*Note: This article is for embedding images that are sent over in the Merge Data. Not embedding signatures from e-signature services like DocuSign, AdobeSign, HelloSign, etc.
Fillable PDFs are a great way to organize information in a clean and professional format that you can trust will always look the same. Everything works great until you find out that there is not an “image” field to use if you want to be able to embed an image in the PDF. No worries! We’ve got a feature that allows you to embed those images directly in your PDF, in any location.
The setup for this feature is fairly straight forward. To get started, we’re going to create a new Document in Formstack Documents and upload our fillable PDF. After we upload the document, we’re going to need to go back to the “Manage File” tab to add the settings for embedding the image. On this page, you’ll notice a button called "Embed Images" on the right side. Go ahead and click that button.
To set up an image, you’ll want to determine the URL for the image (this could be a field from a Formstack Form, static text, or a combination). For this example we are going to use static text and name a new field called "signature". Go ahead and enter {$signature} in the URL box.
Next, we’re going to enter the width, height, and location of the image in the PDF.
To accurately place an embedded image of a signature in your fillable PDF, you will need to determine the exact pixel location where the signature should go. Here's how you can accomplish this and remove a lot of the guess work:
1. **PDF Page Dimensions**: You need to know the dimensions of your PDF page in pixels. Our system shows the page dimensions automatically, but you can also adjust it by clicking the "Switch" check box.
2. **Signature Placement**: You should decide where on the page you want the signature to appear. This is typically at the end of the document, in a designated "signature" area.
3. **Measure the Location**: Use a PDF editor that displays pixel dimensions or a screenshot tool that can measure pixels, and find the position (in pixels) where the signature needs to be placed. You will need the 'Top' and 'Left' pixel values to position the signature correctly.
4. **Determine Size**: Decide on the size of the signature image. The width and height (in pixels) should be appropriate for the space allocated for the signature in the PDF.
Once you have these measurements, you can input them into the fields provided in your system to embed the signature image at the correct location on the PDF page. If your PDF editor does not display pixel dimensions, you might need to convert from another unit of measurement to pixels based on the resolution of the document (typically, 72 or 96 pixels per inch for screen resolution PDFs).
*Please note: Accurate placement will also depend on the resolution of the signature image you are embedding. It's important that the image resolution is suitable for the PDF to ensure that the signature is clear and not pixelated.
After you have everything setup, you can do some testing to make sure you have the image in the correct spot. To do this, open a new tab or browser window and go to the “Test” page in Formstack Documents. On this page you should see your fields. Go ahead and find the field you used for the image and enter in any URL for an image (if you don’t have one handy, use http://www.webmerge.me/images/image.php. Submit a test and take a look at the PDF that is generated. If your image is off, simply go back to the "Manage File" tab and update the embed settings for that image. Continue this process until you get the image just right.
*Looking for even more flexibility?
1. In addition to fillable PDFs, Formstack Documents supports the ability to embed images in Microsoft Word, Excel, and Powerpoint .
2. Formstack Documents also has an out of the box document builder if you are looking for an easy to use, yet powerful interface and don't want to have additional software involved. You can easily embed images within the Formstack Document Builder as well.