There are two different kinds of PDF forms we all encounter from time to time: ‘dumb’ PDF forms that look like a form, but contain no form fields; and ‘smart’ PDF forms, that contain active fields in which you can type, tick checkboxes, make calculations and more. The latter of course is the kind of form most of us would prefer, but in the real world not what we receive.

Today we’ll look at how you can edit dumb PDF forms on your computer instead of having to print them out to complete them. To work with these kinds of forms you need a PDF editor that supports text editing and/or creating forms.

Fill a PDF form with text fields

Using the Text Field form field is probably the best option if you may need make adjustments to the contents of form fields or even reuse the entire form later. Once the tool is selected, you can draw rectangles on the page(s) quickly where information must be entered, and afterwards enter all your details. Text fields have the added benefit of allowing you to update the appearance of multiple form fields at once.

For this example we’ll use Nitro PDF Professional, but you should be able to use any PDF form editor to get a similar result.

1. Open the form in Nitro Pro
2. On the Form ribbon tab, in the Fields group, click Text Field
3. Click and drag the cursor to size and place the text field
4. Repeat step 3 until all form fields are added
5. Switch back to the Hand tool
6. Enter your information into your fields.

Fill a PDF form with the Insert Text tool

The Insert Text tool removes the need to work with the form tools by allowing you to type anywhere on the page. If your form is simple and short, the Insert Text is probably your best option.

We’ll use Nitro Pro again in the example but most PDF editors that support text editing should work much the same.

1. Open the form in Nitro Pro
2. On the Insert and Edit ribbon tab, in the Text group, click Insert Text
3. Click on the page where you want to enter your information (you can move the position afterwards)
4. Optionally, update the appearance of the font type, size and color in the ribbon
5. Enter your information
6. Repeat the steps above for each separate form entry.

Coming soon …

Nitro Pro has more features coming soon that will make filling out dumb PDF forms even easier. These include an enhanced Insert Text tool that allows you to set your default text properties (including type, size and color) and an improved Text Box tool that allows you to use it like the typewriter tool found in some other PDF applications. If you haven’t already, subscribe above to our blog or newsletter and we’ll notify you when these features become available.

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Related posts:

1. Adjusting Text, Images, Objects and Form Fields in PDF Files
2. Say Hello to the Form Tools Context Ribbon
3. An introduction to forms in Nitro Pro 5.4
4. The Easy Way to Sign PDF Files & Forms Without Printing Them
5. How to increase the viewable document area for PDF files