Choose the version your recipient can use
A blank line printed on a page is not necessarily a form field. A fillable PDF contains interactive controls that a compatible reader can focus and complete. A scanned form may look identical while containing only pixels. Before changing the document, try clicking a known answer area in a PDF reader and inspect the Form panel in Folio.
| Situation | Useful output | Check before sending |
|---|---|---|
| A blank questionnaire for several people | Fillable PDF | Leave answers blank and test that the recipient can enter values. |
| Answers still need correction or approval | Fillable working copy | Keep the field values editable and label the file as a draft. |
| A completed copy for reading or printing | Flattened PDF, if the recipient accepts it | Check that every value is visible; the recipient cannot fill those fields afterward. |
| A portal expects interactive fields or a specific form | The format requested by the portal | Flattening may remove fields needed for further processing. |
Fill existing fields or create a reusable form
Open Create a PDF form and your document, then enter the editor. Use the Form tab to fill supported existing fields. If the page has no fields, the toolbar’s More tools menu includes Text field and Checkbox. Place a field, set its Unique field name in Properties, and enter its answer in Form. Use distinct names such as customer_name and project_name; Folio rejects duplicate field names during export. The builder adds text fields and checkboxes, while the Form panel can also fill supported existing dropdown and radio choices.
Export a completed copy with flattened fields
Flattening is an export choice in the editor. It uses the values currently entered in the Form panel. Existing field values in the original page preview do not update as you type, so inspect the downloaded copy to judge the actual result.
- Complete the supported fields in the Form panel, including the intended checkbox and selection values.
- Leave Flatten fields when exporting unchecked and download a fillable copy first if you need an editable backup.
- Check Flatten fields when exporting, then choose Download PDF to create the completed copy.
- Give the two downloads different names, such as inquiry-fillable.pdf and inquiry-completed.pdf.
- Open the completed copy in another PDF reader. Confirm the answers are visible and the former fields can no longer be filled.
Practice: compare blank, filled, and flattened versions
Use the same two-field workshop form to inspect three different deliverables. This maintained guide now covers the duplicated form-building article as well as deciding which version to send. The editor uploads this fictional PDF for private cloud saving, including for guests. Keep the download; guest workspaces expire after 24 hours.
- To build the master from the plain page, add a Text field named participant_name and a Checkbox named receive_notes in the marked response areas.
- To try filling instead, open the supplied master, enter Sam Example, and check Receive workshop notes in the Form panel.
- Download once with fields kept fillable and once with them flattened. Compare both files in the reader the recipient uses.
| Check | Expected outcome |
|---|---|
| Finished output | Both completed copies visibly contain Sam Example and a checked box. The interactive copy has two fields; the flattened copy has zero. |
| If your result differs | Empty answers can mean the blank master was exported or the reader does not support the fields. Check a saved copy in a second reader. A unique internal field name alone does not establish screen-reader accessibility; labels, navigation, and reader behavior also need review. |
Fix empty, clipped or unresponsive form fields
Use the exported PDF to distinguish a preview limitation from a missing answer. If Folio reports no supported fields, the form may be flat, scanned or use a field structure it cannot fill. Adding Text is suitable for one fixed answer; Text field creates a control someone can fill later. A disabled existing field may be read-only. If a new field name conflicts, rename it in Properties. For clipped answers, enlarge a field you created or use a shorter accurate answer; check the recipient’s instructions before changing their form layout.
Flattening does not make a PDF tamper-proof
A flattened field is no longer interactive, but a PDF editor can still alter page content. Flattening does not encrypt the file, securely redact hidden information or verify a signature. Folio’s drawn, typed and image signatures are visual marks rather than certificate-based signing. Follow the recipient’s required signing process when one is specified. The form editor uploads the PDF and its draft to private cloud storage; download the copies you need before a guest workspace expires after 24 hours.