How to Create Fillable PDF Forms Without Using Acrobat | Best Alternative

A form allows people to enter data about themselves for certain occasions such as surveys, page registrations, among others. With the PDF digital forms the information provided in the fields it remains safer and Adobe Acrobat is the best tool in the world to carry out these jobs.

However, it is possible to obtain the same results without using this program, in this tutorial you will see how create fillable PDF forms without using Acrobat.

What are the characteristics of a fillable PDF form?

As said before, a fillable PDF form is one where people can complete the available fields with your personal informationthese forms mainly present the following characteristics:

1. One of the most advantageous features of a fillable form in PDF format (Portable Document Format, for its acronym in English) is that they keep the content unaltered and updated.
2. They tend to be specific and direct. That is, they are developed for a certain purpose. clearly present the information and data they require from people.
3. In general, they keep track of the form fields and offer greater security in them.
4. PDF forms and in general this type of files take up more storage spacebut it is possible to compress the files and they are less heavy without losing quality as can happen with other formats.
5. Fillable PDF forms are now so popular and widely used that device operating systems have adapted to them and incorporated tools that are compatible with these forms.

What programs can help you make a fillable PDF form without using Acrobat?

There are several free programs where it is possible to make PDF forms to fill out, you can even find online tools for this work. As it happens every day, there are some tools that stand out better than others, among them you can find LibreOffice, Microsoft Word and ApowerPDFhere you will see how to create a PDF form to fill out with each of them.

Using Libre Office

The LibreOffice tool has software that allows you to perform various tasks on your files completely free of charge. To create a PDF form to fill out from this program, you just have to follow these simple instructions:

1. Install LibreOffice from its official page and enter the program, then open a new blank document. Once in the document, write the titles of the fields to fill in that you will place.
2. When you finish writing all the titles that you add to the form click on the ‘Form’ block found in the tools menu at the top of the document.
3. When executing this action, a small panel of options will be extended, among them you will see design mode, labels, button with image, among others. you shall click on ‘Text box’.
4. Now, you must draw the text box by selecting next to the title you want to place, while determining the amount of width and height you need for the field.
5. You must carry out this procedure with the other titles where you will add fields to fill in. If you double click the mouse on a created field you can change its color and add more settings to it.
6. In case you need a field with a radio button where people will choose between several options (For example, gender: Male or Female) tap again on ‘Form’ and then on Radio button to later place it next to the desired field.
7. When you finish creating the form, click on ‘File’ in the left corner of the toolbar, then on ‘Export to’ and then on ‘Export to PDF’.
8. In the new box that you will see, select ‘Create PDF format’ and then click on the ‘Export’ button. Finally save the PDF form on the computer.

With Microsoft Word

From the famous Microsoft Word you can make documents with various designs and it is also possible to create PDF forms to fill out, to do so follow these steps:

1. Go into Microsoft Word and create a new blank document, click on the ‘File’ option in the upper left corner and then click on ‘New’ in the new tab.
2. Next, choose the ‘Forms’ template and select the type of template you prefer. When entering the document again with the form, press the ‘Programmer’ option with the right button.
3. In the options to be spread Tap Customize Ribbon and check the box that corresponds to ‘Developer’.
4. You will see that a new section called ‘Programmer’ is unlocked where you will click on ‘New design’ to place more controls on the texts.
5. To restrict editing go to the ‘Home’ section and then tap on ‘Select’, then on the toolbar press ‘Restrict editing’.
6. On the side of the screen, choose the option ‘Filling in forms’ and then ‘Yes, apply protection’. Finally, save the document as a PDF by clicking on ‘Save’ and then on ‘Save as’, select the PDF format.

Use ApowerPDF

This tool has a very simple interface to use, it is similar to the previously explained ones, to create a PDF form from ApowerPDF proceeds as follows:

1. Open the ApowerPDF program and create a new blank page, from the beginning you should select the option to create in PDF format.
2. Go to the ‘Forms’ section in the upper toolbar and select the fields that best suit your needs from the new menu.
3. If you double click on a field, more options will be displayed to configure it (color, aspect, name, among others). When finished, click on the ‘File’ section and then on the ‘Save’ option.

How to improve the result of your fill-in form without Acrobat tools?

The best way to obtain more demanding and eye-catching results is through using the right templates, as well as adding colors or checkboxes when needed. To achieve a better result, you will have to invest more time in carrying it out, in addition, the aforementioned tools incorporate accessories and configurations to add, thus it is more attractive to people.