Create and distribute PDF forms

In Acrobat Home, select See all tools > Prepare a form.

Select one of the following options:

Converts an existing electronic document (for example, Word, Excel, or PDF) to an interactive PDF form. Choose a file and select Open.

Scans a paper form and converts it to an interactive PDF form.

Start creating a form from scratch with a blank page. For more information, see How to create a form from scratch.

If you want others to sign this form, select the This Document Requires Signatures check box.

Select Create form.

Acrobat creates the form and opens it in the editing mode. The left pane displays form field tools for adding additional fields and editing the form. The right pane displays a list of existing form fields (if any).

Review the form fields Acrobat created. Add fields using the form field tools in the toolbar. Delete, resize, or arrange the fields as needed. You can add any of the following types of form fields:

Add text to the PDF document.

Let the user type text, such as name, address, or phone number.

Adds an image field. Allows user to browse and select the image to add to the PDF document.

Present yes-or-no choices for individual items. If the form contains multiple check boxes, the user can typically select as many or few of these as wanted.

Present a group of choices from which the user can select only one item. All radio buttons with the same name work together as a group.

Let the user either choose an item from a pop-up menu or type a value. You can set a form field property that enables the user to enter a custom value.

Display a list of options the user can select. You can set a form field property that enables the user to Shift-click to select multiple items on the list.

Initiate a change on the user’s computer, such as opening a file, playing a sound, or submitting data to a web server. These buttons can be customized with images, text, and visual changes triggered by mouse actions.

Lets the user enter a date in the PDF document.

Lets the user electronically sign a PDF document with a digital signature.

Encode the input from selected fields and display it as a visual pattern that can be interpreted by decoding software or hardware (available separately).

For more information, see How to add form fields and set their values.

To change existing text or images, select the back button ( < ) to go to the Edit tool. All the text and image fields are enabled for editing.  

To test your form, select the Preview button on the left. Previewing a form allows you to view the form the same way the form recipients will and gives you a chance to verify the form. If you are previewing a form, you can select the Exit preview button to go back to the edit mode.

Save your form when doen with your changes. You can then Send or Share the form with the intended recipients.

Open a single PDF, or preview a component PDF in a PDF Portfolio.

Choose the hamburger menu   (Windows), ior the File menu (macOS), then select Save As Other > Reader Extended PDF, and choose one of the following options:

(Acrobat Pro) Allows users to add comments or access the Object Data, Measuring, and Geospatial tools.

Lets users save data they’ve entered in interactive or fillable forms.

Select Send in the lower-right corner of the left pane.

A series of messages might appear, depending on the conditions Acrobat detects in your form. Respond to the onscreen instructions as needed, and save the form.

Collect responses in your email inbox.

Distribute and collect responses on an internal server such as SharePoint or Network Folder. For more information, see Specify a server.

For more information, see Choosing a distribution option for reviews and forms.

Select Continue and follow the onscreen instructions for distributing the form.

• Enter the email addresses separated with a semi-colon, or click the To button to select email addresses from your address book.
• Edit the default message.
• Select the option Collect Name & Email from Recipients To Provide Optimal Tracking. The system prompts recipients to provide their name and email address when they submit the form. This guarantees that in Tracker, you see exactly who has and hasn't replied, and when.
• Deselect the option if you want to receive anonymous submissions, or you don't care about that level of tracking.

From the global bar, select Sign > Request e-signatures.

In the Sign dialog box, type in the email addresses of people you want to sign your document. Add a message if desired. Then select Specify where to sign.

Select Send.

You receive an email from Acrobat Sign which states that the documents are sent to the first user for signature. The first user also receives an email to sign the document. When the user adds his or her signature in the Signature field, and then select the Click to sign button, the document is sent to the next user for signature and so on.

Everyone gets a copy of the signed document, and the file is stored securely in Adobe cloud.