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Adobe Fillable forms not showing text

xterra

So far, so good...
xterra
Joined
Apr 7, 2012
Messages
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On the outskirts of Nowhere
In an organization in which I am involved, we have a writeable PDF on our website. People are supposed to download it, fill it out, save it to their computer, and send it to me. Everyone downloads the same version of the form; it is the only version that exists at present.

Most of the time, this process works as it should. But in several instances, I have received forms which appear to have no data, until I click on a writeable field, at which time the data appears. When I click on another field, the text in the first one becomes invisible again.

Interestingly, the form contains check boxes, and those work properly correctly even though the text boxes appear empty.

I have tried to copy the data from a non-functioning PDF to a new version of the form. When I do this, sometimes the text is visible and sometimes it isn't. I have tried copying the text to a text editor and then to a PDF, and the text shows up as it should. Unfortunately, there are too many PDFs for me to repair all of them--and that's not the correct way to solve the problem anyway.

A search of the Adobe website as well as a general online search has produced neither an explanation of the cause, nor a possible solution to the problem.

Has anyone encountered this, and if so do you have any idea what is causing it and more importantly, how to correct it?
 
Do you have anyway of checking in with a fw of the folks who have submitted problematic forms? Perhaps there is a common element?

I had a similar issue when filling out IRS forms for a new non-profit. At first I had a hard time getting the check-boxes to work, then the IRS said they were having problems with the forms and asked me to re-send. It all eventually worked, but I suspected at least part of the problem was due to my using a down-level version of Foxit as my pdf program on my PC.
 
I ran into the same issue with fillable forms at my workplace. The ones that came back with apparently missing text were filled out with PDF-xchange rather than Adobe Reader. Are the ones you're having problems with being submitted by anyone using alternate .pdf programs?
 
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Maybe not much help, but my wife was having this problem on this laptop while the desktop worked fine on the very same forms she was receiving. An Adobe update fixed it.
 
Thank you for replying.

The form on the website was created with a current, legal, version of Adobe Acrobat.

Madurobob's suggestion of asking people about common elements is a good one, but unfortunately not possible in this situation.

GlennB and Yalius,

One feature of fillable PDFs, at least in theory, is that the recipient doesn't need to have any PDF program on their computer. So--again in theory--software on the recipient's computer shouldn't be an issue.


ETA, if I had access to a computer that did not have any PDF software on it, I could download the blank form, fill it out and send it to my regular email account. Unfortunately, I don't have such access....

I remain baffled....
 
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xterra said:
One feature of fillable PDFs, at least in theory, is that the recipient doesn't need to have any PDF program on their computer. So--again in theory--software on the recipient's computer shouldn't be an issue.
Click to expand...
Really? I've never bumped into pone that didn't open in a new tab that firefox then opened with the foxit plugin.

xterra said:
ETA, if I had access to a computer that did not have any PDF software on it, I could download the blank form, fill it out and send it to my regular email account. Unfortunately, I don't have such access....
Click to expand...
I'd be happy to be a guinea pig if you want to send a link - to see if non-adobe plugins is the problem. Tho, I understand that may not be possible depending on the content, etc...
 
Sacred Fish!*

You are correct, and I was completely wrong. Whether it is filled out on the website and then downloaded or downloaded and then filled out, it needs a PDF reader.

Never mind the entire question....




*(A small puzzle with three answers.)
 
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xterra said:
One feature of fillable PDFs, at least in theory, is that the recipient doesn't need to have any PDF program on their computer. So--again in theory--software on the recipient's computer shouldn't be an issue.
Click to expand...

We tell people that they have to have the latest version of Reader and provide a link to it.
 
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