Using fill in fields in word

Basic rules: Create the form using the forms toolbar. Protect it. Here’s the
details…

First, you need the Forms toolbar. Turn it on by going to View Toolbars Forms.
Here’s the Forms toolbar, let’s get to know it better.

I have never used the tables or frame tools here, so I don’t
explain them. However, I do strongly recommend tables to create forms whenever
your forms are laid out in «boxes».

From left to right, here’s the buttons we’re reviewing. The
options dialog boxes are accessed by double-clicking the field, or by hitting
the Form Field Options button.

Text Form Field

This inserts a field designed for text entry. You can format it
for other things by double-clicking it, or by hitting the Form Field Options
icon. Change the type drop-down to a desired field type, such as a number or
date. You can set a maximum number of characters to be entered for items like
account numbers. You can choose Date as the type, and change the Text format to
read Sunday, June 19, 2005 instead of 6/19/2005.

You can also set a bookmark name here. Leave it as the default
Text# or change it to something meaningful, such as CoName. Then, when you later
want the Company name to appear again without making the user type it again, you
can create a
reference to the bookmark. If you plan to use the values entered in these
text form fields later in calculations, please check the Calculate on exit box!
Doing so makes your calculation field update as the values on which it is
dependent are entered.

Check Box Form Field

I don’t think I’ve ever checked these options out before, but
here they are. Unfortunately, checkboxes don’t work like option buttons do. If
you place multiple checkboxes, then multiple checkboxes can be chosen. If you
want only one checkbox to be chosen, you need Office VBA:
Macros You Can Use Today, which contains a macro by
Cindy Meister that
you can use, or you need to use Option buttons from the Control
Toolbox. Either option requires macro code.

Drop-Down Form Field

Drop-Downs are very cool and extremely easy to make. The only
drawback is that you’re limited to 25 entries, so you can’t use it for days of
the month or to list the US states.

Tip: To defeat the 25-item limit, try
separating your items into groups, such as east and west or 1 to 7, 7 to 14,
etc., or see this Microsoft KB Entry

http://support.microsoft.com/Default.aspx?kbid=306258

Tip: If you don’t want an item chosen by
default (or perhaps you want your form to be «blank» for printing), enter spaces
in the Drop-down item box to create a «blank» item, just make sure you move it
to the top.

Protect the Form

This button is used to test your form while you create it.
Protect the form to see how your form fields will work. Unprotect to continue
building your form.

Final Protection

You don’t have to use it, but I recommend it. When your form is
completely built and you’re ready to distribute it, choose Tools Protect
Document from the menu to bring up the Protect Document task pane. Choose
Editing restrictions, and Filling in forms.

You may only want to
protect certain
areas of your document. Once you’re done, hit the Yes, Start Enforcing
Protection button and (we highly recommend) enter a password.

More Tips

• For best results, create your forms in tables. Place the label
  in one cell and the form field in another cell next to it.

• To restrict entry to a certain amount of space, insert a
  one-row, one-column table, and set the row height to «Exactly».

Want to fill out forms in Word on the lines indicated, but the text you type makes the lines move and ruins the formatting? There is a way to get rid of that. This wikiHow teaches you how to insert fillable fields in Word on a PC or Mac. You need an installed version of Word before you can get started.

Steps

Method 1 of 2: On a PC

Step 1. Open Word

You can find this program in the Start menu.

Step 2. Open a document

You can open a new document, create a new document from a template, or open an old document.

Step 3. Click Options and Customize Ribbon in the File menu

It’s at the top of the Word window.

Step 4. Check the «Developers» box in the «Customize Ribbon» panel

Step 5. Click Ok

Step 6. Click the icons next to Design Mode in the Developer tab

These look like ‘Aa’, checkboxes and tables.

• The first ‘Aa’ icon on the right side of the group is for ‘Text with formatting’. An empty field is now inserted in the document that can be filled with images, videos, text, etc.
• The second ‘Aa’ icon is for ‘Plain text’. This inserts an empty input field in the document that the user can only fill with text.
• The ‘Combo Box Content Control’ icon will be next to the checkbox, and this will insert a drop-down menu into your document. The Properties button opens options to add more items to the drop-down menu.
• The ‘Date’ icon looks like a calendar and inserts an empty box that opens a calendar, allowing the user to choose a specific date. The Properties button opens options for box size and display.
• The checkbox adds a checkbox to your document.

