Guide: How to Create a Fillable Form in MS Word
Digital fillable forms are just as important as their physical counterparts. Whether for a simple book request from the library or for requesting office supplies, electronic forms are useful in many scenarios. The best part is that handling it is simple and straightforward. All you have to do is fill in up the details, add the form and send it in an email. Not a headache from spinning a paper. Making a fillable form isn’t rocket science. If you have a word processor such as Microsoft Word, you can make it quite easy. From adding checkboxes to neat text boxes, MS Word offers many elements to play with. However, these options are a bit hidden and not readily available. You need to enable the developer options (yes, MS Word has this mode) and then design the form. So let’s take a look how to create a fillable form in Microsoft Word.
Create a fillable form in Microsoft Word
Step 1: Enable the Developer tab
Go to the File tab and click Options. That will open the Word options window.
Now select Customize Ribbon and click on the first drop-down list.
From the scrollable list in the first column, select Main Tabs and you will see a Developer (Custom) option in the window below. Select it and send it to the right.
When you are done, select Ok to save the changes. Here you will see a new tab named Developer next to it Home tab.
All controls such as text boxes, drop-down menus, and text boxes can be seen in the block next to the add-in block, marked with Controls.
Step 2: Add the elements
Now all you have to do is add the content controls. If it is a simple form with text boxes, you may want to add a table while designing the form. While the normal control panel allows you to experiment with new elements, you can also play with outdated controls. Start by clicking on design mode. Now place your cursor where you want to add the elements and then select one of the many controls.
Note that the default style has no formatting options. You won’t be able to see any boundaries, which can be problematic for new users. To see all of a page’s content controls, simply tap Design Mode, which will highlight all placeholders.
If you want to access the old controls at the same time, click on the small briefcase-shaped icon like the screenshot below.
Step 3: Adjust the elements
Other than that, Microsoft Word also allows you to edit and adjust the properties of the elements. From simple things like changing the placeholder color to adding the element’s title and adding locking mechanisms, you can do a lot with this simple control.
To open the properties window, select an element and click Properties in the top ribbon. Then double-click the content control to change the instruction text.
Step 4: Restrict Editing
Editing a form in Word is quite easy. All you need is someone who knows your way around MS Word’s fillable forms features to completely change the structure of a form. At the same time, however, you want users to be able to fill out the form easily. Fortunately, this can be prevented by simply locking the form. To do that, select all form elements with the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + A and then click Restrict Editing button at the top ribbon.
Then select the restriction modes. Tap Edit restrictions (option 2) and select the “Allow this only …” checkbox, then select the “Fill out forms” option from the drop-down list. Enter a password if desired and press OK button Congratulations! You have just created your first form. Open the test form and you should be able to fill it out like any other form.
Content controls and their meaning
It goes without saying that the first two options, Plain Text Content Control and Rich Text Content Control, are for adding text elements to the form. While users can add text in various formats, users cannot add multiple lines by default. Fortunately, it is easy to correct. Click properties and select the Allow transportation returns check box.
However, it is not as easy as that for the other elements, such as the drop-down list, date picker, where you need to add the values in advance when you submit the form. For drop-down menus, select the element and click Properties. Then tap Add and add the name and value. Do this for the rest of your options. You can even move the values up and down the list.
Likewise, for dates, you can choose date format, calendar type, and so on. Just like the above, open the Calendar Properties controls and make your changes. Hit Ok when you’re done.
However, the best tool is the Repeating Section tool. With this you can repeat any form element on your form. That’s a container for other content tools that you want to iterate in the different parts of the form.
To use it, tap the icon and add the tools you want. When you are done, click the Add icon. There all elements are neatly repeated.
Fill away
Whether it’s writing a simple essay or creating an official document, MS Word offers an endless array featuresAnd with the option to create fillable forms, the reach only expands. What is your favorite word features The next up Did you know that you can edit a bit of images in Word? If not, check out the post below.
How to Create a Fillable Form in MS Word: benefits
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