LibreOffice: Advent Tip #22

LibreOffice has several hidden gems, ignored by the majority of the users. One of these gems is the creation of editable PDF forms, which is a rather comprehensive feature and not a simple tip (but after 20 days, even the most basic user is now a skilled LibreOffice user…).

I will try to summarize the feature, which is explained in brief in this short tutorial (PDF) and in detail in a chapter of the LibreOffice Writer Guide (PDF).

Starting from an empty Writer document, and activating the Form Control and (optionally) the Form Design Toolbars, the user can access a number of tools to design a complete form (text fields, option buttons, check boxes, etcetera, each one with a large number of options), which at the end can be saved as a PDF standard form compatible with all PDF readers.

This feature is extremely useful for public administrations and enterprises, and replaces – adding value – printed forms, as a PDF form can be easily filled in by any user.