Text Form Field In Adobe PDF Leaving Tell Tale Signs...

Text Form Field In Adobe PDF Leaving Tell Tale Signs...


Scenario:  The attorney had asked us to alter an existing PDF file that we could not alter by editing the text of the PDF.  In order to alter certain areas, we used the Text Form Field of Adobe which is part of Fillable Forms.  We could have also used Nuance which has its own Fillable Forms section.  We used the Text Form Field to type over the text of the PDF file where we needed to change the text.  We matched the text size and font type and it looked real good.  

The problem surfaced when we took a second look at the PDF file and we could see a blue tinge wherever we used a Text Form Field in order to obscure (hide) the text that sits under the Text Form Field.  The attorney did not want that tell tale sign that we had altered the existing document. This is because it is an invitation to try and see what is underneath the “patch” that we used in order to change the document text in certain areas over to the liking of the attorney.

What did we NOT do once we had changed the text and the attorney gave us the thumbs up?

We forgot to “Flatten” the file.

In this case, we are using the Text Form Fields to serve as a patch to hide an existing area of text on the document and replace it with other text.  When everything is in place, you don't want the recipient to see the "patches" so we want to "Flatten" the Text Form Fields so that they meld into the PDF itself and no longer exist as a separate layer. 

Remember:  Any PDF that is composed of Layers has the Danger of items being removed or unintentional info being exposed.

In years past, we would save the PDF as a JPEG and then turn the JPEG back to a PDF to "Flatten" the image thus removing the layers. Also, the quality of the image would diminish a bit.  Now, with the “Flatten” feature, your image will be clear and there will be no quality issues 

In both Adobe Pro and Nuance, there is a selection to "Flatten" the image so that the separate layers are gone and you don't lose quality.  And, more importantly, you don’t want the tell tale outlines of the Form Field alerting people of alternate text underneath that should not be shared.

In Nuance, look for the Advanced Processing Tab and select "Flatten".

In Adobe Pro, Click the Layers button, and select "Flatten Layers" from the options menu.

Ask about our Fillable Forms Class For Both MS Word and Adobe Pro and Nuance.  It is 4.5 hours and you learn a ton!

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