How To Add A Checkbox In Pdf Document

Using PDF Checkboxes, Radio Buttons and List Boxes in PDF Forms

Introduction

This tutorial shows how to create, edit and populate checkboxes, radio buttons, listing and dropdown listing boxes in PDF forms via a mail merge procedure. These fields piece of work differently than text class fields and crave a special approach. The tutorial explains how to automatically populate these grade fields using data from a spreadsheet via AutoMailMerge™ Plug-in for the Adobe® Acrobat®.

This tutorial covers the following topics:

How to cheque a checkbox or radio button, or select an item from a listing box using mail merge?
Using "Aye/No" fields from the Microsoft Access or Excel
How to create a checkbox and edit its export value?
How to create a radio button and edit its consign value?
How to create or edit listing of choices?
How to create or edit a dropdown list?
Populating a PDF grade with checkboxes, radio buttons and listing boxes using the AutoMailMerge™ Plug-in

Read more than well-nigh creating interactive PDF forms in Adobe Acrobat.

How to check a checkbox or radio button, or select an item from a list box using mail merge?

Really, at that place is no such matter every bit "checking" a PDF checkbox field or making selection from the list. You accept to fill up checkbox field with a value in the very same manner as a text class field. Every checkbox/radio push button/list box has a special property chosen "consign value". It is used to determine if the checkbox needs to be displayed in checked or unchecked state. The "export value" is assigned at the time the field is placed on the course. Information technology can comprise whatever text as desired by the form designer. If a checkbox's "value" matches its "export value", so the checkbox appears as "checked". If these ii values do not lucifer, so checkbox appears as "unchecked". The "Export value" tin can be gear up or modified using "Field Properties" dialog in the Adobe Acrobat "Prepare Form" tool. Both "value" and "export value" are ever treated as text. Here are the examples of the "Export Value:" field for check boxes and for list boxes:

The "export value" of "Yep" is used as a defaut value for all checkboxes created in Adobe Acrobat. Yet, depending on the projection requirements, it tin can be most anything such equally "Male", "Female", "Dependent" and etc. The export value is typically selected based on the way filled PDF forms are going to be candy. The value of the checkboxes should be selected to match the style the corresponding values are listed in the information source that volition be used for the mail merge.

Using "Aye/No" fields from the Microsoft Admission or Excel

For example, by default, the Adobe® Acrobat® defines export value for a new checkbox as "Aye". Meet the instance image above. Please note that this value is case-sensitive, filling a checkbox with "YES" or "yes" will have no issue. If you desire to make a PDF checkbox appear checked using a Yes/No field value from MS Access/Excel or any other database, then yous need first to figure out what values those field are "exporting". By default, these fields export 1 (if Aye/No field is checked in the Access) or 0 (if Yes/No field is unchecked in MS Admission). Nonetheless, information technology is possible to change those values in MS Access. This is important to cheque what "actual" values are stored in corresponging data fields. If using AutoMailMerge, navigate to "Data Source" tab in the Settings, and click "View and Filter Records..." push button to preview information.

Look at Yes/No fields and see what text is displayed for these values. If database has 1 and 0 for Yes/No fields, then y'all accept to edit the PDF form and set checkbox`s "export value" to i in order to lucifer the database. Alternatively, if PDF form cannot be edited, so use "Yes/No" text in the data source to match export values of the PDF form. In the example beneath the "Yes/No" text is used in the data source to fill up the checkboxes:

How to create a checkbox and edit its consign value

Check boxes present yes-or-no choices for individual items. If the class contains multiple check boxes, then user tin typically select as many or few of these equally wanted. Commencement the Adobe® Acrobat® application. Select the "Tools" from the primary toolbar. Select the "Prepare Form" tool to open up a form editor.

Select an existing PDF file that volition exist used as a template for the PDF grade. Click the "Add a check box" icon from the carte. Motility cursor to a page location where you want to identify a checkbox field. Click on the page where yous want to place a checkbox.

Enter a checkbox proper name. Checkbox names are used to uniquely place each field on a PDF grade. Information technology is a good idea to apply the same proper name for both form and data fields to simplify the field mapping. Click "All Properties" to specify checkbox backdrop.

If editing an existing checkbox, and so place a cursor over it and click a right mouse button. Select "Backdrop..." from the popup menu.

Select the "Options" tab on the "Check Box Backdrop" dialog. Select a cheque box style. By default the Adobe® Acrobat® defines consign value for a new checkbox every bit "Yes". Verify value in the "Export Value:" field. Use this text to check this particular checkbox or alter it to a different value as necessary. Utilise the same value in the corresponding column in the information file.

Click "Salvage file" to salvage changes to the PDF file.

