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Create PDF Form

docs/tools/form-creator.md

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Create PDF Form

Design professional fillable PDF forms from scratch or by adding fields to an existing PDF. The visual editor lets you drag and drop form elements -- text fields, checkboxes, dropdowns, radio buttons, signature fields, and more -- directly onto page previews. Configure field properties, set up conditional visibility rules, and export a fully interactive PDF form.

How It Works

  1. Upload an existing PDF or click Create Blank PDF to start from scratch.
  2. If creating a blank PDF, select a page size (Letter, A4, A5, Legal, Tabloid, A3, or custom dimensions).
  3. The form editor opens with a toolbar of field types and a page preview area.
  4. Select a field type from the toolbar, then click on the page to place it.
  5. Drag fields to reposition them. Use the resize handles to adjust dimensions.
  6. Click a field to open the properties panel where you can set the field name, default value, font size, alignment, and more.
  7. Navigate between pages using the page controls.
  8. Click Save to download the finished fillable PDF.

Features

  • Drag-and-drop field placement with visual handles for resizing
  • Field types: text input, multiline text, checkbox, dropdown, radio button, signature, date, number, and barcode
  • Properties panel for configuring each field's name, label, default value, font size, color, alignment, and validation
  • Field actions and conditional visibility rules (show/hide fields based on other field values)
  • Page navigation for multi-page forms
  • Existing field extraction -- automatically detects and imports form fields from uploaded PDFs
  • Support for both uploaded PDFs and blank pages as the form canvas
  • Multiple page size presets plus custom dimensions
  • Barcode generation powered by bwip-js
  • Radio button group management

Options

Page size presets (for blank PDFs):

  • Letter (8.5" x 11")
  • A4 (210mm x 297mm)
  • A5 (148mm x 210mm)
  • Legal (8.5" x 14")
  • Tabloid (11" x 17")
  • A3 (297mm x 420mm)
  • Custom (specify width and height)

Field properties (vary by field type):

  • Name, label, and placeholder text
  • Default value
  • Font family, size, and color
  • Text alignment (left, center, right)
  • Required field toggle
  • Read-only toggle
  • Max length for text fields
  • Options list for dropdowns and radio buttons
  • Conditional visibility actions

Use Cases

  • Building employee onboarding forms with text fields for personal information and checkboxes for policy acknowledgment
  • Creating client intake questionnaires with dropdowns for service selection
  • Designing order forms with calculated fields and barcode identifiers
  • Building inspection checklists with radio buttons for pass/fail ratings
  • Creating survey forms with conditional follow-up questions that appear based on responses

Tips

  • If you upload an existing PDF, the tool will attempt to extract any form fields that are already present, letting you edit or add to them.
  • Use the radio button group feature to create mutually exclusive selections. Fields in the same radio group share a group name.
  • Test your form by downloading it and opening it in the Form Filler to verify field behavior.