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csb102155
Level 3
Apr 12, 2012 8:55 PM UTC
Solved

Combining XML and PDF Files

Hi, I have a form created in Adobe LiveCycle, and I need to be able to take this form and merge it with some PDF forms.  When I go try to "Combine Files into PDF" It says the XML form cannot be combine.  Is there a way around this?  Using the "Create a Portfolio" is not an option.

I have Adobe Pro X

Thanks for any assistance you can give on this matter.

Connie Bretes

    Kosta_Prokopiu1
    Kosta_Prokopiu1Accepted solution
    Employee
    Aug 25, 2020 11:36 AM UTC

    Hi,
    to explain why you cannot combine the XFA PDF with others:
    Assembling PDFs only works with the same "type" of PDF.
    The most common form of PDFs is what I call the Print-PDF. That is what the majority of PDFs out there are.
    Then there are special variants such as XFA PDFs. These need a plug-in in Adobe Reader or Acrobat to render them in their final form while being opened.
    Because these two are so different, it is not possible to combine them in Acrobat.

    You can "flatten" your XFA PDF (it will not be a form with editable fields afterwards) and create a Print-PDF. Then you can combine them.
    To flatten them you could for example use the "Microsoft Print as PDF" (which probably works better than converting to Word).

    View reply

    14 replies

    Kosta_Prokopiu1
    Kosta_Prokopiu1Accepted solution
    Employee
    Aug 25, 2020 11:36 AM UTC

    Hi,
    to explain why you cannot combine the XFA PDF with others:
    Assembling PDFs only works with the same "type" of PDF.
    The most common form of PDFs is what I call the Print-PDF. That is what the majority of PDFs out there are.
    Then there are special variants such as XFA PDFs. These need a plug-in in Adobe Reader or Acrobat to render them in their final form while being opened.
    Because these two are so different, it is not possible to combine them in Acrobat.

    You can "flatten" your XFA PDF (it will not be a form with editable fields afterwards) and create a Print-PDF. Then you can combine them.
    To flatten them you could for example use the "Microsoft Print as PDF" (which probably works better than converting to Word).

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      jngincorporated
      New Participant
      Aug 18, 2020 3:32 AM UTC

      the easiest way that I found to do it was to export the xml wrapped pdf to a word docx. then save that as a pdf. you can now open it and insert/merge other pdfs into it...

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      camerons8212090
      New Participant
      Dec 26, 2019 3:56 PM UTC

      I was able to figure out how to combine an XML "pdf wrapped" file and a regular pdf without losing the editable boxes. Open both files you want to combine. Highlight all the pages of the XML document, right click, and select "Extract Pages". Extract them all into a new document. Then just select the pages and drag them to the other pdf doc. Any editable form fields will still be there.

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      Wingman832
      New Participant
      Apr 26, 2023 12:17 PM UTC

      The XML pdf is blank when I add them to the regular PDF.

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        Siment1
        New Participant
        Jan 5, 2016 9:06 PM UTC

        Yes, this does the trick. First, I just tried to SAVE the document as a (regular) PDF file and this does NOT work. But if you PRINT (the XML version) to a PDF file, this gets the job done.

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        cassied68563467
        New Participant
        Sep 3, 2015 2:09 AM UTC

        Thank you! I decided to just start over!

        Sent from my iPhone

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        kjaeggin
        Employee
        Sep 1, 2015 4:56 PM UTC

        what type of interactive form are you trying to combine? The following document outlines the constraints and rules around combining Form based PDFs. See chapter 4 in this documentation here: http://help.adobe.com/en_US/livecycle/11.0/ddxRef.pdf for LiveCycle Assembler.

        KJ

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        cassied68563467
        New Participant
        Sep 1, 2015 3:49 PM UTC

        I have tried to do this to no avail.

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        radzmar
        radzmar
        Level 10
        May 28, 2014 6:56 PM UTC

        You can attach the interactive forms to your regular PDF's, so you'll be able to keep the interactivity.

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        ikonow
        ikonow
        New Participant
        May 27, 2014 3:18 PM UTC

        What if you need the PDF to remain interactive after its merged?

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          KingDavid
          New Participant
          Mar 28, 2014 6:34 PM UTC

          Easyest Way to do is Open XML file in adobe Pro and print as a PDF thats gonna transform automaticly to reg pdf file after it will allow you to compbine xml to reg pdf

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