Produce a simple fillable PDF form for technicians to record soil sample metadata in the field: include fields for [sa…
Open Adobe Acrobat Pro on your computer.
Select the Tools tab.
Find and select Prepare Form under Forms.
Choose an existing file to use as your form, or select the option to create a new one.
Best practiceIf your form is not already a PDF, convert it to PDF before starting this process.
Click Start to let Acrobat detect form fields automatically, or manually add fields as needed.
Best practiceLetting Acrobat auto-detect fields can save time, but always review and adjust the detected fields for accuracy.
Use the toolbar to add, move, or delete form fields such as text boxes, checkboxes, and drop-down lists.
Double-click any form field to edit its properties, such as name, tooltip, and appearance.
When finished, use File > Save to save your fillable PDF form.
You can quickly test your form by switching to Preview mode in the Prepare Form tool to see how users will fill it out.
This runs in the Acrobat app - there is no separate API for this task.
Accessible PDF forms allow everyone to use them, including people with disabilities who use screen readers. This means every field needs a label, a Tooltip for descriptions, a tag, and a correct tab order. Making forms accessible ensures that all users can understand and complete your forms easily, which is a legal requirement in many places.
If you start making a form using Word's own form tools, they will not export correctly to accessible PDF fields. It is better to start with a well-structured Word document, but then use Acrobat's 'Prepare a form' tool to add the actual fillable fields. This way, your PDF form will be correctly set up for accessibility.
When you use 'Prepare a form', Acrobat automatically looks at your document. It tries to find areas that look like they should be form fields, such as blank lines or spaces. It then suggests adding text boxes or other field types there. You can then add more fields or change the ones Acrobat found.
Using simple fonts like Arial or Times and a minimum size of 11pt makes your form easier for everyone to read. Complex or very small fonts can be hard for people with vision problems or those reading on smaller screens. Clear fonts improve readability and ensure your form is user-friendly for all.