To create a fillable PDF, you can use PDF.net, Google Docs, MS Word, and the Preview software on Mac.
Creating fillable PDFs or adding fillable forms to them can enhance work productivity in various ways. For instance, fillable documents are suitable for questionnaires or legal papers where you must add signatures.
In this article, we will show you the easiest and most effective ways to create a fillable form on PDFs, as well as explain how you can use PDF.net to tweak your files for many other purposes.
Key Takeaways
- The simplest way to create fillable PDFs is to use PDF.net or its alternatives (Google Docs, MS Word, and Preview).
- Making fillable PDFs boosts working efficiency, making documents easier to sign and fill out and increasing the use of electronic records, which is environmentally friendly.
- In addition to using PDF.net to create fillable PDFs, you can edit documents on our website in many other ways and make them fit your standards.
Why Create Fillable PDFs?
You should create fillable PDFs for environmental reasons and enhanced efficiency and professionalism for various document types.
First, using digital files instead of paper is cost-saving and good for the environment. Additionally, digital forms are easier to create and fill in than paper ones, which you may need to print, distribute, and sometimes fill out manually.
Instead, you can create fillable PDFs in several clicks and share them electronically within seconds. People who receive such documents can enter the needed information (e.g., complete a survey) and send it back the same way, making the whole process fast and easy.
Moreover, fillable PDFs increase professionalism, as many businesses and individuals use technology instead of traditional ways to operate with documents. For example, using advanced fillable forms on your files is a good way to provide clients with a polished and branded experience.
Lastly, fillable electronic documents are helpful for compliance and data standardization. For instance, a company may need to evaluate employee satisfaction. One of the best solutions to streamline this process is to create PDFs with fillable forms and regularly use this type of digital file for this or similar purposes.
Creating Fillable PDFs with PDF.net: The Complete Solution
Our PDF editor allows you to create fillable PDFs online with minimal effort. All you have to do is take three essential steps.
Let’s check them out:
#1. Open the Toolbar and Find the Field Option
Head to PDF.net and click on the annotation tool. Then, upload your PDF document by dragging it into the upload box or select Choose file for manual upload. Once your file opens, you will see the toolbar with various options at the top, including the Field feature.
#2. Use the Field Feature to Create Fillable Forms
After you click the Field icon, a new menu with various widget types will appear. You can choose between text, box, date, signature, combobox, list box, and a radio-button widget. Select your preferred widget and place it on the page.
Every widget you choose will feature additional modification options. For instance, if you want to create a fillable PDF with check boxes, you will find a checkbox field style menu, under which you can add fill and border colors, adjust opacity, select border style, etc.
#3. Download Your Document
Once you add and modify the fillable forms, you can click anywhere on the document to save the changes. Then, you can save your fillable PDF to your storage by clicking the Download button in the top-right corner.
Alternative Methods for Creating Fillable PDFs
Besides using PDF.net, there are alternative ways to create fillable PDFs, including Google Docs, MS Word, and Preview.
Let’s examine these methods in detail:
Create a Fillable PDF with Google Docs
You can use Google Docs to create a fillable PDF from scratch or add fillable fields to an existing document. Although not the easiest, this method is also not the most complicated.
Here are the steps to make a fillable PDF in Google Docs:
1. Sign in to your Google account and find your drive.
2. Click the New button and choose the file from your storage to upload it (a blank or existing document).
3. Locate the file on the drive, right-click it, choose Open with, and select Google Docs.
4. Click the Insert button at the top left, place the cursor on Table, and choose the dimensions; for open-ended text boxes, add a single-cell table.
5. In the table, add placeholder text to check how it fits.
6. Set the border width to ‘zero’ to erase the table borders by clicking the Border Width icon in the upper-right corner.
7. For a drop-down fillable form, click the Insert button and select Dropdown.
8. Choose the type of drop-down and place it in the table.
9. To create multiple-choice forms, add a list, select it, click the Bulleted list menu, hover over the Checklist menu, and select the preferred option.