Step 7. Click Restrict Editing in the Developer tab

This will open a panel on the right side of the Word window.

Step 8. Check ‘Editing Restrictions’

This will lock the document so that no one can change the text that is not in the text boxes.

Step 9. Click Start Enforcement

A box will appear asking for a password. You can enter a password if you want to allow other people with that password to edit your document.

Method 2 of 2: On a Mac

Step 1. Open Word

You can find this program in your Applications folder.

Step 2. Open a document

You can open a new document, create a new document from a template, or open an old document.

Step 3. Click the Preferences tab at the top of the window

It’s next to the Apple icon

. A new window will appear.

Step 4. Click View or ‘View’ under the heading ‘Design Features and Proofing Tools’

Step 5. Check the ‘Show developer tab’ box under ‘Ribbon’

Step 6. Click Ok

Step 7. Click on ‘Text Box’, ‘Check Box’, or ‘Drop Down List’ in the Developer tab

This will insert an empty input field into your document.

• The Drop-Down List option creates something like a drop-down menu. Click the Options icon next to it to access the options to turn your picklist into a drop-down menu.
• The checkbox creates checkboxes.
• The text box adds fillable fields that determine how text appears on a form. For example, instead of a document line with Name:_______ where the user can mess up the lines, you can use these archivable text fields to control where the text goes and how it appears. You can click the Options icon to open an options box where you can choose the type of input. For example, if you have a text box, but are looking for a date, you can choose Date under the heading ‘Type’ for it.

Step 8. Click Secure Form

This will prevent you from making edits to your fields, but will enable them to be usable.

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If you use forms at work, you’ll love the convenience of interactive or fillable forms in Microsoft Word. Forms that you can fill out make gathering information easy.

 With a fillable form, all you’ve got to do is create a form in Word. Then you can use it over and over again. There’s nothing to print, so interactive forms are good for both your budget and the environment.

If you want a fillable form that also looks good, then begin with a template in Word. Form templates for Microsoft Word are available in Envato Elements and GraphicRiver.

In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to create a fillable form in Word, so you can reap all the benefits of an interactive form.

Find Great Form Templates on Elements

Fillable forms in Word have a variety of uses. Human resources use forms to capture employee and consultant information. Organizations use forms to register members, students, or clients. You also use forms to take orders for your products and services. Those are only a few examples of how useful fillable forms are.

Ideally, you want your Microsoft Word forms to be consistent with your branding. Well-designed forms reflect your credibility and professionalism. That’s why you want to avoid generic-looking forms. Want to know how to make a fillable form in Word that’s aligned with your visual brand?

The easiest way is by using templates for Word with pre-built tables or forms. One awesome source for Word templates is Envato Elements. Elements has an irresistible offer: for one low monthly fee, you get unlimited downloads of the millions of creative assets in its library. These include:

• Word templates
• fonts
• graphics
• photos
• and more

Whatever you need to make your forms look as good as possible, you can find in Elements.

If you need to create only one form, then a better source for Word templates is GraphicRiver. It’s got the same massive library of creative assets but on a pay-per-use basis. For the one-off project in Word, GraphicRiver is a terrific and budget-friendly option.

How to Create Fillable Forms in Word

You may be wondering, «How do I make a fillable form in Word?» Let me take you step-by-step through how to create a fillable form in Word.

Note: In the following tutorial, I’m using Microsoft Word for Mac version 16.48. If you’re using a different version, then the steps and interface may be different. But these steps should still be helpful for you.

1. Show the Developer Tab

As a first step, make sure that the Developer tab is showing up for you. This may be hidden by default. If you don’t see the Developer tab, follow these steps:

Go to Word > Preferences. 

The Word Preferences menu opens. Click on the Ribbon & Toolbar button. 

The Ribbon & Toolbar menu pops up. Under Main Tabs, scroll down and check Developer. Click Save.

The Developer tab should now be visible.

2. Determine the Layout and Structure of the Form

The next step is to determine the layout and structure of the fillable form. This will depend on what information you want to capture. You may want to sketch this on a sheet of paper first. 

When you know what the form will look like, create a table in Word. By creating your form as a table in Word, it’ll be easier for you to keep things aligned and organized. The cells of the table are the form fields. Keep this in mind as you create your interactive form. This tutorial shows you the steps for how to make a table in Word:

Another option is to use a Word template with a pre-built table as a form. This way, the form has already been professionally designed. All you’ve got to do is to customize the form in Word according to your needs. Remember that the form template must have been built as a table so that you can make the form interactive in Word.

