit, right-click one of the selected fields, and choose Properties.

  3. In the General tab, you can change the following options: 

    • Name: Specifies the unique name of the selected form field.
    • Tooltip: Displays text that the hesitant user may find helpful in filling in the form field. Tooltips appear when the pointer hovers briefly over the form field.
    • Form Field: Specifies whether the form field can be seen, either on screen or in print. The available choices are: Visible, Hidden, Visible But Doesn’t Print, and Hidden but printable.
    • Orientation: Rotates the form field by 0, 90, 180, or 270 Degrees
    • Read Only: Prevents the user from changing the form field content.
    • Required: Makes the field mandatory for the user. If the user attempts to submit the form while a required field is blank, an error message appears and the empty required form field is highlighted.

    The property is changed as soon as you select another property or press Enter.

  4. Select Close.

Note:

If you select form fields that have different property values, some options in the Properties dialog box are not available. Otherwise, changes to the available options are applied to all selected form fields.

Modify the appearance of form field

In the Appearance tab, you can adjust how the form field visually presents on the page. This tab is available for all form field types except barcodes and offers the following options:

  • Border Color: Choose a color for the field frame or opt for no frame.
  • Line Thickness: Determine the thickness of the field frame (Thin, Medium, or Thick).
  • Fill Color: Select a background color for the field or keep it transparent.
  • Line Style: Alter the appearance of the frame with options like Solid, Dashed, or Underline.
  • Font Size: Set the size of entered text or selection markers, with an Auto option for dynamic resizing.
  • Text Color: Choose a color for the text or selection marker.
  • Font: Select from available fonts on your system (not applicable for non-text displaying fields).
Note:

Using a Fill Color other than transparent may obscure images behind the form field on the PDF page.

Note:

The Enable Right-To-Left Language Options in the Language panel of the Preferences dialog box affects what appears in the Appearance tab of the Properties dialog box. When that preference is selected, the Appearance tab includes options for changing the digit style and text direction for text fields, drop-down list boxes, and list boxes.

Position the form field

The Position tab enables you to position or resize the currently selected field(s) accurately to within a precision of up to 10,000th of an inch. You can also move fields to precise locations on the page.

Use the Height and Width options to change only the size of fields. To relocate fields without changing their dimensions, select Do Not Change Height And Width When Changing The Position.

Form field accuracy upto 10,000th of an inch

Modify field specific properties

The Options tab for form field properties adapts according to the selected form field type, excluding digital signatures. Below are the options available for various field types.

Barcode:

  • Symbology: Choose from PDF417, QR Code, and Data Matrix barcode types.
  • Compress Data Before Encoding to Barcode: Compresses data before encoding for reduced storage space.
  • Decode Condition: Preset decode conditions, customizable with the Custom button.
  • Custom: Customize processing parameters for your specific hardware.
  • X Dimension: Width of the barcode cell in mils.
  • Y/X Ratio: Height/width ratio of the cell.
  • Error Correction Level: Determines data redundancy for error correction. Higher error correction levels create more reliable barcodes but result in larger sizes and limited capacity for encoding additional data. This feature is available for PDF417 and QR Code barcodes, reducing issues like printing defects, fax transmission errors, and document damage.
  • Manage Barcode Parameters: Save and share custom barcode selections.

Check Boxes:

  • Check Box Style: Shape of the marker inside the checkbox.
  • Export Value: Value representing the item for data export.
  • Check Box Is Checked By Default: Pre-selects the checkbox.

Drop-down and List Box:

  • Item: Text for options displayed in the menu.
  • Add: Moves the current entry to the Item List.
  • Export Value: Value representing the item for data export.
  • Item List: Displays available choices.
  • Up and Down buttons: Change item order. These buttons are not available if 'Sort Items' is selected.
  • Delete: Removes selected item.
  • Sort Items: Numerically and alphabetically arrange items.
  • Allow User To Enter Custom Text: Enables custom text entry.
  • Check Spelling: Spelling check for user-entered text.
  • Multiple Selection: Allows choosing multiple items.
  • Commit Selected Value Immediately: Saves the value immediately.

Radio Buttons:

  • Button Style: Shape of the marker inside the button.
  • Radio Button Choice: Identifies the radio button.
  • Button Is Checked By Default: Pre-selects the button.
  • Buttons With The Same Name And Content Are Selected In Unison: Allows single-click selection of related radio buttons.

