There are many kinds of PDFs, each with its own purpose. Some are vehicles for the accurate display of brochures, whitepapers and other formally presented information. Others replicate the experience of working with paper documents: PDFs often stand in for the hard-copy forms that organizations and businesses use to gather key information.

If you've received or downloaded a PDF fillable form, what do you need to do to add in all the requested information? The easy process of filling in a PDF can make many personal and clerical tasks simpler. For Windows 10 users, it is as easy as choosing a reliable PDF editor, such as Tungsten Power PDF.

How to fill out a PDF form

There are many occasions when you may have a form to fill out with "active" fields, meaning that you can interact with and modify the data in portions of the document. Such forms are the easiest to complete because their creators designed them for that purpose. PDFs support a range of input options for these forms, including checkboxes, radio buttons and freeform fields. Depending on the type of form, you could see all or just one of these features.

With Power PDF, you don't need to spend time analyzing the fields on such documents on your Windows 10 machine. Simply choose the file, open the document, select the fields and fill out your PDF by typing directly onto the page. You can also fill in and sign the form using Power PDF's electronic signature tools. Save a new copy of the document with your completed information and send it back to the appropriate party.

What if your form doesn't have active fields?

Not all PDF forms have fields for users to interact with right away. In some cases, the absence of these fields is because of security that the creator has applied to the document. You may need to print and physically complete such documents. In some scenarios, you can complete the form digitally, but you'll need to take one additional step. You can "activate" a document to turn it into a PDF fillable form. Here's how to fill out a non-interactive PDF form:

1. Select the "Forms" tab after opening the PDF file.
2. Select the "Form Typer" functionality. Using software intelligence, Power PDF automatically identifies form field locations and adds the appropriate digital box.
3. When Form Typer does not detect a field, add it manually using the correct tool (such as a text box) from the Forms tab.
4. Save your new document, then fill it out as normal.

Video: How to Create Fillable PDF Forms With Tungsten Power PDF

Unlock the full range of PDF functionality

With Power PDF, you can do far more than fill in forms. From creating and converting files to accessing a full range of security tools, including secure digital signing, it's highly valuable to have this PDF editor in your software lineup. Explore its features firsthand when you download a free 15-day trial of Power PDF today.