PDF forms on Mac machines

From perusing this forum it appears that PDFs created with FormsCentral will not work correctly using the native Mac viewer. Is there any way to design a PDF form which forces the Mac to open it in Adobe Reader? My users are not very tech savvy and will probably not understand what to do if they have to do it manually. Thanks.

No there's not. Many users don't even have Adobe Reader installed, and if they do, do not have it set up as their default PDF viewer. I'd suggest a little user education since Preview should be avoided at all costs when working with PDF forms.

Similar Messages

  • Saving PDF form on Mac prevents viewing and printing by another viewer

    We run a student competition which is affiliated with a national competition.  The national competition provides a set of forms that must be filled out by the students, teachers, etc.  We have a process set up whereby students can download a PDF form (which is enabled by the authors  for saving from Reader).  They are supposed to fill out this form (actually several of them), and then save the file(s) to their drive.  Once they have the forms filled out and approved by their teacher, they upload them to our website via a standard web form, which simply saves the uploaded PDF for later viewing by the student, teachers, judges, and committee members.  When students do this using Adobe Reader on a PC, it works fine.  (I'm not sure if Reader X works, actually, but I know Reader 9 does).  The problem, though, comes up with Mac users.  When they do the same thing, it seems to override the extended rights in the document, resulting in a document saved on their disk that displays with all the fields initially unviewable (that is  they all appear blank).  If you click on one of the fields, you can view the fields one at a time.  Each field appears and disappears as you move thru the document.  But we can't simply read the form, nor can we print a copy (which is necessary if the student wins and proceeds to the national competition.)  This is true if the form is uploaded or emailed or transported by USB drive--it is simply a property of the saved file.   In our testing, this appears to be a generic property of forms processed on  a Mac--and we haven't found a way around it.  Is there any way for a student who has filled out a form on a Mac to save the form while PRESERVING the extended rights?  Or do we just have to tell them that Macs don't work right?  If there is a way for them to do this, I could provide the instructions on the page that delivers the forms.  But we've tried to explore the Mac interface (inside Safari and in the PDF viewer that is provided on the Mac systems) and can't find any place that gives options that seem to affect the extended rights.  Help!

    kblyons46 wrote:
    and we haven't found a way around it.  Is there any way for a student who has filled out a form on a Mac to save the form while PRESERVING the extended rights? 
    There's an easy way around it. Make sure they are using Adobe Reader to fill in the form. 99% of these cases are because they are using the Mac Preview application to open PDF's and it will corrupt Adobe forms.

  • PDF form in mac and macbook pro

    Hello,
    Are there any known issues opening and filling a PDF form created in Windows 7 on a MAC or Macbook Pro? I occasionally get
    users who cannot open the form. Not sure of the exact OS they are using but they have advised they have updated to the latest
    version of the acrobat reader for their system. One such error message is seen below:
    Please wait...
    If this message is not eventually replaced by the proper contents of the document, your PDF viewer may not be able to display this type of document.
    You can upgrade to the latest version of Adobe Reader for Windows®, Mac, or Linux® by visiting http://www.adobe.com/go/reader_download.
    For more assistance with Adobe Reader visit http://www.adobe.com/go/acrreader.
    Thanks
    Andrew

    Sign in to the MAS using the same Apple ID and Download Lion onto your MBP...
    Be sure to check that the MBP meets the system requirements and make sure you have your MBP fully Backed Up...

  • PDF form text fields' options change when opened in READER on a MAC.

    I created a PDF form using Adobe X PRO. All fields are UNCHECKED for Property/Options/ "scroll long text". I save and distribute the form as a "reader extended pdf/enable additional features" so it can be saved and returned using READER.
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    What is happening in the transition from PC to MAC?

    Preview is the default PDF viewer on the Mac. It should never be used with PDF forms. Just let them know that they should use Adobe Reader. Provide a link or URL where it can be downloaded and let them know that it's free.
    There are things you can do so that it doesn't work in Preview, but it involves some scripting. If interested in this approach, post again.

  • Is it too much to ask that a Mac user can just OPEN and USE a PDF form created by LiveCycle Designer PC software?!?

    My problem is just that- I have created all my forms using LiveCycle Designer because it is easier to make the forms accessible to individuals with disabilities.  Apparently it doesn't make Mac users have access to the forms.  I've received complaints from Mac users that cannot complete or submit the forms that I created.  I'm not asking how to recreate using another software, I know how to do that.  I'm asking is there a work around to allow a Mac user to open a PDF form or even XML (bedded within an HTML page) on a Mac computer WITHOUT having to use bootcamp, parallels, etc. and be able to complete the form and submit, print or email it?????  I've exhausted all my knowledge on this thus far and I'm hoping to find something that will help.  So far all forums talk about how Mac users need to have a PC side to their computer.  Isn't there another way?
    I've attached an example form that we are no longer using (though still created exactly the same as the others)
    Thanks!

