Assemble a Fillable PDF Document

Some form templates you assemble can be saved as fillable PDF documents. Fillable PDF documents allow users to enter answers on the form while editing the form in Adobe Acrobat or Reader.

The process of assembling a fillable PDF is nearly the same as the process for assembling a regular form document—you can enter answers in the interview or type your answers directly on the form at the Form Document tab. You can also choose to save the assembled document as a HotDocs form document, a regular PDF, or a fillable PDF. If you plan to save the assembled document as a fillable PDF, however, there are a few things you should understand:

  • Adobe Acrobat/Reader does not support the creation of an addendum when an answer overflows its field. If a field overflows in HotDocs, Adobe may attempt to force the answer to fit in the field when you save it as a fillable PDF. If the answer doesn't fit, it will simply appear cut off. If possible, you should review the assembled document for any field overflow before sending it to Adobe so that you can minimize the chance answers won't appear correctly in the field. See Check Form Fields for Answer Overflow for details.
  • When viewing the document in HotDocs, some answers may appear differently than when viewing the assembled document in Adobe Acrobat/Reader. This is because the underlying Adobe fields may have formats or patterns assigned to them that are different than what was assigned in HotDocs.
  • If you create additional fields on the assembled document, any text you enter in the fields will appear as static text when you save the document as a fillable PDF.
  • If you change the properties of an existing fillable field, those changes will not be honored when you save the document as a fillable PDF.

To assemble a fillable PDF document

  1. Follow the instructions for assembling a form document in Assemble a Text or Form Document.
  2. Complete the interview. (See Navigate Through Answer-Gathering Dialogs.)
  3. At the Form Document tab, review your answers.
  4. Choose Check for Overflow (Tools menu) and resolve any fields that overflow.
  5. Click the Save Document button. The Save As dialog box appears
  6. Click the Save as type drop-down button and select Fillable PDF Form from the list of options.
  7. Enter a name in the File name field and click Save. The document is saved.

Once you save the document, you should review it to make sure the answers appear correctly.

When creating a fillable PDF document, form designers can enable usage rights within the document. These rights allow Adobe Reader users to save copies of the document with changes they have made to the document—including entering or changing answers they have entered in the fillable PDF. However, when a rights-enabled fillable PDF is converted to template format, the document is changed in such a way that usage rights are no longer in effect. This means that you will not be able to save changes you make when editing the assembled document in Adobe Reader.