Creating Forms With Adobe LiveCycle Designer 8.2 Instructional Media Center HCC Version 2 Modified Date 1/20/10
Learning Objectives: At the end of this training session the student will be able to use Adobe LiveCycle to: Create and Setup New Blank forms Use Specific Tools on the Tool and Formatting Toolbars Open and Close Pallets Add the Following Elements to a blank form: Title Text Field Drop-down lists Radio buttons Check boxes Graphics Reset button Switch from Preview PDF to Design Preview Modes Make the Form ADA Accessible Set the Document s Tab Order Secure the Form Prepare the form for distribution Page 2
Table of Contents Start Adobe LiveCycle... 4 Reopening your form in Adobe LifeCycle... 9 Working with Tools... 10 Working with Palettes... 12 Adding Elements to Your form... 13 Adding a Title... 13 Adding Text Fields... 14 Adding a drop-down list... 16 Adding a Radio button... 17 Adding a Check box... 19 Adding a Reset Button... 20 Adding a Graphic Image... 21 Checking Your Document s Tab Order... 23 Making your form ADA accessible... 26 Securing Your Form... 27 Making Changes To The Form After Security Is Set... 29 Enabling Your Form so Acrobat Reader Users can Save a Copy and Email it back to You.... 30 Testing your form... 31 Page 3
Creating a Form with Adobe LiveCycle At this time, Adobe LiveCycle is only available with Adobe Acrobat for the PC. Start Adobe LiveCycle 1. From the Start menu, choose Programs, then locate and click on Adobe LiveCycle Designer ES 8.2 to open it. The Welcome to Adobe LiveCycle Designer window appears. 2. Click the New Form button. Page 4
The New Form Assistant window appears on Step 1 Getting Started. 3. From the Getting Started options, click the radio button next to Use a blank form, then click the Next button. The Setup New Blank Form window appears. Page 5
4. Leave the Page Size at Default. 5. For the Page Orientation, select Portrait or Landscape. 6. Leave Number of Pages at 1. 7. Click the Next button. The Form Return Setup: Adding Buttons window appears. 8. Uncheck the Add an email button check box. The HCC email system does not support this type of email. 9. Make sure the Add a print button is checked, then click the Finish button. Page 6
10. Your new form is created with the Print button on the top right hand corner of the form. 11. From the Adobe LiveCycle Designer s File menu, choose Save. Page 7
The Save As window appears. 12. In the Save In: box, select Desktop. 13. In the File name: box, type Employee_Information. 14. In the Save as type: box, select Acrobat (static) PDF Form (*.pdf). 15. Click the Save button. 16. Close the form. Page 8
Reopening your form in Adobe LifeCycle 1. From the Start menu on the Task bar, select Programs, then Adobe LiveCycle Designer ES 8.2. 2. The Welcome to Adobe LiveCycle Designer window appears. 3. Click the Open Form button. 4. Locate and select your Employee_Information.pdf file, then click the Open button. Page 9
Your employee_information.pdf form appears in the window. Working with Tools You will use the tools on the Toolbars to select and format objects on your form. If you do not see the Toolbars window above your form, you need to open it. To open the Toolbar window, from the LiveCycle Designer s Window menu, choose Toolbars. The toolbars appear. There are many tools on the toolbar. We will discuss the following tools in class: The Tools Toolbar Page 10
The Select tool selects an object. The Tab Order tool shows the current tabbing order. The Text formatting Tools are common text and paragraph formatting commands. Page 11
Working with Palettes 1. In the bottom right-hand side of the window, next to Favorites, click the Down arrow to collapse the Favorites palette. 2. Use your scroll bar to scroll down the list of open palettes and look for both the Object and the Accessibility palettes. 3. Make sure that you can see both the Object and the Accessibility palettes. a. If you cannot see the Object palette, from the Window menu, choose Object. b. If you cannot see the Accessibility palette, from the Windows menu, choose Accessibility. Page 12
Adding Elements to Your form Adding a Title 1. If you need to, click the Down arrow on the Standard palette to open it. 2. In the Standard palette, click on the Text tool and drag it onto the document where you want to place your title. 3. Highlight the word Text that appears in the text box and type Employee Information. 4. Highlight the text you just typed, Employee Information. 5. Use the LiveCycle Designer Text Formatting toolbar to format your title. (If you cannot see the toolbar, from the Window menu, choose Toolbars.) Page 13