In the steps that follow, I’m going to create a form from scratch by first creating a table in Word:

Now, it’s time to make this a fillable form in Word.

3. Add Form Fields With Content Controls

You create a fillable form in Word by adding form fields. There are different types of form fields with content controls, depending on the types of responses you’re looking for.

Under the Developer tab, you’ll see buttons for creating a Text Box, Check Box, and Combo Box (or drop-down form field).

Let me show you how to create each type of form field:

How to Add a Word Fillable Form Text Box

Place the cursor where you would like to create a text field. Click on the Developer tab, then the Text Box button. 

A text box is created. To change the text box settings, click on Options. The Text Form Field Options menu opens.

Here, choose various settings. For example, you’ve got several Text Types to choose from:

• Regular Text
• Number
• Date
• Current Date
• Current Time
• Calculation

Add a Default Text for the form field to guide respondents in filling out the form. You can also specify the Maximum Length and Text or Number Format. 

When you’re happy with the settings, click OK. Repeat for each text box you want to create.

How to Add a Check Box to a Fillable Form in Word

Next, let’s make check boxes. First type the text for the check box items. Then, place your cursor in front of the first item. Go to Developer > Check Box. 

A check box appears where your cursor was. Again, change the check box settings by clicking on the Options button.

The Check Box Form Field Options menu opens. Here you can determine whether the Default Value for the check box is Not Checked or Checked. Specify the Check Box Size and other options. When you’re done setting up the check box options, click OK.

Repeat these steps for the other check boxes.

How to Create a Drop-down Field in a Fillable Form in Word

Finally, let’s add a drop-down field in our form. Place the cursor where you want the drop-down menu to be, then go to Developer > Combo Box. 

To add the drop-down menu items, click on the Options button. The Drop-Down Form Field Options menu opens.

Type a drop-down item, then click the + sign. 

Repeat for each drop-down item you want to include in your fillable form. When you’re done, click OK.

Only the first drop-down item will appear. You’ll see the rest when you test the form.

4. Finalize the Form

Before using the fillable form in Word, it’s a good idea to first test it. To do this, click the Protect Form button on the Developer ribbon.

Now that the form is protected, fill the form fields like your respondents would. You’ll notice that the drop-down menu items appear when you click on the field or the arrow beside it.

When you’re happy with how the fillable form works, finalize the document by formatting the page. Click Protect Form again to un-protect it, so you can edit the document. Now’s the time to change fonts, colors, add logos, and format the form as you wish.

This is what my final fillable form looks like:

You may also decide to remove the shading for each form field. To do so, go to Developer > Shading.

I’m going to keep the Shading on, to make it clear to my respondents where they’re supposed to type in their answers. That’s because I deleted the borders of my table to give my form a cleaner appearance. If you keep the table borders, then it makes sense to switch off the form field Shading.

5. Use and Distribute Fillable Forms in Word

Once the fillable form in Word is completed, share it with your users or respondents. Do this by sharing the fillable form as an email attachment.

First, make sure that the form is protected. This ensures that other users won’t be able to edit the form when you share it with them.

Next, click on Share > Share a Copy.

In the menu that opens, click Email as Attachment.

This launches your default email application with the fillable form attached.

3 Top Form Templates for Word (Unlimited Downloads from Elements)

If you want a form with an impressive design, it’s best to start with a form template for Word. Templates with built-in forms are designed by professional graphic designers. This means the biggest—and hardest—design decisions have already been made for you. By customizing the colors and fonts and adding your logo, you can make the template truly your own.

Below are a few form templates for Word that look great: 

1. Clean Business Registration Form Template

The Clean Business Registration Form template for Word allows you to gather basic personal information and contact details. It’s useful for registering employees, clients, members, vendors, and more. This form template comes in A4 size. You’ve got the option of customizing it with your branding colors. The template comes in Microsoft Word files, as well as files for InDesign, Adobe Illustrator, and Photoshop.

2. Order Form

Receive orders for your products or services with this Order Form for Word. This A4-sized template uses paragraph styles, making it easy to edit in Microsoft Word. It also comes in Adobe InDesign files, if you’re more comfortable editing in that application. A file guide is included to help you customize this template.

3. Client Questionnaire

Impress your clients with this Client Questionnaire template that looks anything but generic. Editable in both Microsoft Word and Adobe InDesign, this form template comes in A4 size. A 34-page guide walks you through how to edit and use the template files.

