Work with PDF Forms

• Overview
• Fill in a PDF Form
• Reset Form Fields
• Export and Import Form Data

Overview

There are two kinds of PDF forms: interactive PDF forms and non-interactive PDF forms. Interactive PDF forms are PDF files with fillable fields, which can be filled directly by clicking the form field. Non-interactive PDF forms are plain PDF files with lines and text, which should be filled with the Typewriter tool in Foxit Reader.

Fill in a PDF Form

Fill in a Non-interactive PDF Form

Non-interactive PDF form acts like an ordinary PDF document that has plain text. To fill in a non-interactive PDF form, you can use the Typewriter tool by selecting Comments > Typewriter.

Fill in an Interactive PDF Form

An interactive PDF form contains fields that you can select or fill in. In Foxit Reader, the form fields are highlighted in light blue by default so that you can easily identify them while filling forms. As you move your pointer over the form field, the pointer will change to a different icon:

• Pointing Finger -- Appears when the pointer moves over a button, a radio button, or a check box.
• Arrow -- Appears when you can select an item in a list of options.
• I-beam icon -- Appears when you can type text into the form field.

To fill in an interactive PDF form, please follow the steps below:

• If necessary, click Tools, and select Default Mode;
• Click inside a text field to input text, or click the button (like radio button) to select the option;
• When completed, click File > Save to save the PDF form;
• If needed, you can follow the steps below to print the form:
  • Click the Print button in the Common Tools toolbar, or click File > Print.
  • In the Print dialog box, specify the printer and other printing options as desired. Select the following option as needed in the Print What field:
    • To print both the form and the input entries, select Document and Annotations;
    • To print the typed entries only, select Annotations;
    • To print the form only, select Document;
  • Click Print.

Reset Form Fields

You can reset all the form fields to the default value by the following steps:

• Click beside the Connect button in the Common Tools toolbar, and select Form;
• Click the Reset Form Fields button in the Form toolbar, and confirm your operation.

Export and Import Form Data

Export Form Data

Foxit Reader allows users to export form data to a XML, XFDF, TXT, or CSV file. In this way, all the data can be preserved and managed in much less space than the full PDF with less effort.

• Click beside the Connect button in the Common Tools toolbar, and select Form;
• Click the Export Form Data button in the Form toolbar;
• In the Save dialog box, specify the file name, location, and file format for the form data, and click Save.

Import Form Data

You can view the form data received from other users in the context of the PDF form by opening the original form file and importing the information in the data file.

• Open the original form file that you want to import the data;
• Click beside the Connect button in the Common Tools toolbar, and select Form;
• Click the Import Form Data button in the Form toolbar;
• In the Open dialog box, select the form data file, and click Open.