I need to fill out a form but want to type the information.

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Guest

I have a form with several pages which needs to be filled out. I would like
to scan it and type in the information before submitting it. Is there a way
to do it in word? I am new to Word 2003.
 
It *could* be done but it can also be a PITA (pain in the aaaaaaaaaaaaaaa).
If this is a one-time deal, it's not worth the hours of work (literally)
you'd have to go thru to get it to that point.

--
JoAnn Paules
MVP Microsoft [Publisher]

~~~~~
How to ask a question
http://support.microsoft.com/KB/555375
 
Scanning a document and adding text to it isn't as easy as you think it
might be. A scanned mage is just that, an image. Word, (and any other
program), won't view a scanned image as anything other than a picture, such
as a scanned image of a dog. With that in mind, in order to add text to the
image you need to add placeholders on the image so you can add your text.

If you want to use Word you need to add text boxes for those areas that need
to be filled in.

- Right-click a toolbar and then click Drawing to turn on your Drawing
toolbar.
- Right-click the scanned image, click Text Wrapping and then click "Behind
text"
- Create your first text box (use the Text Box button on the Drawing
toolbar)
- Right-click the text box and select "Format Text Box"
- On the Colors and Lines tab set the Color to "No Fill" and the Line Color
to "No Line"
- Click OK
- Right-click the text box again and select "Set AutoShape Defaults" so
subsequent text boxes will be inserted with no line and a transparent
background.
- Add the additional text boxes.
If you need to move the text box and by-pass the grid then hold your Alt key
while dragging the text box.

Or, you might try the Document Image Writer instead, that may be a little
easier:

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/help/HP010771031033.aspx

If you want to take this route, first go to Tools/Options and set your
formatting options for the text box such as fill color and font size. Then
click the text box tool, click hold and drag to draw a text box on the form.
Note that depending on how complex the form is this may be a little
involved. Once the text box is created it can be resized and moved. If it
has check boxes, those could be a little difficult - you'd need to create a
small text box and type an X in it. Then I suspect it would need to be
resized and moved in order to align it correctly.

Please post all follow-up questions to the newsgroup. Requests for
assistance by email can not be acknowledged.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Beth Melton
Microsoft Office MVP

Co-author of Word 2007 Inside Out:
http://www.microsoft.com/MSPress/books/9801.aspx#AboutTheBook

Word FAQ: http://mvps.org/word
TechTrax eZine: http://mousetrax.com/techtrax/
MVP FAQ site: http://mvps.org/
 
Just to add to those excellent replies, here's what I do for a quick one-off
solution that eliminates the need to scan (useful if you don't have a
scanner too).

Open a new document then draw text boxes formatted for non-printing borders
where it looks like you have to add text to the form and type in the
required information in the text box. A ruler will help get the text boxes
quite close: right-click the Text Box and select Format to find the exact
location wrt the page. When it looks about correct, print it onto PLAIN
paper. Then hold your printed page up against the unfilled form to see how
far out your initial approximations were. Make adjustments to the text box
positions until the printed text aligns with the form. Finally, put the form
in the printer (make sure orientation is correct and the form is the right
way up*) and print onto the form.

*Test by taking a blank sheet, write 'front' in the centre of the paper and
write 'T' at the top and 'B' at the bottom of the page. Put it in the
printer noting its orientation and then print onto it. You'll then see if
you have got it right or not.
 
Starting with a .pdf of the form, I use Snagit to create a .jpg of each page
that I then insert into a Word document, size and set it behind Text and
then just type into the required spaces, fiddling a bit with space after
paragraphs to get the positioning correct.

--
Hope this helps.

Please reply to the newsgroup unless you wish to avail yourself of my
services on a paid consulting basis.

Doug Robbins - Word MVP
 
Loads of ways to skin a cat <g>

Terry

Doug Robbins - Word MVP said:
Starting with a .pdf of the form, I use Snagit to create a .jpg of each
page that I then insert into a Word document, size and set it behind Text
and then just type into the required spaces, fiddling a bit with space
after paragraphs to get the positioning correct.

--
Hope this helps.

Please reply to the newsgroup unless you wish to avail yourself of my
services on a paid consulting basis.

Doug Robbins - Word MVP
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