Can’t Fill Data in a PDF Form? 3 Solutions for You!

Do you need to fill in PDF forms? In most cases, you can do that easily, but sometimes, the PDF forms are non-fillable. This post from MiniTool PDF Editor offers you 3 ways to fill in a PDF form. You can have a try.

Forms are commonly used in our work and life. They omit redundant content and then display the key points more clearly than text.

In addition, many people may use the PDF format (Portable Document Format) to save and share the forms, because this file format can present documents in a manner independent of application software, hardware, and operating systems.

If you use PDF forms, the forms’ layout, fonts, and parameters won’t be changed when users on other systems receive them and open them using different apps. The reason is that each PDF file encapsulates a complete description of a fixed-layout flat document, including the text, fonts, vector graphics, raster images, and other information needed to display it.

How to fill in PDF forms? You may wonder about this question. Then, here are 3 ways for you.

This post shows you how to create a fillable PDF from scratch or an existing file using Adobe Acrobat, and how to convert PDF to fillable form.

Way 1. Fill Data in a PDF Form Directly

Some PDF forms are fillable. If you open them using a web browser or a PDF editor, the fillable fields will be highlighted with color. The pointer changes to a different icon as you move it over a field. Then, you can fill in form fields in PDF directly.

Some text fields are even dynamic, meaning that they automatically resize to accommodate the amount of data you enter and can span across pages.

If you use a web browser to fill in PDF forms, you should print the completed forms as a PDF to download them.

Way 2. Convert a PDF to a Fillable Form

Some PDF forms are non-fillable. To fill in these PDF forms, you need to convert them to fillable ones. How to convert a PDF to a fillable form? You can use the following 2 ways.

#1. Use Adobe Acrobat

Adobe Acrobat is a very popular PDF editor. If a PDF form is non-fillable, you can try using this software to convert it to a fillable one. Here is the guide:

1. Open the PDF file with Adobe Acrobat.
2. Click on the Tools tab, and select Prepare Form. This will prompt Acrobat to find the horizontal lines and create fillable fields.

#2. Use Online PDF Filler

Some online PDF fillers can help you fill data in a PDF form. If you know a reliable online PDF filler, you can try it.

How to remove fillable fields in PDF? If you want to delete fillable fields from PDF, you can refer to this post.

Way 3. Fill in PDF Form in Another Way

If a PDF is flat or non-fillable, you can fill in it in another way.

If you use Adobe Acrobat, you can use the Fill & Sign tool to fill in form fields in a flat PDF. This tool can add comments, text, and signatures. Here is the guide:

1. Open the PDF in Acrobat.
2. In the right pane, click Fill & Sign under All tools.
3. To add text, click Add Text in the toolbar. Then, click at the place in the document where you want the text to appear and begin typing. Use the field toolbar to make any changes.
4. To sign or initial the form, click the Sign icon in the Fill & Sign toolbar. Choose Add Signature or Add Initials. Type or draw your name in the field or upload an image of your signature. Then, click on the place in the PDF where you want the signature or initials to appear.

If you don’t have a PDF editor, I recommend you try MiniTool PDF Editor. You can use it to fill in a flat PDF form using the Insert Text and Add Image features.

In some cases, you need to unflatten a PDF. Can I unflatten a PDF? How to unflatten a PDF? This post shows you the answers.

Bottom Line

Do you need to fill in form fields in PDF? This post offers 3 ways. You can pick one according to your condition.

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About The Author

Linda has been working as an editor at MiniTool for 5 years. She is always curious about computer knowledge and learns it crazily. Her articles are simple and easy to understand. Even people who do not understand computer can gain something. By the way, her special focuses are disk management, data recovery and PDF editing.