Create forms

Reusable document templates and form field layers allow for a faster sending process, especially in cases where you send the same document out to different clients and customers.

These reusable documents can be created using one of three different methods.

In-app Drag and Drop Authoring

The Adobe Acrobat Sign Drag and Drop Authoring environment on the website is a more visually guided method for creating forms. Double-click a field to adjust field properties. Alignment tools allow for more precise placement of the fields.

This method is often used as the default method for creating forms, and while it is easy to use, browser session timeouts could cause you to lose your progress. So save often.

Authoring (Drag and Drop) Form Creation (Full Help)

Authoring (Drag and Drop) Form Creation (Video Tutorials)

Text Tags

Using Text Tags is a more technical approach to form creation. Specific lines of "code" are added directly in line with the content on a document. When this document is uploaded to Acrobat Sign , the system reads this code and generates a field based on the information you provided.

With a robust number of options and properties available, Text Tags is ideal for complex form creation. Since Text Tags are applied directly on to the document, there is no fear of losing progress (unless you forget to save your document). Text Tags can be used in any text editing software, like Microsoft Word or TextPad.

You can download the Text Tag reference guide from the link below.

Text Tag Reference Guide

The Acrobat Method

This method combines the visual aspect of the Drag and Drop and the in-depth customization of Text Tags into one method of form creation. Adobe Acrobat is required for this method, as you need the ability to add form fields to the document. Once you place all of the fields with the help of Acrobat's alignment tools, PDF Tags are added to set the properties of the fields.

The syntax of PDF Tags is the same as Text Tags (but minus the {{ and}} , so you're opening up the opportunity for the use of multiple methods.

As with Text Tags, the Acrobat method is done outside Acrobat Sign and offline, so a local copy can be stored and revised if necessary.

View the Creating forms within Acrobat reference guide.