How to create a radio button and edit its export value

Radio buttons present a grouping of choices from which the user tin select only one detail. All radio buttons with the same proper name work together as a group.

Outset the Adobe® Acrobat® application. Select the "Tools" from the principal toolbar. Select the "Prepare Form" tool to open a course editor.

Select an existing PDF file that will be used equally a template for the PDF form. Click the "Add radio buttons" icon from the carte du jour. Move cursor to a folio location where you desire to place a radio push button field. Click on the folio where you lot want to place radio buttons.

Enter a radio push button name. This name will be used as an consign value. By default the Adobe® Acrobat® defines export value for a new radio button as text "ChoiceN" in the group. Note that at to the lowest degree ii buttons needed for the radio group. Click "Add together Another Button" to create one more radio push button.

Enter a "Group Name" that will grouping the buttons together. A group name is used to uniquely place each grouping on a PDF course. Information technology is a good idea to use the same group name for both form and information fields to simplify the field mapping. Click "All Properties" to specify radio button properties.

If editing an existing radio buttons, place a cursor over information technology and click a right mouse push. Select "Properties..." from the popup card.

Select the "Options" tab on the "Radio Button Properties" dialog. Select a button style. Specify an export value in the "Radio Button Chioce:" field. Use this text to cheque this particular radio button or change it to a different value every bit necessary.

Click "Save file" to salvage changes to the file.

How to create a list of choices

List boxes display a list of options the user can select.

Start the Adobe® Acrobat® application. Select the "Tools" from the primary toolbar. Select the "Ready Form" tool to open up a form editor.

Select an existing PDF file that volition be used as a template for the PDF form. Click the "Add a list of choices" icon from the carte du jour. Move cursor to a page location where you want to place a list box. Click on a folio where yous want to identify a list box.

Enter a listing box proper name. A list box name is used to uniquely identify each list box field on a PDF form. Information technology is a skillful idea to use the aforementioned name for both form and data fields to simplify the field mapping. Click "All Properties" to specify listing of choices properties.

If editing an existing list box, identify a cursor over it and click a right mouse button. Select "Backdrop..." from the popup menu.

Select the "Advent" tab to specify border manner and fill color. Specify text style.

Select the "Options" tab page on the "List Box Backdrop" dialog. Enter items that will be used as the options for the selection. Enter the item names and consign values. Press the "Add" push button to create a new choice in the "Item List". Check the "Multiple pick" pick to enable multiple choice from the list.

In the case, nosotros have created 5 items with the following export values: Black - B, White - W, Dark-green -G, Reddish - R, Blue - Bl. Populate the list field with a text value that matches i of the export values to select an item from the list. For example, fill the list box field with "R" to select "Red".

Click "Relieve file" to salvage changes to the file.

How to create a dropdown list?

Dropdown list is used to make a selection from a popup menu or type a text.

Offset the Adobe® Acrobat® application. Select the "Tools" from the main toolbar. Select the "Prepare Form" tool to open a form editor.

Select an existing PDF file that volition be used as a template for the PDF form. Click the "Add a dropdown list" icon from the bill of fare. Motility cursor to a page location where yous desire to place a dropdown list. Click on a page where you want to place a dropdown list box.

Enter a dropdown list box name. A dropdown list box name is used to uniquely place each list box field on a PDF form. Information technology is a good thought to use the same proper name for both form and data fields to simplify the field mapping. Click "All Properties" to specify dropdown list backdrop.

If a dropdown list box was previously created, place a cursor over the dropdown list box field and click a correct mouse button. Select "Backdrop..." from the popup card.

Select the "Appearance" tab to specify border style and fill color. Specify text style.

Select the "Options" tab on the "Dropdown Properties" dialog. Enter items that will be used as the options for the selection. Enter the item names and export value. Press the "Add" button to create a new choice in the "Item Listing". Check the "Let user to enter custom text" pick to permit users to type custom text into the field.

In the example, we accept created 3 items with corresponding consign values: California - CA, Oregon - OR, Washington - WA. Populate the field with a text value that matches one of the export values to select an item from the list. For instance, fill this field with "CA" to select "California".

Click "Salve file" to save changes to the file.

Populating a PDF form with checkboxes, radio buttons and listing boxes using the AutoMailMerge™ Plug-in

Use the AutoMailMerge™ plug-in to automatically produce multiple PDF documents by filling PDF forms with data from a spreadsheet or information file. You lot tin can download trial versions of both the Adobe® Acrobat® and the AutoMailMerge™.

Here is an example of the PDF form that uses a text field, multiple checkboxes and radio buttons, listing and dropdown list boxes:

The mail service merge process fills form fields with data from the Excel spreadsheet and generates multiple output PDF documents: