Google Groups no longer supports new Usenet posts or subscriptions. Historical content remains viewable.
Dismiss

Form Filling

19 views
Skip to first unread message

Richard Torrens (News)

unread,
Oct 5, 2022, 9:37:53 AM10/5/22
to
How do people fill in a pdf form?

We live in a listed building and I need to fill in the 8 page pdf LB
Consent form.

I can export the pdf page by page from !PDFtest as draw files and fill in
individually in OpenVector. But that is very crude and a lot of fiddling.

Are there better ways?

--
------------------------------------------------------------------
Richard Torrens. News email address is valid - for a limited time only.
You must use the full News+...@Torrens.org as in the From address.
http://www.Torrens.org for genealogy, natural history, wild food, walks, cats
and more!

Dave

unread,
Oct 5, 2022, 10:59:53 AM10/5/22
to
In article <5a3298b284news*@Torrens.org>,
Richard Torrens (News) <News+...@Torrens.org> wrote:
> How do people fill in a pdf form?

> We live in a listed building and I need to fill in the 8 page pdf LB
> Consent form.

> I can export the pdf page by page from !PDFtest as draw files and fill in
> individually in OpenVector. But that is very crude and a lot of fiddling.

> Are there better ways?

Yes, go PC or even Linux side and use a real PDF editor.

Dave

--

Dave Triffid

Paul Sprangers

unread,
Oct 5, 2022, 11:05:22 AM10/5/22
to
In article <5a3298b284news*@Torrens.org>,
Richard Torrens (News) <News+...@Torrens.org> wrote:

> How do people fill in a pdf form?

I always import the PDF pages into OvationPro, and then create transparent
frames over the fields to fill in. The result is saved as a PDF file again.

> Are there better ways?

Oh yes, if you happen to have a Windows machine. The free Adobe PDF reader
lets you fill in everything directly, without creating frames first. But
okay, that's Windows.

Paul

--
https://riscos.sprie.nl

John Williams (News)

unread,
Oct 5, 2022, 11:37:04 AM10/5/22
to
In article <5a3298b284news*@Torrens.org>,
Richard Torrens (News) <News+...@Torrens.org> wrote:

> How do people fill in a pdf form?

I know it goes against the grain, but it is possible to print them out and
write on them.

This last bit is what non-computer people generally do!

Best wishes,

John

Chris Newman

unread,
Oct 5, 2022, 1:06:32 PM10/5/22
to
In article <5a3298b284news*@Torrens.org>, Richard Torrens (News)
<News+...@Torrens.org> wrote:
> How do people fill in a pdf form?

> We live in a listed building and I need to fill in the 8 page pdf LB
> Consent form.

> I can export the pdf page by page from !PDFtest as draw files and fill
> in individually in OpenVector. But that is very crude and a lot of
> fiddling.

I also export as a Drawfile but then do the editing using !DrawWorksXL
which give lots of scope for choosing fonts, altering mistakes etc. then
I turn it back into a PDF. I find it's quite straightforward.

--
Chris Newman

Richard Torrens (News)

unread,
Oct 6, 2022, 7:38:43 AM10/6/22
to
In article <633da49f$0$22073$426a...@news.free.fr>,
Indeed! That is what they are intended for. But then you have to scan them
back in - or use snail-mail!

Richard Torrens (News)

unread,
Oct 6, 2022, 7:38:44 AM10/6/22
to
In article <5a32b5d4...@waitrose.com>,
Indeed! Easy for single pages, but it gets tedious for many pages.

OpenVector (which is free) can do fonts etc.

Paul Sprangers

unread,
Oct 6, 2022, 8:03:25 AM10/6/22
to
In article <5a331b9cf8news*@Torrens.org>,
Richard Torrens (News) <News+...@Torrens.org> wrote:

> OpenVector (which is free) can do fonts etc.

OvationPro is also free and can do everything.

Paul

Chris Newman

unread,
Oct 6, 2022, 8:21:12 AM10/6/22
to
In article <5a331b9cf8news*@Torrens.org>, Richard Torrens (News)
<News+...@Torrens.org> wrote:
> In article <5a32b5d4...@waitrose.com>, Chris Newman
> <cvj...@waitrose.com> wrote:
> > In article <5a3298b284news*@Torrens.org>, Richard Torrens (News)
> > <News+...@Torrens.org> wrote:
> > > How do people fill in a pdf form?

