change font size in fillable PDF?

Question

Level 2

257 points

change font size in fillable PDF?

I cannot change the font in a fillable PDF.

I am filling in a government-issued form. This government requires me to use this form.

The form has many fill-in boxes. Many, many of the boxes in this form are too small to accommodate all the text that I must insert in the boxes.

The form insists on formatting the text as Helvetica, 24 point. I think I could get all the text in if I could reduce the size of the text to 12 point. But I have been unable to do so.

I have tried in both Preview 8.1 and Acrobat Reader (2015.) In both applications I click on the text that I have typed and push the Control key. Neither application has any tool in the resulting menu to edit the font.

I did find this tool in Preview’s Toolbox:

But this tool is ineffective, either as to text that I have already typed or text that I do type.

Am I stuck wih the font style and size set by the government?

Mac mini, OS X El Capitan (10.11.5)

Posted on Oct 22, 2016 11:34 AM

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Answer 1

Oct 22, 2016 3:36 PM in response to R_55a

The PDF form designer establishes the font and font-size for each field in the form. You won't be able to override these field font settings with free tools. Filled government PDF forms are machine-readable, and if you were to alter the form field font/size settings with a purchased PDF Editor, it could interfere with accurate form field capture.

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Answer 2

R_55a Author

Level 2

257 points

Oct 24, 2016 12:37 PM in response to VikingOSX

I called the governmental agency. Clerk #1 says that, when she goes online and fills in the blanks, her browser automatically adjusts the scale of the font to accommodate the text to the size of the box. Clerk #1 says that this agency uses "Adobe." I tried filing in the form online, and this technique does not work for me. Clerk #1 referred me to Clerk #2, who says that no one else has ever reported any problem with this form.

I find within Adobe Acrobat Reader the availability of extra tools, all available for a price. I am reluctant to pay for a textual tool when Preview cannot alter this size of the font.

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Answer 3

Oct 24, 2016 2:40 PM in response to R_55a

I suggest that you obtain a trial copy of PDFpenPro 8, and try to alter the form field font-size settings on that government form (copy) with it. I say (copy) because the trial version will leave a watermark on the PDF.

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Answer 4

R_55a Author

Level 2

257 points

Oct 24, 2016 3:38 PM in response to VikingOSX

Thanks, but I am not sure that the particular government will fully appreciate my filing a document labeled as "copy."

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