Can you put a fillable PDF in a Frame document?

[Jenny Greenleaf]

Thanks, Rick. You've saved me a lot of time trying different things.

This project doesn't warrant spending that much of my own money (I buy all my own software) and I don't think my client would want me to spend time to re-create the forms in Frame, so this won't work for me for this project, at least.

I was hoping there was way to do this using all Adobe tools. You can insert a LiveCycle Designer "object" (File>Import>Object) into a Frame file. Has anyone tried that?

Jenny



On Mar 23, 2010, at 11:23 AM, Rick Quatro wrote:

> 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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