How to fill out forms with Form Pilots

How to fill out forms with Form Pilots (Office, Pro, and Home)
in questions and answers

I experience problems while trying to close Form Pilot.
I have several forms to scan. After I scanned the first form, the "Acquire" command is disabled.
After scanning a form, I get a message that the image has no resolution.
After opening an image file, I get a message that the image has no resolution.
When trying to open an existing Form Pilot document, I get an error message that says the program can’t open the document.
My document is of great importance and I only have one copy of the paper form to fill out. How to make sure that the text I have entered will be printed exactly in the right places?
The text printed on the paper is not in the right places as one sees it on the screen.
My image is displayed only partially.
The form is being printed with a wrong color.
How to correctly scan a form and set it up to appear in Form Pilot for later use?
How do I use printer fonts to speed up text printing?
How do I save the form with text as an image?
How do I put an image (or a part of it) on the Shelf?
I have inserted my signature into a document, but I can't scale it using the handles.
I want to save my document as PDF.
How do I change PDF generation options?
How to change PDF security options?
How to repeatedly fill out the same form?
What is a Template and how to use this feature?
Is it possible to export and import data into Form Pilot?
How to reduce the size of the filled form before sending it by email if the sender and the recipient have the same form on their PC?
How do I save a filled form to a floppy disk to open it later on a classroom computer?
I installed the program, but unable to utilize virtual printer.
How get the program work under a restricted user?
How to make Form Pilot Office work under TS?
Is there a possibility of controlling the way that a user can tab throught the text fields?
The performance is slow. What should I do?
How do I identify font that was used in the scanned document and its size?
I opened a PDF document in IE6.0 browser. When I closed the window with this PDF document, all IE windows got closed and my PC froze.
I have a scanner and a printer combined in one device. When I scan a form, it looks grey, and when I print it, it is black.
I have a graphics file that is not supported by the program. How can I open it?
While trying to print a Legal formated .pdf document with virtual printer, a portion of it is trimmed out.
How do I put the text field on top of the rectangle to make the text field available for editing?
How do I use background texture to hide a piece I don't need?
The program appeares to be stuck in the same place. As I type, the letters pile on the same spot.
How to change color for all text fields?
How to create forms to be filled out by my customers?
How to find and install an additional spell check dictionary?
Due to pure scanning quality, the scanned image has a gray background and/or the text is not clear. How do I fix it?

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I experience problems while trying to close Form Pilot.

Please check if the scan dialog was closed after scanning was complete. If not, please close it and then exit Form Pilot
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I have several forms to scan. After I scanned the first form, the "Acquire" command is disabled.

It happened because the scan dialog was not closed after you scanned the first form. To scan a new form, just switch to the scan dialog and click the "Scan" button. After scanning forms please close the scan dialog.
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After scanning a form, I get a message that the image has no resolution.

Please make sure that the resolution in your scanner driver is not zero or enter image resolution value manually in the opened dialog.
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After opening an image file, I get a message that the image has no resolution.

Please make sure that you did not save the image in the Bitmap OS2 format or enter image resolution value manually in the opened dialog.
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When trying to open an existing Form Pilot document, I get an error message that says the program can’t open the document.

Probably, this document was created with an older version of Form Pilot (lower than v.1.50). Please make sure that your document (.fdc) and the form image it uses are in the same folder.
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My document is of great importance and I only have one copy of the paper form to fill out. How to make sure that the text I have entered will be printed exactly in the right places?

If you have to fill out a very important preprinted document, make sure that the entered data is exactly in the places it should be. Read more...
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The text printed on the paper is not in the right places as one sees it on the screen.
To solve this problem:
- Use the "Move the image" tools
  Or:
- When you choose the "Print" command, the "Print options" dialog box comes up:
  
  Here you can specify the output offset. This offset can be both positive and negative. Use this offset to get your text and other objects printed in the right place.
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My image is displayed only partially.
- Access your printer settings and make sure that page orientation layout (portrait/landscape) is correct.
- Make sure that the size of the form you scanned does not exceed the size of the paper format currently selected for your printer.
- You probably set up the wrong resolution settings for your image that is less than the resolution you used while scanning your form.
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The form is being printed with a wrong color.
- Try changing your scanner/printer settings.
  Or:
- After you select the "Print" command, please make sure that the "Print as image" setting is activated in the "Print options" dialog:
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How to correctly scan a form and set it up to appear in Form Pilot for later use?

Insert a paper document, which you usually fill out using a typewriter into your scanner. Read more...
[ Form Pilot Pro, Form Pilot Office, Connect Form Pilot ]

How do I use printer fonts to speed up text printing?

Choose the "Print Setup" command from the File menu and select a printer that can use built-in fonts. Set one of the supported printer fonts (they are displayed with icon) for every text field and then print on the pre-printed form.

Note: This method is only applicable to printing text data on a preprinted form. It is not possible to use it for printing the form itself.
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How do I save the form with text as an image?

1) Fill out your form in the program.
2) Select the File | Export menu command and save your document in any graphic file format supported by the program.
[ Form Pilot Home, Form Pilot Pro, Form Pilot Office, Connect Form Pilot ]

How do I put an image (or a part of it) on the Shelf?

