How to Import Your Own PDF With Smart PDF Forms?

Hi,

I need to gather information from customers and then use that information on multiple application forms. These applications are provided by other companies so they can’t be built from scratch in jot form.

Can I download the data and map it to pdf form fields outside of jotform? Or is there a way to that?

Hello chellseamceown,

Thank you for contacting Jotform support. To confirm, would you like to import your own PDF to Jotform's Smart PDF Forms? If so, here's how you can do it:

• Click the Create Form button on your My Forms page. 
• Choose Import Form and then Import PDF Form.
• Now, upload your PDF file.

• Add the necessary fields and customize them using the Add Form Element menu on the left side of the page.

Sometimes, the fields that are automatically created in the PDF file will be in the wrong place. If that happens, you'll have to move and resize the fields. Check out the screencast below to see how to do that: 

• Finally, click on the Wand icon below the Adobe Sign Widget to open Widget Settings.
• Now, in the Adobe Sign section, on the right side of the page, click on Authenticate to authorize the widget.

That's it. The final preview will look like the one below:

You can check our complete guide about How to Use and Get the Best Out of Jotform Smart PDF Forms.

Give it a try and let us know if you need any help.

Yes, you can download the data gathered from customers in JotForm and map it to PDF form fields outside of JotForm. Here's a general process to achieve this:

1. Collect Data in JotForm: Set up your JotForm to gather the necessary information from your customers.
2. Download Data: Once you've received submissions, you can download the data as a CSV (Comma Separated Values) file from JotForm.
3. Map Data to PDF Form Fields: Use a tool or software that allows you to import data from a CSV file and map it to PDF form fields. There are various options available for this purpose, including Adobe Acrobat, PDF-XChange Editor, or even programming languages like Python with libraries such as PyPDF2 or pdfrw.
4. Generate PDFs with Mapped Data: Once you've mapped the data to the PDF form fields, you can generate filled PDF forms with the customer information.

Here's a brief overview of how you might do this using Adobe Acrobat:

• Open Adobe Acrobat and go to "Tools" > "Prepare Form".
• Import your PDF form.
• Acrobat will automatically detect fields in the PDF. You can manually adjust or add fields if necessary.
• Use the "Import Data" feature to import data from your CSV file.
• Map the data fields from your CSV file to the corresponding PDF form fields.
• Generate the filled PDF forms.

Remember to ensure that the PDF form you're using for mapping has editable fields, and you might need to adjust the layout to accommodate the data imported from JotForm. Additionally, the specific steps may vary slightly depending on the software you choose to use for mapping the data to PDF form fields.

Thank you for this! This sounds like exactly what I need. I have been
trying to find more details on how to import to Adobe, a program I already
have and use. I am not able to find more info on how to import a CSV. Do
you have any further advise?
...

Hi Chellsea,

You mean upload a CSV file as a form? If yes, I'm afraid that is not possible, it is only possible to import a PDF document which will then create a Smart PDF Form as shown by my colleague above.

Let us know if you have any other questions.