(Legacy) Adobe Acrobat 9 Pro: PDF Forms: Creating a Submit Button

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This article is based on legacy software.

You can create a Submit button that allows a user to submit a completed form by attaching itself to an email. The creator of the form designates the address to which the form will be sent. This document explains how to create a Submit button.

  1. Open the PDF file that you will use for the form.

  2. From the Forms menu, select Add or Edit Fields...
    Adobe Acrobat 9 Pro switches into Form Editing mode.

  3. From the Add New Field pull-down menu, select Show Tools on Toolbar.
    The Forms toolbar appears.
    forms toolbar

  4. Click Button Tool. button tool
    HINT: The cursor changes to a cross hairs. The cross hairs allow you to align the button with the ruler, text, or another form field.

  5. Position the cursor where you want the button to begin.

  6. Click and drag until the button is of the desired size.
    OR
    To create a button of the default size, click the page at the desired location for the button.
    The Field Name entry box appears.
    field name

  7. In the Field Name text box, type a name that identifies the button.

  8. To edit additional properties of the button, click Show All Properties.
    The Button Properties dialog box appears.
    button properties

  9. Select the Actions tab.

  10. In the Add an Action section, from the Select Trigger pull-down list, select Mouse Up.

  11. From the Select Action pull-down list, select Submit a form.

  12. Click Add...
    The Submit Form Selections dialog box appears.
    submit form selections

  13. In the Enter a URL for this link text box, type mailto:email address.
    EXAMPLE: mailto:smithxx@uwec.edu

  14. To export the entire PDF, in the Export Format section, select PDF The complete document.
    HINT: The other options may be more appropriate depending on the desired format for the export.

  15. In the Field Selection section, to submit all form fields, select All Fields.
    OR
    In the Field Selection section, to submit only specified fields.
    1. Select Only these...
    2. Click Select Fields...
      The Field Selection dialog box appears.
      field selection
       
    3. In the Select Fields to Submit scroll box, select the field(s) you would like submitted to you.
      HINT: To select a field click the box that appears to the left of the field. A check will appear in the box when it is selected.
    4. To the right of the Field Selection list, select additional desired options.

    5. Click OK.

  16. In the Date Options section, select Convert dates to standard format.
    NOTE: Selecting this option will convert all dates to a standard format no matter how they were entered in the form field. 
    EXAMPLE: Standard form would convert 12-4-2005 to 2005/12/04

  17. Click OK.

  18. Select the General tab.
    general tab

  19. Select the Options tab.
    options tab

  20. In the Icon and Label section, in the Label text box, enter the name of the button.
    HINT: This is the text the user will see (e.g., Submit, Send).

  21. Click Close.
    The submit button has been created.