Text Fields:

  • Alignment: Aligns text left, right, or center.
  • Default Value: Initial text in the field.
  • Multi-line: Allows multiple-line entries.
  • Scroll Long Text: Compensates for extended text.
  • Allow Rich Text Formatting: Enables text styling.
  • Limit Of Characters: Sets character limit.
  • Password: Displays entered text as asterisks.
  • Comb of characters: Spreads the user-entered text evenly across the width of the text field. If a border color is specified in the Appearance tab, each character entered in the field is separated by lines of that color. This option is available only when no other check box is selected.
Note:

If you plan to decode the barcode using a handheld laser scanner, avoid creating barcodes wider than 4 inches (10.2 cm). Tall and narrow barcodes generally work better with handheld scanners. Barcode height and width will not be an issue using an Adobe barcode decoder (available separately).

Note:

The highlighted item in the Item List box appears as the default selected item in the dropdown box or list box field. To change the default item, highlight another item from the list.

Text fields in Acrobat
Text fields with and without the Comb property

A. Four text fields with a border color, using the Comb property B. Text field without the Comb property 

Set form fields actions

The Actions tab in form field properties allows you to assign actions triggered by user interactions. Here are its key components:

  • Select Trigger: Choose the user action that initiates the action, such as Mouse Up, Mouse Down, Mouse Enter, Mouse Exit, On Focus, or On Blur.
  • Select Action: Specify the event that occurs when the user triggers the action. Options include executing a menu item, navigating to a 3D/Multimedia view, going to a page view, importing form data, opening a file or web link, playing a sound or media clip, reading an article, resetting a form, running JavaScript, setting layer visibility, showing/hiding a field, or submitting a form.
  • Add: Opens a window to select and add an action.
  • Actions: Displays the list of defined triggers and actions.
  • Up and Down buttons: These buttons change the order of the listed actions under the trigger (available when multiple actions are defined for the same trigger).
  • Edit: Opens a dialog box with specific options for the selected action.
  • Delete: Removes the selected action or trigger-action pair.

Set form fields for calculations

The Calculate tab in form field properties excludes text fields and dropdown boxes. It offers options for performing mathematical operations on existing entries and displaying results:

  • Value Is Not Calculated: Choose this option if you want users to input values manually.

  • Value Is The: Select this to access additional options:

    • Pop-up Menu: This menu lists mathematical functions like Sum, Product, Average, Minimum, or Maximum that
      apply to selected fields.

    • Pick: Opens a dialog box listing available form fields to include or exclude from the calculation.

  • Simplified Field Notation: Utilizes JavaScript with field names and basic arithmetic signs. Use the Edit button to modify or add scripts.

  • Custom Calculation Script: Shows any custom scripts for calculations. Use the Edit button to create or edit JavaScripts.

Note:

Field names are case-sensitive.

Set the calculation order of form fields

In your form, the order of calculations follows the sequence in which you define them.

Adjust the calculation order if necessary for accurate results. For instance, if you need the outcome of two fields to compute a third, ensure those two fields are calculated first.

  1. Select  > Set Field Calculation Order.

    The Calculated Fields dialog box displays all calculable fields in your form and the order in which the calculations are performed.

  2. To change the field calculation order, select the field from the list, and then select the Up or Down button as needed.

Acrobat automatically performs all assigned field calculations when you are creating and testing your form fields. For convenience, while you work, you can turn off automatic calculation in the forms preferences.

Set e-signature properties

You can set e-signature properties using the Signed tab in the Digital Signature Properties dialog box. Your selections determine what happens when the user applies a digital signature to the form.

Options include:

  • Nothing Happens When Signed: This is the default setting.
  • Mark As Read-Only: Determines post-signature changes. Options include:
    • All Fields: Locks all form fields.
    • All Fields Except These: Allows edits in selected fields.
    • Just These Fields: Locks only selected fields.
  • This Script Executes When Field Is Signed: Enables custom JavaScript execution post-signature. Use the Edit button to modify or create new JavaScript actions.

Format text and dropdown fields

The Format tab in Form Field Properties offers various formatting options for text and dropdown fields. The options depend on your selection in the Select Format Category pop-up menu. The Example of Current Format field displays a live preview of the settings. 

The available options are:

The "Format" tab in form field properties offers various formatting options for text and dropdown fields. Here's a breakdown:

