How to “flatten” (include PDF comments) in an e-mailed form

[larrycruzen]

After filling out a form in “FILES”, using the form editor (bar with dots in the upper right hand corner) how can you email a “flattened “ version including the PDF comments? When you print the form, it asks you if you want to include these PDF comments, but not if you choose to email it.
I have had to print the form with the PDF comments, then scan it back in, in order to email it. When dealing with a large number of forms, which I have filled out, that is a real pain.

Larry Cruzen

 

[LannyC]

I don’t have a form to test this on, but do you see any option to “print to text?”
- or -
Instead of printing then scanning, how about just emailing a screen shot? On a recent iPad, press the top button and one of the volume buttons simultaneously.

 

[larrycruzen]

I don’t have a form to test this on, but do you see any option to “print to text?”
- or -
Instead of printing then scanning, how about just emailing a screen shot? On a recent iPad, press the top button and one of the volume buttons simultaneously.

No option to print to text.

The forms that I have been working with run 6 to 15 pages long. Screenshots are not an option. Printing and scanning back in is a very poor option, but I just can’t find another way yet.

Larry Cruzen

 

[twerppoet]

I've played around with this, but had very limited success. Even when choosing to print the file, expanding the preview, and Save to Files results in a fillable PDF. Files seems very stubborn about this, even to the extent that if you give it an flat form, it will detect and try to make it fillable (with poor success).

I did manage to use Shortcuts to kind of flatten the PDF, by converting it to an image. But the nature of images don't support multiple pages, so I end up with an image of each page.

Sorry to say, but I don't think there is an easy/good solution to this using the Files app at this time.

Personally I use the Documents app by Readdle. If you don't want the extra document features, PDF Expert by Readdle is just the PDF editing tools. When saving or duplicating a PDF in Documents it always gives you an Original or Flatten option. It is not, however, free.

Adobe Acrobat Reader is free for basic functionality (last I checked). It probably gives you a similar option.

 

[Aerofly]

I would second the use of PDF Expert for editing, again always gives the option of original or flattened, but you will have to spend a little as it’s not free.

 

[larrycruzen]

I've played around with this, but had very limited success. Even when choosing to print the file, expanding the preview, and Save to Files results in a fillable PDF. Files seems very stubborn about this, even to the extent that if you give it an flat form, it will detect and try to make it fillable (with poor success).

I did manage to use Shortcuts to kind of flatten the PDF, by converting it to an image. But the nature of images don't support multiple pages, so I end up with an image of each page.

Sorry to say, but I don't think there is an easy/good solution to this using the Files app at this time.

Personally I use the Documents app by Readdle. If you don't want the extra document features, PDF Expert by Readdle is just the PDF editing tools. When saving or duplicating a PDF in Documents it always gives you an Original or Flatten option. It is not, however, free.

Adobe Acrobat Reader is free for basic functionality (last I checked). It probably gives you a similar option.

Thank you, Twerppoet, for assisting me in this effort. I had dozens of legal forms that were emailed to me, needed to be filled out and emailed back to my attorney. I had the free version of PDF Expert and discovered that it won’t even let you print the results, let alone email them. I paid $50 for the upgraded version only to discover that I still couldn’t email flattened forms. I didn’t have time to keep fooling with PDF Expert.
I discovered that the later versions of the Apple Files app offered the ability to fill out forms and print the results If you turn on “include PDF comments“. However, if you email the results, there is no option to “include PDF comments“. I figured there had to be a way, so that’s when I asked for help. I never did find a way, so I struggled through by printing the forms, scanning them back in and then emailing them.
If I had a worthwhile contact at Apple, I’d have a discussion with them about this. When one has all of the forms neatly categorized and stored in the Files app, it would certainly be better not to have to go elsewhere to work on them.
Larry Cruzen

 

[twerppoet]

Yes, I find it strange that Apple's files app won't flatten the PDF, even when printing to a file. My only thought on it is that it's a fairly recent feature, and they obviously haven't thought through all it's possible uses.

I'm finding it strange that PDF Expert is not working for you. When I email a form from PDF Expert I get the below. I've circled the app's icon, just to make sure we are using the same app. This is the free version (I'm pretty sure). I skipped past the upgrade for $X when I launched it.

 

[larrycruzen]

Yes, I find it strange that Apple's files app won't flatten the PDF, even when printing to a file. My only thought on it is that it's a fairly recent feature, and they obviously haven't thought through all it's possible uses.

I'm finding it strange that PDF Expert is not working for you. When I email a form from PDF Expert I get the below. I've circled the app's icon, just to make sure we are using the same app. This is the free version (I'm pretty sure). I skipped past the upgrade for $X when I launched it.

View attachment 104892

Wow! Now that I have completed, printed, scanned in and e-mailed all my forms, I discovered Apple FILES App’s secret.
When working on a form in Files, the name of the form is in the upper left-hand corner of the screen with a little down arrow after it. Touching the down arrow brings up a drop-down menu offering several options. I’ve used this before to rename documents, but never noticed that one of the option was to “lock PDF“. Selecting the “lock PDF“ option requires you to create a password for the document. This is great in my case, because the documents contained sensitive information. The locked documents are “flattened” and can be emailed. It appears that multiple documents can use the same password, which is handy.

Larry Cruzen

 

[twerppoet]

I saw that but, but did not think you would be interested. It does not "flatten" the document. A flattened document loses all it's editable fields. What locking does do is protect the document from being (directly) edited by anyone without the password.

Sorry I did not mention it, though I suspect you had already doen things the hard way before I got around to exploring the Files app's PDF features.

The main reason (from my experience) of flattening a document is to prevent accidental changes. Also, editable forms can sometimes act differently in different PDF readers. PDFs I've sent to friends sometimes appeared blank when viewed in a browser. That never happened with flattened PDFs.

 

[larrycruzen]

I saw that but, but did not think you would be interested. It does not "flatten" the document. A flattened document loses all it's editable fields. What locking does do is protect the document from being (directly) edited by anyone without the password.

Sorry I did not mention it, though I suspect you had already doen things the hard way before I got around to exploring the Files app's PDF features.

The main reason (from my experience) of flattening a document is to prevent accidental changes. Also, editable forms can sometimes act differently in different PDF readers. PDFs I've sent to friends sometimes appeared blank when viewed in a browser. That never happened with flattened PDFs.

Now that I have struggled through a bunch of forms, under a deadline, using Apple Forms app I will offer some comments on the Forms app:

Apple must have used their 3rd line team to develop this app. It is cumbersome, unintuitive and lacking many features. That’s sad, because it has so much potential.

There doesn’t seem to be a way to set a default font size. I was constantly having to back up and change the size. Further, as you change font size, it doesn’t tell you what the size is.

Vertically aligning the text in the small box of a form is challenging….sometimes impossible.

I’ve already discussed the problems involved in trying to e-mail a completed form. No way to really flatten a form before exporting it.

There doesn’t seem to be a “settings“ tab where one can make default changes.

Just a few of the problems I had using this app for filling out forms. It works OK for managing files, but not for filling out forms.

Larry Cruzen