10. Click File, Download, and choose PDF document (.pdf) to finalize this process.
Create a Fillable PDF with MS Word
The steps to make a fillable PDF in Word are similar to the ones in Google Docs. Word also lets you create PDFs from scratch or add fillable forms to existing files.
Let’s take a closer look at the steps:
1. Open MS Word and click Blank document, or right-click your existing file, select Open with, and choose Word.
2. Enable the Developer ribbon by choosing File>Options>Customize Ribbon, where you should tick the Developer feature and click OK.
3. Click the Developer ribbon, and choose the form you want to add (text, combo box, check box, etc.).
4. Modify your fields by selecting them and clicking on the Properties option within the ribbon.
5. Click File, choose Save As, decide the name and the saving location for your file, select PDF, and click Save to complete the process.
Create a Fillable PDF with Mac Preview
Preview on Mac is another way to make PDFs with fillable forms or add such forms to existing documents.
Let’s learn more about this method:
1. Open Preview, select File>New>Blank Document or right click the file you want to edit, hover over the Open With menu, and choose Preview.
2. Click the Markup tool in the top-right corner.
3. Use the Textbox tool to add fillable text forms, which you can later resize, edit, and adjust based on your needs.
4. Click File and select Save for existing PDF or choose Export as PDF for new documents.
5. Choose the name and destination folder, and click Save.
Although this alternative method allows you to create fillable PDFs for free, it does not offer adding advanced fillable forms such as checklists and drop-downs.
Beyond Forms: What Else Can You Do with PDF.net
Adding fillable forms or creating such documents is only one of the options you can find on PDF.net. To make your PDFs look more professional, enhance their readability and shareability, or analyze them, you can use one of the following tools:
- Text editor. You can edit PDFs online by adding, removing, or replacing text on your documents. Similarly, you can modify the font style, size, and color to improve overall clarity.
- Compression software. Resizing PDFs helps you create easy-to-share, upload, and use files. Our software offers lossless compression, meaning that the quality of your document remains intact.
- Chat with PDF. You can summarize PDFs by chatting with the AI tool, which provides thorough answers based on your questions. Additionally, this software offers PDF translation from English to various languages (Spanish, Swedish, etc.) and vice versa.
Final Thoughts
Creating fillable PDFs with PDF.net is beneficial as you can choose numerous fillable form types according to your needs. During this process, your documents and data stay fully protected on our website, as we use high encryption to ensure this.
Our reliable online tools also encourage digitalization, which is good for the environment and work efficiency. To boost your productivity even more, you can check out our other tools and create picture-perfect PDFs for both professional and everyday use.
Creating Fillable PDFs FAQ
#1. Can recipients fill out my PDF without special software?
Yes, recipients can fill out your PDF without special software if you use the right tool, like PDF.net, to make it so. This is because our software lets you create fillable forms that users with any PDF reader can fill out.
#2. How secure are fillable PDFs created with PDF.net?
Fillable PDFs created with PDF.net are highly secure. We use strong encryption to ensure no one can access your files but you, and provide tools that preserve the formatting and the quality of your documents.
#3. Can users edit my original PDF layout or just the fillable fields?
Whether users can edit your original PDF layout or just the fillable fields depends on the type of your document. If you use our OCR tool to make your PDF editable, users can modify the entire file; otherwise, they can only edit fillable forms.
#4. Is there a limit to how many form fields I can add to a PDF?
No, there is no limit to how many form fields you can add to a PDF on PDF.net. While some cheap tools may limit this option, we allow you to modify your files as much as you want.
#5. How do I make my fillable PDF accessible to people with disabilities?
To make your fillable PDF accessible to people with disabilities, you should disable all restrictions, structure your files logically, and use simple formatting. Also, you can add comments and descriptions for the content, helping such individuals understand your document better.