PDF is a very popular format for static documents, but you may also have seen PDF files that come with forms that you can fill in. In case you are wondering how you can create such a document, here is one easy way you create a fillable PDF form with LibreOffice, which is also free of charge.
Good to know: check how to add your own custom color in LibreOffice.
Create a Fillable Form in LibreOffice
To accomplish this task, you’ll need to use Libre Writer which is an integral part of the LibreOffice package.
Open Libre Writer and create your document.
In the ribbon menu at the top, go to View -> Toolbars -> Form Controls.
This will add the Form Control toolbar to your Libre Writer interface on the left side of the display. This toolbar allows you to drag and drop the various form fields in the document.
Now we can start building the fillable form. Drag the text box (the A icon in the toolbar) onto the document. For example, write Name and add the text box underneath.
Next, right-click on the text box to view the Properties window. This will bring you to where you can edit the meta-data of the text box, such as its name, label field, max length, etc. In addition, you can change the text box’s background color. It’s also possible to add events such as changing text on mouseover, focus, key pressed, and more by switching to the Events tab.
Once you have got the hang of it, you can proceed to add various form fields to your document. You can add many things such as checkboxes, date fields, pattern fields, and more.
Tip: you might also want to know how to export a Microsoft Word document as a PDF.
Export Fillable Form to PDF in LibreOffice
After you have finished creating the document, it’s time to transform it into a PDF. For that, go to File -> Export As -> Export as PDF. Press Export in the window that pops up and that’s it.
Alternatively, you can also export the document as EPUB.
Now open the PDF file in your PDF viewer of choice and you should see all the form fields in the document. To test it, you can fill up the form and save it as a new PDF (so you can preserve the original.) Close and reopen it again. You should see your form data intact.
Tip: by the way, if you need a worthy PDF reader for Windows check our recommended options.
Using LibreOffice to create a fillable form is easy, but did you know you can also use Word to do the same? Check our guide on how to get started. On the other hand, if you need to create an online poll, here are the top tools to do so for free.
Image credit: Freepik All screenshots by Alexandra Arici
Subscribe to our newsletter!
Our latest tutorials delivered straight to your inbox
Sign up for all newsletters.
By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy and European users agree to the data transfer policy. We will not share your data and you can unsubscribe at any time. Subscribe
Alexandra Arici –
Staff Writer
Alexandra is passionate about mobile tech and can be often found fiddling with a smartphone from some obscure company. She kick-started her career in tech journalism in 2013, after working a few years as a middle-school teacher. Constantly driven by curiosity, Alexandra likes to know how things work and to share that knowledge with everyone.
Comments (18)