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• • April 14, 2014 at 2:56 am #67947
    Scott Croft

    Member

    Hi All

    I have been asked to put a form together which has loads of boxes etc. I’ve done similar in the past using Quark and would like to replicate the style so the new form is in keeping with what we currently have. The old forms I created using lots of guides and text frames for boxes which worked quite well but is a bit of a pain.

    This is what my existing forms look like:
    [IMG]https://i1046.photobucket.com/albums/b467/valve90210/Misc%20Stuff/Example_01_zps4e4874f4.jpg[/IMG]

    Ideally I’d like to use tables to make things nice and simple with regards to keeping column widths and heights the same etc.

    This is what I’ve been playing with using tables:

    [IMG]https://i1046.photobucket.com/albums/b467/valve90210/Misc%20Stuff/Example_02_zps27b8c8e0.jpg[/IMG]

    Which with cell strokes gives me similar to what I want but without the spaces between the boxes which I would like:

    [IMG]https://i1046.photobucket.com/albums/b467/valve90210/Misc%20Stuff/Example_03_zps13b8ac28.jpg[/IMG]

    From doing some googling I’m fairly sure this is not something which is built into Indesign sadly but does anyone have a simple method for either getting spaces between the rows..or at least giving the look of spaces between the rows?

    Any help very much appreciated.

  • April 14, 2014 at 6:33 am #67950
    David Blatner

    Keymaster

    Do you want those boxes to be pdf form fields? That is, when someone opens the PDF in Acrobat or Reader they would be able to fill in this form? If so, you’ll definitely want to use frames instead of a table cells. (However, you can anchor the frames inside the table cells, which can help you with the alignment.)

    We have a bunch of articles on PDF form fields on the site here.

    • April 14, 2014 at 8:51 am #67953
      Scott Croft

      Member

      Nope, it’s purely for printed hard copy.

      Although having said that I might actually investigate it being a pdf form too, would look good if I go back to the powers that be and tell there is extra functionality…

  • April 15, 2014 at 2:47 am #67961
    Masood Ahmad

    Participant

    Inserting a blank row with let’s say 1mm height in between two rows will create a gap effect. Please make a note that you’ll have to play a lot while creating a form using Tables.

    One tricky way is to insert a single row table each time and using After space, you can control the spaces between the rows. It will be a table while viewing but in reality a bunch of tables (of only one row).

    I have created hundreds of forms like this and mostly in MS Word format. I bet MS Word tables have no comparison. The user get a very flexible feel while working with Tables in MS Word. InDesign and other applications like this lacks that flexiblility, hence user has to compromise with one or the other way. So my trick is to create separate single row, adjust it accordingly, split it into multiple columns to create fields, and so on…

  • August 18, 2015 at 8:14 am #77403
    Peggy Nehmen

    Member

    David,
    you said above: “Do you want those boxes to be pdf form fields? That is, when someone opens the PDF in Acrobat or Reader they would be able to fill in this form? If so, you’ll definitely want to use frames instead of a table cells. (However, you can anchor the frames inside the table cells, which can help you with the alignment.) We have a bunch of articles on PDF form fields on the site here.”

    YES, I designed several forms with tables. Now the client wants them interactive. InDesign CC 2015.1 — can I make a table with cells text fields? Sounds like I need to add an additional text frame on top of the table cells??
    Please let me know and/or send an article. thanks!

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