    Hi, as far as I can infer, that term means it's not loading any resources until needed, opposite of this...
    -bind_at_load
                     Sets a bit in the mach header of the resulting binary which tells dyld to bind all symbols                when the binary is loaded, rather than lazily.
    https://developer.apple.com/library/mac/documentation/Darwin/Reference/ManPages/ man1/ld.1.html
    Load resources lazily.
    You should never load a resource file until it is actually needed. Prefetching resource files may seem like a way to save time, but this practice actually slows down your app right away. In addition, if you end up not using the resource, loading it wastes memory for no good purpose.
    http://developer.apple.com/library/ios/#documentation/iphone/conceptual/iphoneos programmingguide/PerformanceTuning/PerformanceTuning.html
    And, higher OS versionsare even worse with Bonjour/mDNSResponder, but might see this...
    http://support.apple.com/kb/ht3789

  • How can recipients submit completed PDF forms using a MAC?

    We have created fillable PDF forms using LiveCycle Designer 8.0.  They include
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    Help!  How can our MAC recipients submit their completed form as a PDF that displays all of the data!
    Thanks!

    Thanks Niall.  This information proved really helpful in confirming the problem.  We ran some tests and the problem does seem to only occur when MAC recipients are using Preview.
    We recieved this link from Adobe, which provides a solution if you have access to all the recipients:
    http://blogs.adobe.com/pdfdevjunkie/script_to_fix_mac_osx_previewa.html
    Thanks to Niall and Paul for all your help!

  • Created a PDF form on a PC, need save as button to work on Mac

    I have created a lovely fillable PDF form for my boss as a client would like to be able to have a rather large interactive PDF document, and the deciding factor on if we get this work is whether i can get this to work so i'm hoping you lovely people will be able to help me out on this as i haven't been able to find ANY documentation on this thus far. I have created a 1 page PDF as a test subject, which has a few text boxes, some check boxes, radio buttons, a list box and a combo box which all work great. I have also added a "Save As" button to my document (so I have set the buttons actions to Execute a menu item > File > Save As...) which works just fine on my PC. But when this button is pressed on a Mac, nothing happens. (Also my PDF form didn't look quite right on the mac, some of the formatting was off, text boxes and combo boxes were a bit squashed, but i think this is a seperate issue altogether which im sure i can figure out by myself) Now i think i know why this is happening, i believe it's because the button is set to go to "File > Save As" and im guessing the command to save on a Mac is different? or points to a different file location? (I'm not very clued up about Mac's...)
    So my question is this, is there any way to have a Save As button in my PDF document that will allow both PC and Mac users to save the fillable PDF form? (Oh by the way I have made sure that once i created my form I extended the features for reader to make sure that the form was savable once filled in.)
    Also, i know this is a completely seperate question, but if anyone had any answers on this it would be GREAT, When creating a text field in the form and coming out of form editing, the text field is shown as a horrible pale blue colour, which i know is there so that the user can tell that there is a form field there, but this pale blue really does NOT go with the aesthetic of the document. After digging around for a bit, i found out that the pale blue is a highlight colour which can be set in your preferences in reader or acrobat. Is there anyway that i could change this highlight colour for the document so that whomever opens the document on their PC / Mac doesn't have to see that horrible pale blue? Without them manually having to change their preferences in reader?
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    Danny.

    Double-check that the file is opened in Adobe Reader on the Mac and not in
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    completely.
    app.runtimeHighlight is a boolean that determines whether the form fields
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  • Can't Open PDF form in Adobe Reader 11.0.3 on Mac OSX 10.8.4 Intel

    Hi,
    I hope you can help, this is driving me nuts.
    I have a PDF Form which opens fine in Windows Adobe Reader, when I attempt to open it on OS X I get the following:
    Please wait...
    If this message is not eventually replaced by the proper contents of the document, your PDF viewer may not be able to display this type of document.
    You can upgrade to the latest version of Adobe Reader for Windows®, Mac, or Linux® by visiting http://www.adobe.com/go/reader_download.
    For more assistance with Adobe Reader visit http://www.adobe.com/go/acrreader.
    Windows is either a registered trademark or a trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Mac is a trademark of Apple Inc., registered in the United States and other countries. Linux is the registered trademark of Linus Torvalds in the U.S. and other countries.
    No matter how long I wait it will not replace this text with the actual form. I have tried installing the latest 10.x as well and still have the same problem.
    How can I debug what is going on rather than just "waiting"...?
    Thanks!

    I'm encountering the same problem on the two computers below. Email attachments will open in the same manner. Attempts to download or open PDFs on the Internet result in a black page with no content or the warning you've noted above.
    Macbook pro 15 running 10.8.4
    Mac Mini running 10.8.4
    I am able to open PDFs on a Mac pro 17 running 10.7.5. I have used airdrop to move the document to one of the above two computers. This results in the original file becoming corrupted and unable to open and the file moved to the other computer will also state that it is corrupted.
    There is clearly something amiss in Adobe and Mac working together. (And it is causing considerable frustration at this point.)
    I should add, I have the full Adobe PDF product on the Mac Mini.