> > > We live in a listed building and I need to fill in the 8 page pdf
> > > LB Consent form.

> > > I can export the pdf page by page from !PDFtest as draw files and
> > > fill in individually in OpenVector. But that is very crude and a
> > > lot of fiddling.

> > I also export as a Drawfile but then do the editing using
> > !DrawWorksXL which give lots of scope for choosing fonts, altering
> > mistakes etc. then I turn it back into a PDF. I find it's quite
> > straightforward.

> Indeed! Easy for single pages, but it gets tedious for many pages.

> OpenVector (which is free) can do fonts etc.

So can DrawWorks. I think there is a free version on the ISV/APDL site
that has been preserved but I can't find the URL for that at the moment.

--
Chris Newman

Chris Hughes

unread,
Oct 6, 2022, 8:27:22 AM10/6/22
to
In message <5a331b9cf8news*@Torrens.org>
"Richard Torrens (News)" <News+...@Torrens.org> wrote:

> In article <5a32b5d4...@waitrose.com>,
> Chris Newman <cvj...@waitrose.com> wrote:
>> In article <5a3298b284news*@Torrens.org>, Richard Torrens (News)
>> <News+...@Torrens.org> wrote:
>>> How do people fill in a pdf form?

>>> We live in a listed building and I need to fill in the 8 page pdf LB
>>> Consent form.

>>> I can export the pdf page by page from !PDFtest as draw files and fill
>>> in individually in OpenVector. But that is very crude and a lot of
>>> fiddling.

>> I also export as a Drawfile but then do the editing using !DrawWorksXL
>> which give lots of scope for choosing fonts, altering mistakes etc. then
>> I turn it back into a PDF. I find it's quite straightforward.

> Indeed! Easy for single pages, but it gets tedious for many pages.

I would use PrintPDF's Queue for each page and then on the final one get
it to produce a final PDF with all the pages joined together.

--
Chris Hughes

Brian Howlett

unread,
Oct 6, 2022, 7:11:22 PM10/6/22
to
On 5 Oct, "Richard Torrens (News)" <News+...@Torrens.org> wrote:

> I can export the pdf page by page from !PDFtest as draw files and fill in
> individually in OpenVector. But that is very crude and a lot of fiddling.

> Are there better ways?

Recent versions of ArtWorks can import .PDF files and you can just use the
Text tool to fill in the form.
--
Brian Howlett - Email to From: address deleted unseen
-----------------------------------------------------
Watch out...
...you might get what you're after...

Dave

unread,
Oct 7, 2022, 3:04:30 AM10/7/22
to
In article <f4375b335a...@bhowlett.plus.net>,
Brian Howlett <news-s...@brianhowlett.me.uk> wrote:
> On 5 Oct, "Richard Torrens (News)" <News+...@Torrens.org> wrote:

> > I can export the pdf page by page from !PDFtest as draw files and fill
> > in individually in OpenVector. But that is very crude and a lot of
> > fiddling.

> > Are there better ways?

> Recent versions of ArtWorks can import .PDF files and you can just use
> the Text tool to fill in the form.

Really...
I tried that a while back when I had a half page dental form to fill in,
yes ArtWorks filled the form okay, but then what?
It was impossible to re-save it out at a PDF.

"Insufficient memory for application."

At that time, I never got the filled form back out of ArtWorks, so as per
usual, I went MS-Windows side and did the deed without any problems.

Dave


A while after the above.... Though I couldn't get the thing exported out
of ArtWorks...
By using Steve's "!PrintPDF" I was able to get a PDF of the ArtWorks
edited dental form. :-(

D.


ArtWorks: Version 2.X3.01

--

Dave Triffid

Richard Porter

unread,
Oct 7, 2022, 5:57:25 PM10/7/22
to
The date being 5 Oct 2022, "Richard Torrens (News)"
<News+...@Torrens.org> decided to write:

> How do people fill in a pdf form?

In !PDF export the page to a Draw file.
Fill in input fields in !Draw.
Drop in signature if needed.
Save.
Print to PDF3.
Job done.
--
Richard Porter
0 new messages