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Posted By: kevs How insert an X in a box in preview? - 01/08/19 02:47 PM

I have a form to fill out. There are a lot of checkboxes. I'd like to put x in them, but in preview cannot see way to get a cursor in them and do that. Closest thing is preview creates these clumsy text boxes and puts them into the middle of the document and I could drag those over the pre-exisitng checkboxes, but even those I cannot see how to put an x in.
Posted By: joemikeb Re: How insert an X in a box in preview? - 01/08/19 03:40 PM
Personally I use PDF Pen 10 for that kind of work as I find it more precise, but it can be done in Preview. Assuming you have the Edit/annotate menu open
  1. On the preview Tool Bar click on the text box.
  2. Click somewhere on a blank part of the page, this will insert a text box
  3. Click on the word TEXT in the text box then type the letter X on our keyboard
  4. If the handles are not showing on the text box click on the text box frame
  5. Use the handles to size the fram appropriately
  6. With the handles still showing press Command+C (⌘C) to copy the text box onto the clipboard
  7. Press Command+V (⌘V) to create a new copy of the text box
  8. click anywhere on the page to clear the text box selection
  9. Click in the center of the new text box and drag it to the desired location.
  10. Repeat. steps 7 though 9 until all the proper locations have been marked.


If you are going to be doing this kind of thing a LOT you might want to consider PDFPenPro 10. Although it is pricey it will convert any PDF into a form pretty accurately and then all you have to do is click on the checkbox in the form and it will automatically insert an X or ✔ It can make short work of an otherwise onerous and time consuming task.
Posted By: Ira L Re: How insert an X in a box in preview? - 01/08/19 05:02 PM
The procedure described above is the way to do it, BUT there are some PDF forms that are created in a way to allow text insertion just by clicking on the box or space. Apparently the one kevs is working with is not one of those types and the somewhat tedious method joemikeb lays out is the way to go in Preview.
Posted By: artie505 Re: How insert an X in a box in preview? - 01/08/19 05:14 PM
I've been wondering how to do that these days, and I'm amazed by how convoluted and unintuitive the procedure is. It seems to me that it was a simple click, drag, and type procedure a few years back.

I"m having trouble getting your procedure to work:
  • I keep winding up with duplicate entries.
  • I can't figure out how to change font size, which by default is tiny.
I'll play with the duplicate entries, but have you got any insights into the font size problem?

Thanks for all.

More: I can change font color in the "Font" drop-down, but not font size.

(15 seconds)
Posted By: artie505 Re: How insert an X in a box in preview? - 01/08/19 06:00 PM
You originally time-stamped this post, and I'm wondering why you deleted it?

(20 seconds)
Posted By: kevs Re: How insert an X in a box in preview? - 01/08/19 06:34 PM
THANKS Joe, Turns out this accountant does not need it filled out now, but I tested your post and am keeping notes.

He sent a link to adobe acrobat, but after downloading it, my computer said I had a more recent version already, and still (called DC? ) , did not edit anything!

Preview has gotten better, but when will Apple make it more like PDF pen?

PS are you/ they making progress on new server? When I click post is churns for 40 seconds and so far not problem, but if anything glitches... could be.
Posted By: joemikeb Re: How insert an X in a box in preview? - 01/08/19 07:39 PM
Originally Posted By: IraL
Apparently the one kevs is working with is not one of those types and the somewhat tedious method joemikeb lays out is the way to go in Preview.

Which is why I mentioned PDFPenPro as it will autonomously convert a PDF document into a fillable form.

Originally Posted By: artie505
You originally time-stamped this post, and I'm wondering why you deleted it?

Posting glitch, my error, not UBBThreads'.

Originally Posted By: keys
Preview has gotten better, but when will Apple make it more like PDF pen?

Preview is free with MacOS, PDFPenPro costs $125, a legal copy of Adobe Acrobat rents for $15 per month. Do the numbers (and I don't mean the app wink )

Originally Posted By: keys
e you/ they making progress on new server? When I click post is churns for 40 seconds and so far not problem, but if anything glitches... could be

We are discussing alternatives, but the problem isn't necessarily with the server itself. There are a lot of possibilities.
Posted By: kevs Re: How insert an X in a box in preview? - 01/08/19 07:46 PM
Thanks Joe.
Posted By: artie505 Re: How insert an X in a box in preview? - 01/09/19 06:12 AM
Originally Posted By: joemikeb
Originally Posted By: artie505
You originally time-stamped this post, and I'm wondering why you deleted it?

Posting glitch, my error, not UBBThreads'.

Originally Posted By: keys
e you/ they making progress on new server? When I click post is churns for 40 seconds and so far not problem, but if anything glitches... could be

We are discussing alternatives, but the problem isn't necessarily with the server itself. There are a lot of possibilities.

Since you began time-stamping posts and abruptly reversed yourself after doing it a second time I was wondering if you had decided that there's nothing useful to be learned from the exercise and if I, too, should throw in the towel?

(50 secs)
Posted By: artie505 Re: How insert an X in a box in preview? - 01/09/19 07:09 AM
I'm hanging my hat on my font issue being a rendering bug in macOS.

This has been happening since at least macOS 10.13:

The TextEdit document in the middle of this screenshot is Lucida Fax 12.

The rendering above it is what I see when I hit command-P > Open in Preview with the document open; it's also what prints. (If I simply command-P the document on my desktop it prints correctly.)

The red text in the box is what I get when I annotate an open PDF. (I can't date the annotation problem, because I haven't used the feature in years, but I"m guessing that its occurrence coincides with that of the TextEdit problem.)

Summarizing, the middle example is rendered correctly while the top and bottom examples are not.

Bug report filed.

(10 seconds)
Posted By: joemikeb Re: How insert an X in a box in preview? - 01/09/19 03:39 PM
Originally Posted By: artie505
Since you began time-stamping posts and abruptly reversed yourself after doing it a second time I was wondering if you had decided that there's nothing useful to be learned from the exercise and if I, too, should throw in the towel?

Time stamps are not helpful other than a way to vent frustration. We are aware of the problem and several possibilities have been posited but to date none has proven out. Believe me, no one wants this fixed more than we do. It is annoying as ♄♒︎☹︎☹︎

Your last two posts in this thread are hijacking the OPs thread to new topics. Please start your own topics.
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