Operation Manual

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Table Of Contents

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USING ACROBAT X STANDARD

Forms

Last updated 10/11/2011

• The form author enables the form for Reader users (if the author wants to allow Reader users to save their own

filled-in copy of the form or if it contains certain barcode fields).

• The form author distributes the form to other users.

• Users fill in the form on their computers and submit it electronically or print a copy and deliver the copy to the

form distributor.

• The received barcode data is interpreted in one of the following ways, and can then be reviewed, sorted, and used

by the form receiver:

Forms faxed to a fax server The form receiver can use Adobe Acrobat Capture® to collect TIFF images from the fax

server and place them in an Adobe LiveCycle Barcoded Forms Decoder watched folder, if the receiver owns those

products.

Forms delivered on paper The form receiver can scan paper forms and then use an application such as LiveCycle

Barcoded Forms Decoder to decode the barcodes within those forms.

Note: Acrobat Capture and LiveCycle Barcoded Forms Decoder are standalone products appropriate for enterprise

workflows and are sold separately from Acrobat.

Design tips for barcodes

Issues that affect how you design and place barcodes include usability and space. As an example, the barcode size can

also limit the amount of data that can be encoded. For the best results, follow these guidelines.

• Position the barcode so that it’s unlikely to get folded when placed in an envelope, and position it far enough from

the edges of the page so that it won’t get clipped off during printing or faxing.

• Position it so that it can be easily seen and scanned. If a handheld scanner will be used, avoid barcodes wider than

4 inches (10.3 cm). Tall, narrow barcodes generally work best in this case. Also, avoid compressing the contents of

the barcode when using a handheld scanner.

• Make sure that the size of the barcode can accommodate the amount of data to encode. If the barcode area is too

small, it turns a solid gray. Be sure to test a completed form before distributing it to make sure that the barcode area

is large enough.

Create, test, and edit barcode fields

One of the ways in which you can improve a PDF form barcode is by creating custom scripts. Writing such scripts

requires a basic competency with JavaScript and a familiarity with Acrobat-specific JavaScript. For more information,

see Developing Acrobat® Applications Using JavaScript™ on

www.adobe.com/go/learn_acr_javascript_en (PDF, English

only). For information about basic JavaScript, refer to any of the many resources available on that subject.

After inserting a barcode of maximum size, changing the cell size or decode condition may cause the barcode to cross

the page borders. Avoid this behavior by selecting the appropriate cell size and decode conditions for the barcode.