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Subject:Re: Filling out forms From:Michael Blair <mjblair -at- TOTAL -dot- NET> Date:Tue, 28 Apr 1998 08:23:19 -0400
Richard Nickel <jrnickel -at- xtra -dot- co -dot- nz> wrote:
>>From time to time I need to update and re-submit sets of employment
>related forms.
[snip]
>It occurs to me that I should be able to have the forms scanned, then
>bring them up onto the screen where I could use them as a background
>visual template, typing in the details and adjusting the linespacing
>exactly as required to fit the screen image. I should then be able to
>load the original form into the printer, print out the text and presto!
>everyting fits perfectly!
[snip]
Dick
I did this once (and only once), scanning in a form (tiff) and using to
PageMaker fill it in (luckily it wasn't a long form). With PageMaker you
don't have to worry about line spacing, just use a text block for each
field. You could probably do the same thing in Word 97/98 by using text
boxes. Word 6 has text boxes too, and it would probably work. Lots of cut
and paste, though, to move the text into text boxes.
Printing on the original form would not be easy, though. Your scan may not
line up perfectly (scanners often slightly reduce the size of the image).
Print on a blank page first or make sure you have plenty of copies of the
form.
Might be a whole lot easier to fill the thing out by hand (collective gasp).