1) Scan the image.
2) Crop a part of the image that you want to put on a shelf (use the button on the "Image Tools" panel), press the "Do" arrow: .
3) Save the picture ( Image | Save image as... )
4) Insert the picture into your document ( Edit | Insert Picture...)
5) Click on the picture to make it active and put it on the shelf (Edit | Put on the Shelf).
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I have a scanned file of my signature which I have placed on the shelf. I have inserted it into a document, but I can't scale it using the handles...

Please activate any tool on the "Drawing Tools" toolbar. Then you can "stretch" the signature with the mouse.
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I want to save my document as PDF

Open your document, go to the File menu and select the "Save as PDF..." command.
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How do I change PDF generation options?

Click menu Options and switch to the PDF tab
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How to change PDF security options?

Click File | Properties... and switch to the PDF Security tab. Here you can change user password, owner password, protection key length (40-bit or 128=bit) and other security options. Selected options will apply only to the current document.
[ Form Pilot Pro, Form Pilot Office, Connect Form Pilot ]

How to repeatedly fill out the same form?

Each document can contain more than one record. Read more...
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What is a Template and how to use this feature?

A template is a user-created bare bones type of a document. Templates let you automate and simplify the process of creating new documents. Read more...
[ Form Pilot Office, Connect Form Pilot ]

Is it possible to export and import data into Form Pilot?

You can import data from your database into Form Pilot Office document or export data from Form Pilot Office document to the database (Access, DBF databases and more are supported). Read more...
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How to reduce the size of the filled form before sending it by email if the sender and the recipient have the same form on their PC?

1) Delete the main (form) image from the filled out document (Image | Delete image)
2) Save your file (with the text only) (File | Save As...)
3) Send this file to a recipient. He/she will be able to save it to his/her computer, open (File | Open...) and load the same form image (Image | Load Image...)
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How do I save a filled form to a floppy disk to open it later on a classroom computer?

1) Delete the main (form) image from the filled out document (Image | Delete image)
2) Save the file (with the text only) to a floppy disk (File | Save As...)
3) Bring the floppy disk to your classroom (as well as the CD with the original forms) and open the file on your classroom computer (File | Open...)
4) Load the form image again from the CD with the original forms (Image | Load Image...)
5) Correct the form (if necessary) and save it.
[ Form Pilot Office, Connect Form Pilot ]

I installed the program, but unable to utilize virtual printer.
1) Go to Control Panel | Printers and Faxes, choose Form Pilot Office from the printer list, click the Printer menu and make sure that the 'Use Printer Offilne' option is unchecked.

2) Try to decrease virtual printer resolution by 100-200dpi. If it doesn't help, see the next item.

3) Reinstall the program. Please pay attention that it is necessary to restart your computer during the installation. Also make sure that you log in as an Administrator*.

* If you want to log in as a User, you can ask your administrator to create special settings for you.
See question #24: How get the program work under a restricted user?

4) If the program reinstallation does not help, you probably have several printer drivers installed on your system and they might be in conflict. Please uninstall the drivers that you don't need as well as Form Pilot Office driver and reinstall the LPT1 port. Then install Form Pilot Office again.

5) If all this did not help please write us a message via our support form and let us know:
- your PC configuration
- your PC operating system
- whether Service Pack 2 is installed (for Windows XP)
- what port is used for program's virtual driver
- what Adobe Reader version you have on your PC
- whether you work in the network or have a local PC computer
- what printers you have installed besides our virtual printer
- whether you have this result only when you sent a single page to the virtual printer
- whether you get any error message and if yes, then which
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How get the program work under a restricted user?
To get the program work under a restricted user, Administrator should set up the following:
- "List folder contents" and "Read" rights for "WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\spool\PRINTERS" folder.
- "List folder contents", "Read", "Write", "Modfy" rights for the system temp directory (default "WINDOWS\TEMP").
- "Print", "Manage Printers" and "Manage Documents" rights for the printer.
- "Read", "Write", "Modfy" rights for the "WINDOWS\WIN.INI" file.
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How to make Form Pilot Office work under TS?

For installation of Form Pilot Office on a terminal server, you should purchase the appropriate license entitling use on a terminal server.
Form Pilot Office for Terminal Server must be installed using "Control Panel | Add or Remove Programs" otherwise virtual printer won't function properly under TS.
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Is there a possibility of a tab index or controlling the way that a user can tab throught the text fields and checkboxes of the document?

Tab index is set in the same order that you created fields.

[ Form Pilot Home ]

In Form Pilot Home, you can change the tab index using command "Move Object Up" in the menu Edit. This command must be applied to all the fields and checkboxes, starting with the field/checkbox that is supposed to be first.

Let's say, you tab throught fields 1,2,3 in the following order: 1-2-3. To change the tab order to 3-2-1, you have to apply the "Move Object Up" command first for the field 3, then for 2, and then for 1.

