Category
Forms
Fillable forms, validation, calculations, and form-design best practices.
18 posts
XFA Forms Explained
XFA XML Forms Architecture is the more powerful, more complex, and increasingly deprecated form technology in the PDF ecosystem. XFA forms support dynamic layou
EPUB vs MOBI: Which eBook Format Should You Use?
If you've bought ebooks for more than a few years, you've ended up with a mixed library: EPUBs from Kobo, MOBI files from old Kindle purchases, AZW3 from newer
How to Export PDF Form Data (and Actually Use It Downstream)
Once your form is filled, the data sitting inside the PDF is rarely the final destination. It needs to feed a database, populate a CSV, trigger a workflow, or s
How to Import Data Into a PDF Form (Pre-Fill Without Re-Authoring)
If you have ever needed to send the same form to 50 customers with each customer's name, account number, and address prefilled, you have met the case for data i
How to Add Validation to a PDF Form (So Your Data Stays Clean)
A PDF form is only as good as the data it produces. Without validation, users will leave required fields blank, type "N/A" where you expected a number, enter da
How to Add Calculations to a PDF Form (Subtotals, Totals, and Real Math)
A fillable PDF that does arithmetic for the user is dramatically more useful than one that asks them to fill in every total themselves. Quantity times price equ
How to Add Checkboxes to a PDF Form (Single Choice and Multi-Select)
Checkboxes are deceptively simple. A square with a check mark, what could go wrong? In practice, the choice between a single checkbox, multiple checkboxes, and
How to Add a Dropdown (Combo Box) to a PDF Form
Dropdowns, what the PDF spec calls combo boxes, are the right field type when you need users to pick one option from a long list. Countries, US states, departme
PDF Form Field Types Explained
When you open a fillable PDF and click in a box, you are interacting with a form field. Behind that simple interaction sits a small zoo of field types, each wit
The DOCX Format Explained for Non-Developers
DOCX is the most common document format in the world, and most people who use it daily have no idea what it actually is. Understanding the basics, what a DOCX f
PDF/E Explained: The Engineering Format for CAD, BIM, and Technical Drawings
Walk into any engineering office, manufacturing plant, or construction site and you will find PDFs everywhere, drawings being marked up, datasheets pinned to wa
PDF/X Explained: The Print Industry Standard for Reliable Output
If you have ever sent a PDF to a commercial printer and received a frantic email about missing fonts, lowresolution images, or the wrong color space, you have a
PDF/A Explained: The Archival Format for Long-Term Storage
Most PDFs you create are designed to be useful next week. PDF/A is for documents that need to be useful in 50 years. The "A" stands for archival, and the format
A Brief History of the PDF Format
The PDF format is one of the most successful file formats ever made. Every tax authority accepts it. Every printer understands it. Every smartphone can open it.
How to Create a Fillable PDF Form From Any Document
A PDF form that recipients can type into, save, and email back is one of the most useful artefacts in office life. It cuts the printfillscansend cycle that wast
A Complete Guide to PDF File Formats: PDF vs. PDF/A
You know what a PDF is. It's the universal format for sharing documents. But have you ever seen an option to save a file as a "PDF/A"? What does that "A" mean,
The Ultimate Guide to Making a PDF Fillable
So, you've created a beautiful form in Word or another program, saved it as a PDF, and now you want people to be able to fill it out on their computer. A static
How to Fill Out a PDF Form Online for Free
Filling out a PDF form can seem daunting, especially when you don't have the right software. But you don't need to buy expensive programs or struggle with compl