Adobe Acrobat XI Standard forms

[Gaz]

Firstly sorry if this is in the wrong area but there isn't a section for general software and everything about this section appears to be Microsoft Office based.

 

Does anyone know if Adobe Acrobat XI Standard can create forms from a blank canvas? This buying guide is a little confusing as it doesn't actually state that it can create forms apart from one bit where it says "NEW Create new PDF or web forms in minutes with the included FormsCentral desktop app" but that is only included in the Pro version.

It says a lot about being able to fill out forms but not actually create one from a blank canvas.

 

Buying guide | Adobe Acrobat XI Pro

[localzuk]

As far as I'm aware, you can't *craft* forms in any Acrobat software. You can turn other documents into forms with them - for example an In Design document fed into Acrobat can have the fields added to it so it can be used as an electronic form. They appear to have now added a specific form crafting program into the Pro version (never existed before) though.

[Gaz]

Arh I didn't know that. Thanks. Hmm using the word "create" is a bit misleading, at least to me anyway. So If we made the form in Word/Publisher etc etc we could then import it into Adobe and then edit the form? Its not too likely we will be using it to make forms but its probably better to have the functionality now rather than buying another piece of software later so we can edit forms.

 

Nitro PDF Pro is an alternative we are looking at half the cost for the same functionality. I guess I will trial them both and find out.

 

Does Adobe do academic licensing?

Edited February 20, 2013 by Gaz

[SamanthaJane]

I have been able to create forms in Livecycle which seems to have been installed with Acrobat.

 

But it has been a total nightmare to use them - no one has the correct software for filling in etc.

 

We ended up just using a protected Microsoft Word document with editable fields for application forms as I felt like I was banging my head against a brick wall with this.

 

Also - re: liscencing - I don't know about Acrobat etc. but I contacted Adobe recently re: photoshop etc. and they said they only do the 'creative cloud' now, which is run via subscription - they have a academic package, but the only way to get it was via a monthly subscription which we don't really want to do.

Edited February 20, 2013 by SamanthaJane

[Gaz]

Yeah that sounds like a right pain. We mainly need something to edit PDF's now that we have loads of documents that are PDF's since I told the staff to start scanning to PDF's on the photocopier, the forms was just a bonus.

 

Thats a shame about the licensing I guess we'll have to bite the bullet and pay the full price, but I shall still trial them both out.

 

Cheers.

[localzuk]

Whoever it was at Adobe who told you that was talking nonsense. Adobe offer several academic licensing schemes.

 

A license for Adobe XI Pro is anything between £63 and £192 depending on number of licenses bought, and whether you want concurrent or non-concurrent licenses. Speak to a licensing company like Academia, Pugh or Insight. They'll all get you a proper quote.

 

You can feed Word documents into Adobe XI Pro, by printing to the printer it installs. You then edit that "printed" PDF in Adobe XI Pro, and turn it into a form by putting the fields where you want them (overlaying them on your underlying document).

[Gaz]

Cheers for that Localzuk I had completely forgotten about Academia, we've used them before in the past but they were a bit useless.