[ Form Pilot Pro, Form Pilot Office ]

In Form Pilot Pro / Form Pilot Office, you can change the tab index using the and tools on the Object Style toolbar. To set a new tab order:

1) Activate tab order setup mode by clicking on the button.
2) Click on the field where you are going to change tab order.
3) Set new order number in the window for this field and press Enter.
4) Repeat operations 2 and 3 for every field you would like to change tab order.
5) To deactivate tab order setup mode, just select any tool on the Drawing Tools bar, for example, .
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The performance is slow. What should I do?

1) This may be caused by the virtual printer that Form Pilot Office uses. Lower the resolution in the Form Pilot Office printer settings window, this will reduce the size of the printed document.
This problem can also occur if the main image of the document is too large.

2) You may want to adjust the scanner (lower color depth and/or resolution).

3) If the document already exists, you may want to save it with lower color depth then re-load the copy you've just saved using Image | Save Image As... and Image | Load Image... commands. Don't forget to create a backup copy of the document.
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How do I identify font that was used in the scanned document and its size?

You can use free applications that usually come with scanners or use MyFonts which is a free web service. In addition, there are some paid programs that identify fonts (Font Expert is one of them).
[ Form Pilot Office, Connect Form Pilot ]

I opened a PDF document in IE6.0 browser. When I closed the window with this PDF document, all IE windows got closed and my PC froze. What should I do?

In Adobe Reader, turn off option Edit | Preferences | Internet | Display PDF in browser. Then Re-start IE.
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I have a scanner and a printer combined in one device. When I scan a form, it looks grey, and when I print it, it is black.

First option: try adjusting settings for scanner and printer.
Second option: after you scanned the form, use the "White reference correction" option.
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I have a graphics file that is not supported by the program. How can I open it?

Use any image editor to convert it to a format that is supported by the program. In case you have Form Pilot Office, you can use Form Pilot Office virtual printer (print this file from any other program "with" Form Pilot Office printer; it will appear in Form Pilot Office).
[ Form Pilot Office, Connect Form Pilot ]

While trying to print a Legal formated .pdf document with virtual printer, a portion of it is trimmed out.

Make sure the Legal format is chosen in virtual printer settings as well as in those of your current printer.
[ Form Pilot Home, Form Pilot Pro, Form Pilot Office, Connect Form Pilot ]

I have a rectangle that completely covers the text filed, i.e. is over it. How do I put the text field on top of the rectangle to make the text field available for editing?

[ Form Pilot Home ]
For Form Pilot Home: change tab order index, so that its value for the rectangle is less than the index of the text field. This way the text filed will be "over" the rectangle. To change tab order index, use the "Move Object Up" command.
[ Form Pilot Pro, Form Pilot Office ]

For Form Pilot Pro / Form Pilot Office: choose menu Edit | Freeze Object to freeze the objects that cover other elements and therefore prevent the latter from being edited. Also the command allows you to freeze the objects that cover free space of the page and therefore prevent you from creating new objects.
[ Form Pilot Pro, Form Pilot Office, Connect Form Pilot ]

How do I use background texture to hide a piece I don't need?

1) Press "Copy Region" (the button is located in the "Image Tools" panel). Select section of background that you will use to cover the unwanted piece.
2) Execute the "Create Patch" command either in the context menu or the Edit menu. As a result of that you will see the selected piece of background in the upper left corner of the document's work area. By default, the picture won't be transparent.
3) Drag the image with the mouse to a desired place.
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First two attempts, the program worked fine for several forms. Then it appeared to be stuck in the same place. As I typed, the letters piled on the same spot.

Make sure that the "Character Pitch" button on the "Object Style" toolbar is disabled. This problem may occur when this button is active and character spacing value is 0.
[ Form Pilot Home, Form Pilot Pro, Form Pilot Office, Connect Form Pilot ]

How to change color for all text fields?

[ Form Pilot Home ]
For Form Pilot Home:
1. Go to the "Alignment Tools" panel and choose the "Select" tool.
2. Drag the pointer to draw a selection box around all text objects.
3. On the "Object Style" toolbar, select an appropriate color for your text ("Line color" tool).

[ Form Pilot Pro, Form Pilot Office ]

For Form Pilot Pro / Form Pilot Office:

1. Choose menu Edit | Select All to select all text fields.
2. On the "Object Style" toolbar, select an appropriate color for your text ("Font and line color" tool).
[ Connect Form Pilot ]

How to create forms to be filled out by my customers?

If a customer or a parter of your company is required to fill out a form, forward it to your company, and keep a copy for her/himself, Connect Form Pilot offers you a solution. Read more...
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How to find and install an additional spell check dictionary?

You can find additional dictionaries at www.addictive-software.com/dicts-extern.htm.

Install an appropriate dictionary file in C:\Program Files\Common Files\Invention Pilot Shared\Spellchecker.
Click the button and checkmark the new dictionary in the Spelling Options window.
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The original paper form has a white background. However, due to pure scanning quality, the scanned image has a gray background and/or the text is not clear (not black enough). How do I fix it?

You can fix the problem using the 'White reference correction' and 'Black reference correction' tools. Read more...

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