As FDPA grows the logistics of getting our basic brochures and handout materials reproduced and delivered to activists around the state has gotten more time consuming and complicated. A few weeks ago the communications team set about creating a more organized and streamlined way of handling orders once a product was press ready.
People need to be able to see the item to decide if they can use it. Once they decide how many they want, someone at the state has to approve the purchase, and the order is processed for printing and direct (drop) shipment to the user. This sounds simple enough, but the devil is in the details. Different people call the same item by various names. So products, like postcards can have different messages on the back and the same picture on the front. There are many opportunities for mistakes. The simple email requests were starting to eat up time because of correspondence back and forth to clarify the ambiguities.
To fix that an order form was created. The idea was for users to choose products from a list, indicate the quantity and send the form in to be fulfilled — much like most online retailers do. To help users the form contains live links to the document files. These files are actually printable PDF suitable for home printers or copy centers. In a pinch, small quantities can be reproduced by downloading the file and printing locally. But for larger quantities the form is filled and emailed to the person who approves and pays for the printing.
The first version of the form was produced on MS Word and converted to a PDF form using Adobe Acrobat Professional. Unfortunately, this software is expensive and few non-professionals have it to work with.
Affordable Interactive PDF files
I did a little online research and found a couple of solutions.
Free and simple
PDFescape. It’s an online utility that allows one to make an ordinary “flat” PDF into an interactive form by converting any square area into a text field. Very small ones are made into check boxes. So your prepare your form in MS Word, save as a flat PDF, and then upload it to PDFescape and convert it. Like many free items, this is a teaser to get your to buy a desktop copy. I haven’t tried the software so I can’t offer an opinion. Adobe is the gold standard, but their expensive all subscription product line puts me off. This may be a good second best.
Cute PDF Professional. Free to try, $50 to buy. This is an old and well tested product. Features are similar to Acrobat, but less nuanced. It can make interactive PDF form files, and can import and export the data.
The free Cute PDF Writer is a virtual printer that makes press quality PDF files instead of printing on paper.
Foxit Phantom. This is another option. Its features parallel those of Adobe Acrobat but you have the option of purchasing the product (one time license fee.) instead of subscribing and paying forever. Like Adobe, it offers a “Reader” version. You may download a trial version of the software.
“Free” and Complicated
Microsoft Word (in Developer Mode) This is not a PDF solution, but MS Word is nearly universal. If you have MS Word, you already have this but it’s hidden unless you are in developer mode. It’s possible to make advanced forms using MS Word. The information recorded on the forms can be fed directly to a database with proper design. But it is a tedious process not for novices.