More of the Best Word Templates for Your Business or Organization

Now you know how to create a fillable Word document. But aside from fillable forms, your business or organization needs other types of documents. Using templates for MS Word helps you create professional-looking documents quickly. Premium Word templates are designed to be easy to customize, so you end up with materials that are coherent with your brand.

Here are more Word templates you can customize to easily create impressive documents for your business or organization:

Learn More About Using Microsoft Word for Your Business and Personal Needs

Whether for personal or business use, MS Word lets you create various kinds of documents. But with power comes complexity, so it can take time to learn how to use its robust features.

The best place to start is with our ultimate guide, Learn How to Use Microsoft Word (Beginner Tutorial Guide). It takes you from the basics of opening and creating Word files, to more advanced skills like comparing and merging two Word documents.

These Word tutorials will also help:

Enhance Your Workflow With Fillable Forms in Word

You’ve seen how convenient it is to use an interactive, fillable form. And now, you know how to create your own fillable form in Word.

Take it up a notch by starting with a Word template, such as those from Elements or GraphicRiver. These professionally-designed templates for Word are sure to impress your clients, employees, or members.

For unlimited downloads of Word templates, take your pick of the vast options in Envato Elements. For one small monthly subscription, you get unlimited downloads of anything you want in its massive library. These include photos, fonts, graphics, as well as sound effects, music, and stock video. If you create many marketing and communication materials, Elements gives you massive value.

For one-off projects, GraphicRiver is another massive library of Word templates and other creative elements. But with GraphicRiver, you pay only for each single use of each item. It’s an affordable way of getting the same professional results.

You can use Word to create interactive digital forms that other people can fill out on their computers before printing or sending them back to you. It takes a little preparation but keeps you from having to decipher messy handwriting! Some of the tools you will use when creating a form include:

• Templates: Forms are normally saved as templates so that they can be used again and again.
• Content controls: The areas where users input information in a form.
• Tables: Tables are often used in forms to align text and form fields, and to create borders and boxes.
• Protection: Users can complete the form fields without being able to change the form’s text and/or design.

Show the Developer Tab

Before you can create a form, you’ll need to turn on the Developer tab to get access to the advanced tools.

1. Click the File tab.

   

2. Select Options.

   

   The Word Options window opens.

3. Click the Customize Ribbon tab on the left.

   The column on the right controls which ribbon tabs are enabled.

4. Check the Developer check box.
5. Click OK.

   

The Developer tab now appears on the ribbon. In addition to advanced tools for macro recording, add-ins, and document protection, we now have access to form controls.

Create a Form

Once you’ve enabled the Developer tab, and created the layout and structure of the form, you can start adding form fields to your document with Content Controls.

1. Place the text cursor where you want to insert the form field.
2. Click the Developer tab on the ribbon.

   The Controls group contains the different kinds of content controls you can add to a form, as well as the toggle button for Design Mode.

3. Click the Design Mode button in the controls group.

   While Design Mode is active, controls you insert won’t be active, so clicking a check box to move it around won’t also check it. You can also customize placeholder text for some controls.

   

4. Click a Content Control buttons to insert the selected type of control.

   The content control is inserted.

   Select a form field and click the Properties button on the ribbon to edit a control’s options. Depending on the type of control you’ve inserted, you can change its appearance, set up the options in a list, or lock the control once edited.

5. When you’re done, click the Design Mode button again to exit Design Mode.

   

You leave Design Mode, and the content controls that you’ve inserted can now be used.

Types of Form Controls

There are many different types of form controls you can add to a form that will allow people to add different types of responses.

Finalize a Form

When you’re ready to distribute a form so others can fill it out, you can restrict the form so that content controls cannot be removed or changed by those filling it out.

1. Click the Restrict Editing button on the Developer tab.

   The Restrict Editing pane appears on the right.

2. Check the Editing restrictions check box.
3. Click the Editing restriction list arrow.
4. Select Filling in forms.

   When this option is enabled, the only change that anyone else can make to this document is the filling in of form fields. They won’t be able to move, delete, or edit the fields themselves until protection is turned off.

   

5. Click the Yes, Start Enforcing Protection button.

   A password is not required to start enforcing protection, but you can add one if you’d like to prevent just anyone from turning this protection off.

6. Enter a password (optional), then click OK.

   

The document is now restricted, and anyone you send it to will only be able to fill in the forms.

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