Adding Text Fields 1. In the Standard palette, click on the Text Field tool and drag it into position on the form. 2. Highlight the words text field and type First Name. 3. Right click on the First Name text field and from the Edit menu, choose Copy. 4. Deselect the First name text field and from the Edit menu choose Paste. 5. Drag the field to the position where you want it on the form. Page 14
6. Change the text entry field name in the field you just pasted onto the form to Last Name. You should now have two text fields, First Name and Last Name on your form. 7. Click the Preview PDF tab to see your fields. 8. Click the Design View tab to go back to design view. 9. From the File menu, choose Save to save your file. Page 15
Adding a drop-down list A drop-down list allows you to select one item from a list of many. 1. In the Standard palette, click on Drop-down list tool and drag it onto your form. 2. With the Drop-down list selected, click on the Object palette, then click the Field tab. 3. Delete what is in the Caption box on the field tab and type Select A College. 4. On the Field tab, click the green Add button and type Central in the text box. 5. Press the Enter key and type Coleman. 6. Repeat this process to add the rest of the HCC colleges and District site to the list. 7. Click the Preview PDF tab to see your drop-down list. 8. Click the Design View tab to go back to design view. 9. Save your file. Page 16
Adding a Radio button A radio button lets you select only one item from a group of items. 1. Decide how many radio buttons you need. For this exercise we will need two. 2. In the Standard palette, click on the radio button tool and drag a radio button onto your form. 3. Repeat this process to add another radio button. Align the first button next to the second. 4. Highlight the text that says radio button on the first button and type Faculty. 5. Highlight the text that says radio button on the second button and type Staff. Page 17
6. Click the Preview PDF tab to see your radio buttons. 7. Click the Design View tab to go back to design view. Page 18
Adding a Check box A check box allows you to select multiple items from a group of items. 1. Decide how many check boxes you need. For this exercise we will need three. 2. In the Standard palette, click on the check box tool and drag a check box onto your form. 3. Repeat this process to add two more check boxes. 4. Align the check boxes next to each other. 5. In the first check box field, highlight the text that says check box and type Vacation. 6. In the second check box field, highlight the text that says check box and type Sick Leave. 7. In the third checkbox field, highlight the text that says check box and type Personal Business 8. Expand the Personal Business check box until you can see Personal Business. Page 19
9. Click the Preview PDF tab to see your check boxes. 10. Click the Design View tab to go back to design view. Adding a Reset Button Adding a reset button allows the user to clear the form and start over. 1. In the Standard palette, click on the Reset Button tool and drag it onto your form. 2. Select and move the Reset button to the bottom of the form. 3. Select and move the Print button to the bottom of the form. 4. From the File menu, choose Save to save your form. Page 20
Adding a Graphic Image 1. Use the Select tool to select the elements on your form and move them down to make room for your image. 2. In the Standard palette, select the image tool and drag it to its desired place on your form. An Image box appears on your form. 3. Right-click on the image box and select Choose Image. 4. Navigate to your desktop and find the Acrobat Training folder. Page 21
5. Open the Acrobat Training folder. 6. Select the image called newhcc_logo, then click the Open button. The image appears on your form. 7. Click the Preview PDF tab to see your image on the form. 8. Click the Design View tab to go back to design view. Page 22
Checking Your Document s Tab Order The tabbing order of your form is very important. It tells the screen reader the order in which to read your form to a sight-impaired person. The tab order starts with the first object encountered on the form and works its way from top to bottom, then left to right. 1. Make sure you are in Design view. 2. On the Tools toolbar, click the Tab Order button. The order in which your document will be read appears as well as the Tab Order Tips and Hints window. 3. Read the directions in the Tab Order Tips and Hints window, then click the OK button to close it. Page 23
