Nitro Pro allows you to fill-out and submit interactive PDF forms, and to save a copy of the form including the information contained in its fields. Interactive forms are designed to collect the data you type into the fields, and can also perform other tasks like calculating field values or sending their data over the Internet. Static forms, on the other hand, are scans of a paper form or non-interactive forms created in Word or other applications, and they do not contain interactive form fields.

Creating a Submit button within a PDF form allows users to automatically submit their entered data to a specified URL or email address. You can easily create a Submit button on your forms to help users in submitting form data. If you choose to submit data to a URL, you should be aware that you will need to set up server-side programming in order to collect and route the form data. If you choose to submit data to an email address, the email body will contain the form data, and you have several options for specifying which data is included or excluded.

The advantage of using PDF forms is the ability to receive, fill-out, and submit the form without having to deal with physical papers, and without having to send the document by post. With QuickSign you can also validate a form by adding a digital copy of your very own signature.

There may be cases when you wish to show or hide certain fields in your PDF form; for example, if the user clicks a button, a new group of fields is displayed. You have several options to select from when showing or hiding fields: you can elect to show or hide an individual field by setting the field’s General properties, or you can write your own custom JavaScript to show and hide fields based on user action (for example, if a user hovers over a button or another). As another option, you can create a button that will show or hide specific fields when pressed.

When working with form fields, users can move from field to field using the tab key on their keyboard. By default, the field tab order will be set by the order in which the fields where created. Depending on the order you added the fields, you may find cases where you need to edit the tab order to make it easier for users to navigate.

Nitro Pro includes a unique tool that allows you to save the appearance properties used on a form field (such as colors, border and line style) and reuse these properties when creating future form fields. All of the ‘appearances’ you create will appear in the Properties tab.

One of the most helpful buttons you can create on your PDF forms is one that permits the user to clear populated fields, also referred to as a Reset button. If you are working with a form that doesn’t contain a Reset button,Nitro Pro includes a Reset tool that allows you to quickly clear data from all of the fields in the form.

You use Nitro Pro to export form data as a separate FDF file (form data format). An exported FDF file is much smaller than the original PDF form file, making it much more convenient for distributing to others. You can email an FDF file to another user who can then import the data into a PDF file, or you can use FDF files to save form data locally, as well as to import data into your forms.

There are several different form field tools. Each tool is used to create the respective field type. To create a field, first select the tool for the kind of field to be created, and then drag the pointer on the page where you want to position the field. After creating a field, you can move the field by selecting the respective tool, clicking the field and then dragging it on the page. You can resize a field by dragging any one of the corner handles in or out. If you need to change field attributes, you can double-click the form field to access its properties.

The different types of form fields have some attributes the same, as outlined below, but because the form fields differ greatly in their design and intent, you have unique attribute assignments you can add to any given field type. For example, when creating text fields, you have options for data formatting, validation, and calculations. When using button fields, you have more options for adding appearances where icon images can be used as button faces. When using combo and list boxes you have options for adding menu names.

The form creation tools are all located on the Forms ribbon in Nitro Pro. There are several field types available; for each field type, you can set a variety of options through the form field Properties dialog box or ribbon.

Nitro Pro lets you fill-out interactive PDF forms, which are designed for you to enter data into fields. To fill-out the fields of an interactive form, use the Hand Tool to click into the form fields.

Nitro Pro allows you to select multiple form fields, meaning you can edit common appearance properties and fix alignment issues faster. You can edit the alignment via the Alignment context tab or context (‘right-click’) menu. To edit the appearance of multiple form fields, you can use the Properties context tab or Properties dialog.

Barcode fields translate a user’s form entries into a visual pattern that can be scanned, interpreted, and incorporated into a database. Barcodes are helpful when users submit the form on paper or by fax.

The signature field lets you add an empty digital signature form field to a document. When a signer clicks on the field, a dialog opens and prompts them to certify or digitally sign the file with their digital ID.

The most common field type on PDF forms is the text field. Text fields permit respondents to add alpha text and/or numeric values. You can format text fields in a number of different ways to ensure fields are completed properly. You can add custom format scripts, validate data, assign actions, and perform calculations on text fields.

Radio buttons can be assigned the same attributes as check box fields. You use radio buttons more often for either/or responses. When you create check boxes you can uncheck a checkbox by clicking on it. The only way to uncheck a radio button is to clear a form or check another button that turns off companion radio button checkmarks.

Of all the field types, button fields have the broadest use. You can add buttons on PDF forms to perform a variety of actions associated with filling out a form or you can use buttons on PDF documents not intended for form use. Buttons can be used for items in any PDF such as navigational tools in a PDF design, hyperlinks for a variety of different actions, and just about any other condition that sparks your imagination.

List Boxes provide users scrollable menus. You can define attributes for list boxes to accept only a single response or multiple responses. Adding items to the menu list are performed similarly to defining responses in combo boxes.

Combo Boxes provide users a drop down menu, and only a single response can be selected from this menu. You can add menu items for combo boxes via the Options category in the field’s Properties.

In almost all cases you should use unique field names when creating form fields. If you use the same name for a field, like a text field, data typed in the field box is replicated for all fields with the same name. The exception to the rule is when creating check box and radio button fields. If you want one check box or radio button in a group to be unchecked as another check box or radio button is checked, you use the same field name. Both these field types have an option for adding an export value. When you create fields with the same name, you use different export values to distinguish one choice from another.

When creating many of the same type of form field, the quickest and easiest method is to use the Make Copies tool. Just setup the form field with the appearance and other properties you’d like all the fields to be like and then chose how many rows and columns you want.

Forms are one of the most common uses of PDF documents. Using form tools and JavaScript you can create dynamic, interactive documents, and create alternatives for writing complex HTML code when hosting forms on web sites. Nitro Pro includes several tools that can be used for creating PDF forms. Each tool offers a number of different settings to control form behavior and appearance.

Nitro Pro supports field calculations using several methods. The built-in calculation formulas are an easy means for creating simple, and quite restricted, field calculations. You can also use Simplified Field Notation and JavaScripts, although these methods are much more sophisticated and require some programming knowledge. If your calculation needs are limited to summing or averaging data, you can use the built-in formulas without having to worry about programming.

With Nitro Pro, you can use grids to assist you in precisely lining up links, form fields, and other objects on a page. When turned on, the grid is visible over your PDF pages; however, grid lines will not be printed when you print your document. You can also customize the grid’s display, setting preferences such as default units, line color, spacing, and other options.