Can you put a fillable PDF in a Frame document?

[Rick Quatro]

Hi Jenny,

When you import the PDF files into FrameMaker, they will be treated as
static graphics with no interactivity. The only way I know of to do this is
to create your forms in FrameMaker. Then you add Hypertext markers using
MicroType's TimeSavers with Forms Assistant; you add special codes to these
markers, and when you create the PDF, these will create the appropriate form
fields on the fly. There are main things to consider:

1) You have to design your forms in FrameMaker using objects like tables,
text frames, etc. Certain forms can be difficult to create in FrameMaker.

2) You have to have TimeSavers and Forms Assistant installed when you
distill the file (http://www.microtype.com).

The advantages are that you can single source your forms and other content
using FrameMaker. And you can change the look and feel of your form and
redistill, and not have to recreate your form fields.

I recently did a couple of forms like this and was pretty happy with the
results. It was especially worthwhile when I had to make changes to the look
of the form. I resized the table containing my form items, added a couple of
extra columns, and when I created the new PDF, my form fields were in the
right place at the right size. Very slick.

Please let me know if you have any questions or comments. Thank you very
much.

Rick Quatro
Carmen Publishing Inc.
585-659-8267
rick at frameexpert.com

*** Frame Automation blog at http://frameautomation.com




-----Original Message-----
From: framers-bounces at lists.frameusers.com
[mailto:framers-bounces at lists.frameusers.com] On Behalf Of Jenny Greenleaf
Sent: Tuesday, March 23, 2010 1:50 PM
To: framers at lists.frameusers.com
Subject: Can you put a fillable PDF in a Frame document?

Helpful beings,

I am documenting a product that requires some planning before implementing.
I developed some nifty forms using Adobe LiveCycle Designer. I am making the
forms available as a separate package on the documentation CD as well as the
company support site. Customers can fill in the forms and save them with the
data. 

I have copies of the forms in an appendix to my manual. I have been just
importing the PDFs, like graphics, which leaves them static, i.e., the
customers cannot fill them out online. It would be nice for the customers to
be able to fill the forms out in the manual and save them with data without
having to use the separate forms package.

There seem to be several ways to import PDFs, but I haven't stumbled across
the right combination yet to create forms that can be filled out in Acrobat
Reader. 

I know I can splice the separate PDFs in later, but I'd like to have them
generated when I print the book to PDF. I also know that I have to enable
form filling in the final PDF.

Is that possible? Has anyone done this? Tips or tricks much appreciated!

Jenny






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