Software to create, edit and maintain PDF's

[Giarc86]

Hi all,

Does anyone know if there is anything around, online or downloadable that will allow me to create PDFs forms, make it editable and then make changes really easily. Does Acrobat even do this without hassle?

Currently I have three PDF registration forms three pages long and because no one bothered to keep the source files, every time someone wants a sentence changed on page 2 for example, I have to go through a huge mission to change it.
Splitting the PDF, putting in into Illustrator, changing the text, saving it as PDF, converting it to an editable form, enabling the fields that didn't find automatically, putting it back into the original document then re-uploading and hope I didn't miss something

I am sure there is a much easier way but I am not sure how to go about it.

Does anyone know any easier methods or tips?

Thanks!

 

[Chevron]

Hi all,

Does anyone know if there is anything around, online or downloadable that will allow me to create PDFs forms, make it editable and then make changes really easily. Does Acrobat even do this without hassle?

Currently I have three PDF registration forms three pages long and because no one bothered to keep the source files, every time someone wants a sentence changed on page 2 for example, I have to go through a huge mission to change it.
Splitting the PDF, putting in into Illustrator, changing the text, saving it as PDF, converting it to an editable form, enabling the fields that didn't find automatically, putting it back into the original document then re-uploading and hope I didn't miss something

I am sure there is a much easier way but I am not sure how to go about it.

Does anyone know any easier methods or tips?

Thanks!

You need Acrobat professional.

 

[Giarc86]

I have Acrobat x Professional but it will only create a form from something existing already, ie the PDF from illustrator.

I cannot find a way to create the PDF with editable fields from scratch not using another file first.

Adobes' online forms only allow you to make one online form.

 

[LazyLion]

Nope, there is no easier way than you are doing it now.

You could re-create the documents in Illustrator or Photoshop and keep them there as templates, but then as you say, you still have to go through the forms creation process every time you change something.

 

[GreGorGy]

If you have Acro and Illustrator, do you have InDesign? Perhaps it is time to recreate the source...

 

[bekdik]

Have a look a solid tools from www.soliddocuments.com/.

 

[Arthur]

Also check out the Advanced Editor at www.foxitsoftware.com.

 

[Giarc86]

Thanks guys! I shall have a look into all of them.

I have a feeling that Garyvdh might be right. The current method is the "easiest" hard way of doing it.

 

[GreGorGy]

Nope, there is no easier way than you are doing it now.

You could re-create the documents in Illustrator or Photoshop and keep them there as templates, but then as you say, you still have to go through the forms creation process every time you change something.

Wait, hang on - if the OP has a template for any given page, he could just REPLACE PAGE in Acro Pro and not have to recreate the form. I trust that is happening OP? A replaced page keeps all the form data that was there.

 

[LazyLion]

Wait, hang on - if the OP has a template for any given page, he could just REPLACE PAGE in Acro Pro and not have to recreate the form. I trust that is happening OP? A replaced page keeps all the form data that was there.

OK, is that really possible?
If so then I just learned something, thanks!

 

[GreGorGy]

OK, is that really possible?
If so then I just learned something, thanks!

Pleasure. Ja it is, although with everything Adobe it takes a while to perfect.

 

[KINGZ]

Hi all,

Does anyone know if there is anything around, online or downloadable that will allow me to create PDFs forms, make it editable and then make changes really easily. Does Acrobat even do this without hassle?

Currently I have three PDF registration forms three pages long and because no one bothered to keep the source files, every time someone wants a sentence changed on page 2 for example, I have to go through a huge mission to change it.
Splitting the PDF, putting in into Illustrator, changing the text, saving it as PDF, converting it to an editable form, enabling the fields that didn't find automatically, putting it back into the original document then re-uploading and hope I didn't miss something

I am sure there is a much easier way but I am not sure how to go about it.

Does anyone know any easier methods or tips?

Thanks!

I personally prefer the "open office" word processor for that task. "Open Office" is a free alternative to microsoft office suite. The word-processor in the office suite does allow for export of documents in PDF format. Although you can not directly edit the final pdf output file, you can still make amendments on the document previously used to create the PDF file. And once the necessary changes have been made on that word document, you can export it as a PDF once again. I hope this will help you. Good luck!

 

[garyc]

There is a tutorial on how to do this with Libre Office at http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/itdojo/edit-pdf-documents-with-libreoffice-draw/3446.

This will allow, amongst other things, the editing of text in the pdf document. There are some limitations. For example re-flowing of a body of text does not happen automatically.