  • None: No specific formatting is required.
  • Number: Automatically formats numeric entries. Options for decimal places, separator style, currency symbol, symbol location, and negative number style.
  • Percentage: Formats numeric data as percentages. Options for decimal places and separator style.
  • Date: Format dates. Options for one-, two-, and four-digit date variations.
  • Time: Formats time entries. Options for 12-hour or 24-hour clock display, minutes, seconds, and AM/PM.
  • Special: Formats specific data types such as Zip Code, Zip Code + 4, Phone Number, and Social Security Number. Allows for an Arbitrary Mask for custom formats. 
    • A - Accepts only letters (A–Z, a-z).
    • X - Accepts spaces and most printable characters, including all characters available on a standard keyboard and ANSI characters in 32–126 and 128–255.
    • O - The letter “O” accepts alphanumeric characters (A–Z, a-z, and 0–9).
    • 9 - Accepts only numeric characters (0–9).
    • For example, a mask setting of AAA--p#999 accepts the input BOE--p#767. A mask setting of OOOOO@XXX accepts the input vad12@3Up.
  • Custom: This option enables advanced formatting using custom JavaScript scripts. It also offers options to add and edit custom format and keystroke scripts. To get the JavaScript for Acrobat API Reference, see the Acrobat Developer Center at www.adobe.com/go/learn_acr_javascript_en (PDF, English only).

The "Validation" tab, available in Text Field and Dropdown Box Properties, ensures data accuracy:

  • Field Value Is Not Validated: Disables validation.
  • Field Value Is In Range: Sets numeric range limits.
  • Run Custom Validation Script: Validates using custom JavaScript scripts.

No additional options are available. The input in a text or dropdown box with this property does not require any specific formatting.

Arbitrary Mask entry in Acrobat
Example of an Arbitrary Mask entry

Set barcode field properties

The "Value" tab in form field properties is exclusive to barcode fields and offers these options:

  • Encode Using: Allows selection of encoding methods. Options include:
    • XML: Encodes data in standard XFDF format, generating JavaScript script automatically.
    • Tab Delimited: Encodes fields as tab-delimited values, useful for fitting more data into the barcode or for copying data into database or spreadsheet tables. JavaScript script is automatically generated. If the form outputs data in XFDF or XDP files, it must be in tab-delimited format with field names on the first line.
  • Pick: Opens a dialog box to select user data fields for barcode encoding.
  • Include Field Names:
    • Only available with Tab Delimited encoding.
    • Encodes field names as the first line of barcode contents with values encoded below them.
  • Custom Calculation Script:
    • Displays default script.
    • Click "Edit" to open the JavaScript Editor for custom calculation scripts.
  • Reference To Published Form:
    • Displays the path to the PDF form.
    • Allows editing the URL to the published form.
    • Helps recreate a digital version of the completed form by merging the form template with user-supplied data.
    • Maintains the relationship between form template and barcode data files.
    • When encoding a barcode using XML values, the URL reference is encoded into the barcode and displayed below it.
A type of barcode, with the URL reference below
A type of barcode, with the URL reference below

Manage custom barcode settings

You can save, reuse, and share a set of custom settings for barcode parameters, to apply them when you create new barcode form fields. You can make further adjustments to your custom parameter sets after you define them.

All of these processes begin by opening the barcode form field properties dialog box. To open the properties dialog box, double-click the barcode field.

Create a new barcode parameters set

  1. In the Barcode Field Properties dialog box, select the Options tab, and then select Manage Barcode Parameters.

  2. Select the existing parameter set that you want to use as the basis of the new set, and select New.

  3. Type a name in the Name box and a description in the Description box.

  4. Select options for Symbology, X Dimension, Y/X Ratio, and Error Correction Level, and then select OK.

The newly defined parameter set appears in the list in the Manage Barcode Parameters dialog box, and all the buttons on the right side of the dialog box become available. The new definition also appears in the Decode Condition menu in the Options tab of the Barcode Field Properties dialog box.

Edit or delete a set of custom barcode parameters

  1. In the Barcode Field Properties dialog box, select the Options tab, and then select Manage Barcode Parameters.

  2. Select a custom parameter set from the list.
  3. Choose the appropriate action:

    • Select Edit and make the changes to the settings; then select OK.

    • Select Delete. Confirm the deletion in the message that appears by selecting OK.

Export or import a set of custom barcode parameters

  1. In the Barcode Field Properties dialog box, select the Options tab, and then select Manage Barcode Parameters.

  2. Choose the appropriate action:

    • Select a barcode parameter set from the list and select Export. Select a location and file name for the file that has the file name extension .bps.

    • Select Import, and navigate to and select the BPS file that you want to import.

Redefine form field property defaults

After you change properties for a specific type of form field, you can set those properties as the default set for that type. For example, you can create a checkbox, change its properties, and then save the properties as the default values. The default values can be only for Appearance and Size related attributes of the field. Properties for format related attributes like Date cannot be set as default.

  1. Select All tools > Prepare a form to go to form-editing mode.

  2. Right-click the form field for which you have already changed properties, and choose Use Current Properties As New Defaults.

Note:

Changing the default properties does not change the settings for existing form fields of that type. The new defaults apply only to new fields that you create.

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