[Solved] Problem merging fillable pdfs

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davidch
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Joined: Wed May 12, 2021 8:29 am

[Solved] Problem merging fillable pdfs

Post by davidch »

I have made three fillable pdfs(one page each one) using openoffice form. I have only used text box and check box form controls, and in some fields I limit the number of characters. The pdfs work fine after exporting them. However, when the pdfs are merged in a single pdf, some of them (the second one, the third one or both of them but never the first one in the tests I made) lost the fillable attribute (when I try to write on the pdf, It only appears in the field one black circle like in a password, or instead of the letter, a black circle for each of the character). It also depends on the order of the files. In some orders It's works fine, in other It's when I have the problem I have explained, though It isn't a specific pdf in which this problem occurs.

I have already tried to use other ways of merging pdfs and tried to change the name of all the fillable forms to make it unique (right click on it, in "name..." and in "control...") and It didn't solve my problem.

We are also considering other solutions in which We wouldn't need to merge the pdfs, but We want to try some other things before that. Any help is appreciated.
Last edited by davidch on Thu May 13, 2021 3:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.
OpenOffice version: 5.1.2.2
Operating System: Windows 7 32bits
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Hagar Delest
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Location: France

Re: Problem merging fillable pdfs

Post by Hagar Delest »

Hi and welcome to the forum!

If you have the 3 forms in .odt, why don't you regroup those forms in AOO first and then export the package? If there is a different layout needed, use different page styles for each page/form.
If it works, then it means that there is something lost by the application that merges the PDFs together.
LibreOffice 7.6.2.1 on Xubuntu 23.10 and 7.6.4.1 portable on Windows 10
John_Ha
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Location: UK

Re: Problem merging fillable pdfs

Post by John_Ha »

There are many PDF merge utilities - try some other ones.

However, I doubt any will work as a fillable PDF presumably has something special at the beginning saying the PDF is a fillable form. Your merged PDF will have three bits of the special stuff in three different places.

Hagar's solution is best.

Searching the web with merge pdf forms brought up much of interest including saying that Adobe Acrobat can do it. It seems there may be an issue with different field names ...
LO 6.4.4.2, Windows 10 Home 64 bit

See the Writer Guide, the Writer FAQ, the Writer Tutorials and Writer for students.

Remember: Always save your Writer files as .odt files. - see here for the many reasons why.
davidch
Posts: 2
Joined: Wed May 12, 2021 8:29 am

Re: Problem merging fillable pdfs

Post by davidch »

Hi Hagar and John, first of all, I want to thank both of you for your replies. I think I will regroup it in AOO. I have read in another forum that It's maybe a Adobe Acrobat bug. It could be, because the pdf worked fine when I opened it with two different browsers. However, I have found a pdf merge webpage that solves my problem in Adobe, therefore maybe there is still something else to do in openoffice, but I am marking as solved.
OpenOffice version: 5.1.2.2
Operating System: Windows 7 32bits
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