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Fill out a PDF form

Applications, consent forms and confirmations can be completed without printing. Type in the blanks, tick the boxes, add a signature image and save.

Good to know first. PdfMonster doesn't fill a PDF's built-in form fields. It places text and shapes on top of the page. The result looks just like a printed form, but if the receiving system needs to read the field values automatically, this may not be the right tool.

Step by step

Open the form in PdfMonster. The file isn't uploaded; it's processed in your browser.
Pick Text in the toolbar (shortcut T), click a blank and type.
If the text looks too big or too small for the blank, change Size in the style bar. Around 10–12 usually matches form body text.
Click outside to finish. If the position is off, use the Select tool (V) and drag the text into place.
For a check mark, type V or X with the Text tool, or draw a small rectangle from the Shapes menu and set its fill to black.
For a signature, use the Image tool (I) with a photo of your signature and fit it to the line. See Add text, shapes and a signature image.
Press Download, then reopen the saved file and make sure no blank was missed.

Tips for a natural look

Match the font. You can choose sans or serif in the text style. If the form is set in a serif face, switch to serif so your entries blend in.
Zoom in. Working at 150% or more makes it easier to land text exactly inside a box.
Keep size and color consistent. The style you used last is remembered, so once the first blank looks right, the next ones will match.
Undo quickly. Ctrl+Z steps back one action at a time.

Common mistakes

Problem	Fix
Text covers the box border	Reduce the size and nudge the text slightly above the line.
The form is a scan and no line is highlighted	Scans can't be edited as text, but the Text tool still lets you write on top.
The signature is missing in the saved file	Before downloading, check that the signature sits inside the page and its opacity isn't too low.
You need to hide personal data before submitting	Follow How to redact a PDF properly so the text is actually removed.

Start filling a form