Set the Preferences about PDF Forms
You can set form preferences before filling in a PDF form.
- Choose File in the Ribbon (or Foxit PDF Reader in the menu bar) > Preferences > Forms.
- Specify the following options as desired:
- Automatically calculate field values: Specify whether to automatically perform all field calculations right after users input the entries. This option is checked by default. The setting for the option only applies to your current session, and it will revert to the default setting after the application is restarted. When filling in a PDF form that contains barcode fields, it is recommended to keep this option checked so that the barcodes can be generated and updated instantly.
- Show focus rectangle: With the option selected, a dotted rectangle appears around a form field if the form field currently has the focus. The option is selected by default.
- Show text field overflow indicator: Select this option to show the plus (+) sign if the text in a text field does not automatically resize and exceeds the bound of the field.
- Always hide document message bar: Specify whether to show the notification message or not when you open an interactive PDF form. By default, a notification message will be displayed when you open an interactive PDF form in Foxit PDF Reader. The notification message informs you that the document is a fillable form. You can click the Hide button or light bulk on the document pane to collapse or expand the notification message. If you do not want to see the notification message, please check the Always hide document message bar option.
- Highlight all fields: This option is checked by default, which allows you to highlight all form fields in the PDF form. You can click the color palette to change the highlight color for ordinary fields as well as required fields.
- Auto-Complete: Auto-Complete includes three options that allow you to turn on or off the auto-complete feature. When enabled, Foxit PDF Reader will store your entries and provide relevant suggestions as you fill in an interactive PDF form.
- Off: Turn off the auto-complete feature. No suggestion will be provided when you fill in an interactive PDF form.
- Basic: Enable auto-complete feature, and provide relevant suggestions when you enter a character in the interactive form field.
- Advanced: Enable auto-complete feature, and automatically display a list of suggestions when you tab into a form field.
- Remember numerical data: This option is available when you choose Basic or Advanced in the Auto-Complete drop-down list. If it is enabled, Foxit PDF Reader will store numerical entries as well, otherwise, only text entries will be remembered.
- Edit Entry list: Remove the saved entries from the auto-complete memory.
- Email: You can edit the default subject and contents which will be sent with the PDF form when you submit it by email.
Fill out PDF Forms
Foxit PDF Reader helps you work on both interactive PDF forms which contain fillable fields and non-interactive PDF forms which act as plain PDF files with lines and texts.
Fill in Non-interactive PDF Forms
You can use the Fill & Sign tools to add text and symbols in non-interactive PDF forms. As you move the cursor on the page with a fill tool selected, a blue frame appears if the cursor is hovering above a fillable area.
- Click Protect > Fill & Sign.
- To add normal text, select Add Text. Then click on the form where you want to add text, and input your text.
- To add text in continuous boxes in a line, select Comb Field. Then click on the form where you want to add text, and input your text. The comb field will spread text evenly across the width of the text field, which is very useful when you are filling in phone numbers, social security numbers, etc.
- To add predefined text such as name, date or address, click Predefined Text, and do the following:
- By default, Foxit PDF Reader will detect and display the current date and user name of your system in the predefined text list. If you want to predefine custom text, click Set Predefined Text. In the pop-up Set Predefined Text dialog box, click Set Identity to set your identity information, and save it as predefined text. Or double-click on the blank area in the box to input any text as desired. Upon completion, click OK to save your settings. Then all your custom predefined text will be listed in the Predefined Text drop-down list.
- Select a predefined text from the Predefined Text drop-down list, and click on the form where you want to add it.
- To add symbols, do the following:
- Select the Add Checkmark, Add Cross, or Add Dot tool to fill in check boxes or radio buttons. Select the Add Line tool to strike out text, or Add Rectangle tool to add rectangles.
- Then click on the form where you want to place the symbol.
- After adding text or symbols, use the field toolbar floating above them to make appropriate changes, if necessary.
- Click
or
to decrease or increase the size. For symbols, you can also drag any of the handles to resize it. For comb fields, dragging the resize handle on the right-side of the field can also help you adjust the width of the field. The adjustments to size will be remembered and applied as the default.
- To convert a normal text field into comb field or vice versa, click the Comb Field icon
or Add Text icon
correspondingly.
- To replace the current text or symbol, click
, and choose a desired option from the toolbar.
- To move the text or symbol, drag it directly to the desired location.
- To delete the text or symbol, click
.
- Click
- After filling in the form, you can sign the form with your handwritten signature. For more information, please refer to “Quick PDF Sign”.
- When you have completed the form, click the Save button
or choose File > Save to save it.
Tip: The fill tool will be kept as selected by default for you to add the same object continuously. If you need to exit the fill tool, press the ESC key, or select another desired tool directly.
Fill in Interactive PDF Forms
- Make sure that you have selected the Hand command.
- Click the form field to input text or select the option as desired. For the text fields, you can right-click on it, and choose the options from the context menu to select, copy, cut, paste, or delete the text.
- Upon completion, click the Save button
(or File > Save) to save the PDF form.
- You can follow the steps below to print the form, if needed:
- Click the Print button
in the Quick Access Toolbar, or click File > Print.
- In the Print dialog box, specify the printer and other printing options as desired. Select the following option as needed in the Print What field:
- To print both the form and the input entries, select Document and markups;
- To print the typed entries only, select Form fields only;
- To print the form only, select Document;
- Click Print.
- Click the Print button
Reset Interactive Form Fields
You can clear all the interactive form entries with the following steps:
- Click Form > Reset Form.
- Click Yes in the pop-up message to confirm your operation.
Manage Form Data
For AcroForms, Foxit PDF Reader allows you to import and export form data in XML, XFDF, TXT, or CSV formats. When working with XFA forms in macOS, you can import and export form data in XML and XDP formats.
Import Form Data
- Click Form > Import.
- Select the form data file, and click Open.
Export Form Data
- Click Form > Export.
- In the Save dialog box, specify the file name, location and type, and click Save.
Export and Append Form Data to an Existing Sheet
With Foxit PDF Reader, you can export form data from a currently-opened PDF form and append it to an existing CSV file. Steps are as follow:
- Click Form > Form to sheet > Append to an Existing Sheet.
- In the pop-up dialog box, select the CSV file to which you want to append the form data, and click Open.
- (Optional) A prompt message will pop up when the form data has been successfully exported. In the message box, you can click Yes to open the CSV file, if necessary.
Combine Forms to a Sheet
To export form data from multiple PDF forms to a CSV file, please do as follows:
- Choose Form > Form to sheet > Combine Forms to a Sheet.
- In the Export multiple forms to a sheet dialog box, click Add Files to add files that you want to combine into a sheet. You can also click the close button in the dialog box to remove files.
- (Optional) Check the option Contain forms you closed recently to add the PDF files you closed recently. You can also append the exported form data to an existing file by checking the option Append to an existing file.
- Click OK.
- Based on the option you have chosen, do one of the following:
- If you have checked the Append to an existing file option, select the existing CSV file to which you want to append the form data, and click Open.
- If you choose to save the form data in a new CSV file, specify the save path and file name for the CSV file, and click Save.
- (Optional) A prompt message will pop up when the form data has been successfully exported. In the message box, you can click Yes to open the CSV file, if necessary.