Efficient Ways to Create a Drop-Down List in PDF

Drop-down menus are collapsible list boxes, commonly employed in diverse documents, to facilitate the organized collection, filtering, and summarization of information. These menus are effective because the available answers are predefined, ensuring consistency in responses.

However, when it comes to editing PDFs, Adobe is often the first choice that comes to mind. Yet, it can be a costly option.

In response to this, we’ve identified one free alternative to Adobe for achieving the same functionality.

Create a Drop-Down List in PDFs Online for Free

PDFgear stands out as one of the top alternatives to Adobe. It performs well in PDF editing: add comments, highlights, notes, markups, signatures, stamps, underlines, strikethroughs, images, passwords, watermarks, and more. As for PDF form filling, PDFgear enables you to insert checkboxes, radio buttons, fillable text boxes, list boxes, and drop-down lists, etc. All these features even can help you create a fillable PDF form for sharing.

Absolutely no registration, no subscription, no installation, and no watermarks – PDFgear is your go-to tool for effortlessly creating drop-down lists in PDFs.

Step 1. Upload PDF to PDFgear

Access PDFgear Online Editor > Click “Upload PDF files” > Choose a PDF to add.

Or you can drop the PDF to the specific area to upload.

Step 2. Find the “Drop Down” Button

Click the “Add and Edit Form Fields” toolbar > Click the “Drop Down” Button > Place the drop-down box on the position you desire.

Step 3. List the Items

Double-click the drop-down box > A pop-up named “Drop Down Properties” appears > Click “OPTIONS” > Type the “Item Name” > Hit “ADD”.

All items you add will be placed on the “Dropdown Item List” below. Order the items is available using the “Up” and “Down” buttons. Finally, click “OK”.

Step 4. Customize the Drop-Down Box

The default fill color for the drop-down box is blue. If you wish to modify this color, you can do so by double-clicking the box, which will bring up the Drop Down Properties pop-up window.

Within this window, selecting the “Appearance” option allows you to customize various aspects, including text font, size, boldness, italics, position, and text color.

You can also adjust the fill color, border color, and thickness according to your preferences. If desired, you can even incorporate underlines or strikethroughs to the text.

Once you have confirmed that all the settings are complete, you can click the “Add and Edit Form Fields” toolbar again to view the final result. Then click the “Save” button to download the PDF on your device.

Create a Drop-Down List in PDFs with Adobe

Adobe is a reliable option for addressing PDF-related tasks. If you intend to create or add a drop-down menu to PDFs, Adobe Acrobat Pro is the appropriate choice. Unfortunately, the free version, Adobe Acrobat Reader, does not support this functionality.

Step 1. Fire up Adobe Acrobat Pro > Click Tools > Find Prepare Form.

You have the option to open a file from your device or scanner, or you can choose to create a new one.

Step 2. Navigate to the “Drop Down” button > Place the box in the location you like > Click “All Properties” to call out a pop-up window.

Step 3. To add the listed items, choose “Options” > Type the item > Click “Add” > Repeat this step to add all the items.

Step 4. Locate “Appearance” > Set the borders and colors of the drop-down > Customize the font size, color, and type for the listed items.

Furthermore, you have the flexibility to configure the position, action, format, and various other features within the Dropdown Properties.

Step 5. Click “Preview” to see the final effect of the drop-down box.

FAQs

Can You Create a Dropdown List in PDF for Free?

Indeed, PDFgear provides a free way to create and incorporate dropdown lists into PDFs, with both online and offline options.

If you have a stable Internet connection, the PDFgear online editor is a suitable choice. However, for larger PDFs exceeding 50MB, it’s a smart move to download PDFgear and process them offline.

How Do I Edit the Existing Dropdown List in PDF?

When you need to edit an existing dropdown list in PDF, you can upload it to PDFgear online editor > Click “Add and Edit Form Field” > Double-click the drop-down menu > modify the lists in the “OPTIONS” tab.

How Can I Change the Order of the Items in the Drop-Down Box?

PDFgear provides a user-friendly method to rearrange items within a dropdown menu. Upload the PDF to PDFgear > Double-click on the dropdown > Select the “OPTIONS” tab > Click on the items you wish to reposition > Utilize the Down/Up button.

Conclusion

If you don’t already have an Adobe subscription, we recommend giving PDFgear a try to handle your PDF-related tasks. PDFgear offers a versatile set of features that go beyond drop-down menus, including capabilities such as cropping, converting, splitting, rotating, merging, and compressing PDFs, all within a single, user-friendly platform. This way, you can efficiently manage a wide range of PDF-related needs without the need for an Adobe subscription.