To create a PDF template, take any existing PDF document and apply the XML Publisher markup. Because the source of the PDF document does not matter, you have multiple design options. For example:
Design the layout of your template using any application that generates documents that can be converted to PDF
Scan a paper document to use as a template
Download a PDF document from a third-party Web site
Note: The steps required to create a template from a third-party PDF depend on whether form fields have been added to the document. For more information, see Creating a Template from a Downloaded PDF.
If you are designing the layout, note that once you have converted to PDF, your layout is treated like a set background. When you mark up the template, you draw fields on top of this background. To edit the layout, you must edit your original document and then convert back to PDF.
For this reason, the PDF template is not recommended for documents that will require frequent updates to the layout. However, it is appropriate for forms that will have a fixed layout, such as invoices or purchase orders.
XML Publisher supports Adobe Acrobat 5.0 (PDF specification version 1.4). If you are using Adobe Acrobat Professional 6.0 (or later), use the Reduce File Size Option (from the File menu) to save your file as Adobe Acrobat 5.0 compatible.
For PDF conversion, XML Publisher supports any PDF conversion utility, such as Adobe Acrobat Distiller.