The Tab Order palette appears on the left hand side of your screen. 4. In the Palette, click the Custom radio button. 5. From the Palette list, click on the object that you want to move to a new position in the tabbing order. Page 24
6. Click the Up and Down arrows to move the object into its new position. The tabbing order for the rest of the objects on the form is recalculated. 7. On the Tab Order palette, click the Hide Order button to go back to editing mode. 8. Click the X above the Show Order button to hide the Tab Order palette. 9. Save your form. Page 25
Making your form ADA accessible 1. Use your scroll bar to scroll down the list of open palettes and look for the Accessibility palette. a. If you cannot see the Accessibility palette, from the Windows menu, choose Accessibility. 2. Click on the First Name field. a. In the Custom Screen Reader Text box, type Enter your first name. 3. Click on the Last Name field. a. In the Custom Screen Reader Text box, type Enter your last name. 4. Continue adding Custom Screen Reader text to the rest of the elements on your form. 5. Save and close your form. Page 26
Securing Your Form 1. Open your form in Adobe LifeCycle Designer. 2. From the File menu, choose Form Properties. The Form Properties window appears. 3. In the Form Properties window, click the PDF Security tab to open the PDF Security pane. 4. In the Security pane, under Permissions, click the Use a password to Restrict editing and printing of the document and its security settings check box. If a warning box appears, click the OK button to close it. 5. From the Printing Allowed: pull-down list, select Low Resolution. 6. From the Changes Allowed: pull-down list, select Filling in form fields and signing. 7. Make sure that the check box next to Enable text access for screen reader devices for users with vision impairment is checked. 8. Click the OK button to close the Form Properties window. Page 27
9. From the File menu choose Save to save your security settings. 10. The Set Permissions Password window appears. This is the password that will allow YOU to open the document and make changes to it so make sure that you write it down and remember what it is. You will need it to reopen this form. 11. In the Permissions Password field, type a password. 12. In the Confirm field, type the password again, then click the OK button. 13. Save and close your form. Page 28
Making Changes To The Form After Security Is Set 1. Open your form in Adobe LiveCycle Designer. The Password window appears 2. Enter your password, then click the OK button. 3. Make changes to your form. 4. From the File menu, choose Save. 5. Close Adobe LifeCyle Page 29
Enabling Your Form so Acrobat Reader Users can Save a Copy and Email it back to You. Make sure that you set security and make your file accessible before proceeding to this step, as we will be leaving Adobe LiveCycle Designer. 1. Open your file in Acrobat Professional. From the Acrobat Professional Advanced menu, select Extend Features in Acrobat Reader. The Enable Usage Rights in Adobe Reader window appears. 2. Click the Save Now button. The Save dialog box appears. 3. In the Save As: field type a name, then click the Save Now button and save the form with a new name since editing this document is now restricted. Your form is now ready to be posted on the web or emailed. Page 30
Testing your form Make sure that you test your form by emailing a copy of it to yourself before you publish it on a website or email it to someone to complete. This process was tested using Acrobat Reader 8. Make sure you include instructions on filling out and saving the form, as well as which version of Acrobat Reader is needed to complete the form. 1. Email the form to yourself as an attachment. 2. Save a copy of the form to your desktop. 3. Open the form in ACROBAT READER and not in Acrobat Pro. 4. In Acrobat Reader, complete the form. 5. From the Acrobat Reader File menu, choose Save As and save a copy of the form to your desktop using a different file name. 6. Open the saved form on your desktop. The information that you typed into the form appears just as you typed it. 7. Email the form back to yourself and open it using Acrobat Reader. Page 31