  • Prevent Mac users from opening a PDF form in Preview

    When I create an AcroForm, it does not behave the same when someone fills it out in Preview, and when I receive the completed form back from them, some of the information in the form fields is missing.
    Is there a way to prevent Mac users from opening the form in Preview? Or to give them a message that the form needs to be filled out using Reader?

    You can't stop them doing it (except by standing next to their computer with a heavy stick).
    You could consider having a large field on the page warning that the file is not to be used (or whatever), which is hidden using Acrobat JavaScript.
    Be aware that we are now dealing with a very large set of PDF readers.
    Included with computers: Mac OS Preview, Windows Reader.
    Included with browsers: Chrome, Firefox.
    Included with portable devices.
    Anyone who gets a computer these days in fact gets a PDF viewer which is bad with forms. You need to give them a compelling reason to download extra software. (Or, frankly, give up on PDF forms. I think their day has passed for a general audience who could fill in a browser form).

  • How to use interactice pdf forms correctly in mac?

    A pdf form i created in windows using acrobat 9 pro with some javascript works fine on windows but doesn't work in mac OS. Can anyone please guide me how to rectify this problem?

    I created the pdf forms in acrobat in Windows and i did use the javascript for calculation purpose and on Preview on Mac the calculation is just not happening at all. I also used radio buttons which work fine on windows but on Mac, the tick marks show but the javascript associated with radio buttons is not working at all. Is there a solution to this issue? Any kind of suggestion will be most helpful.

  • Looking to create editable PDF forms with drop downs and text boxes for use on a Mac computer and iPad. Which product do I need to purchase? Do not need anything fancy

    Looking to create editable PDF forms with drop downs and text boxes for use on a Mac computer and iPad. Which product do I need to purchase? Do not need anything fancy

    Basically you would need Acrobat. However, it is now also possible to create basic form fields using just the free Reader. In fact, I've been working on a tool that allows you to do it, so if you're interested in it please contact me privately.

  • On Mac, why won't the downloaded PDF form SUBMIT after being filled out?

    On Mac, why won't the downloaded PDF form SUBMIT after being filled out?
    Thank you for the help.
    Kind regards
    Ryan Kohler

    Hi;
    This FAQ should describe the issue - you need to be using Adobe Reader (free) or Adobe Acrobat to fill out the PDF, Preview on the Mac breaks the PDF so it is no longer usable: http://forums.adobe.com/docs/DOC-2653
    Thanks,
    Josh

  • PDF Form Problem Safari on Mac OS X

    I have a user running a Mac with OS X and they are unable to submit a PDF form to the server in Safari. It works in IE on the PC and Safari on the PC.  What could be the problem?
    Thanks in advance for your help.
    David Perry

    any ideas from anyone?

  • LiveCycle Designed pdf forms not working on Macs

    I have designed pdf forms with LiveCycle Designer, enabling Reading Rights. These forms have extensive interactive capabilities, including calculations, locking fields on demand, etc.
    They work perfectly on Windows, as long as the user has Adobe Reader 8 or 9. However, I discovered recently that they do not open properly on Macs, and that Mac users cannot fill all the fields, cannot use the buttons (such as jumping to another page), and that the calculations or "if" conditions do not perform at all.
    Is there an extension or program that Mac users can download in order to be able to use these forms? I would hate to have to change the 100 or so forms already done.
    Thanks.

    Hello,
    Thanks for coming back. I'm using the latest version (the 2014 update).
    I've sent you a screenshot of what it looks like when trying to convert to interactive pdf.
    Funny thing was it was working fine until a few tweaks and then decided to do its own thing.
    I've created loads of forms before through Indesign but this error is bizzare

  • PC users can't save PDF form data from form created on Mac

    I'm trying to create a PDF form for a client that will be accessing the form on a PC. However, when the client opens the form, a message appears saying that any data filled in the form cannot be saved and the document must be printed. If the client tries to "Save As" a message appears saying the form will be saved without the data. This defeats the whole purpose of using PDF forms.
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    Developer environment:
    Acrobat 9 Pro
    OSX Snow Leopard
    Client environment:
    Windows 7
    Acrobat Pro X

    Thanks for the quick response, Karl.
    The client downloaded the trial version of Pro X, to verify that the form works before buying. Would the trial version impose restrictions?
    The client does not want to store data on a server. He wants the form to function as a template that he can save-as to customize. The completed forms will be shown on the computer as a part of a presentation, sometimes without Internet access.
    I tried using the Advanced > Extend Form Features options to enable to ability to save form data, but when I tested the PDF on my PC (Vista, latest version of Reader) I got an error message along the lines of "this document has been modified from previous version, please get a copy of the original" and all form fields are gone.
    I'm currently downloading the trial of Pro X so I can test the PDF.
    I am also using a Javascript to allow the client to place photos in the document. This is achieved using a button with a Javascript attached to it: event.target.buttonImportIcon();
    This works correctly in my environment, but could it be screwing up the file as it's opened on a PC?

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