You may have noticed some errors when trying to use an XFA document in your PDF software workflows. This is common in industries that are still using legacy forms, and it can put a wrench in your workflows.

In order to get around this issue, you'll need to make sure you are optimizing XFA forms to work with PDF software, and in most cases that means flattening the form and converting it to PDF. There are a few different ways to achieve this depending on your requirements. In this article, we’ll discuss what it means to convert XFA to PDF and the reasons why it will make your PDF development workflows a bit easier, including how to use some of our tools to do so. Before we get into that, let's go over a few facts about XFA first. 

What is XFA? 

XFA (XML Forms Architecture) was a proprietary technology developed by Adobe for use with web forms saved internally in PDF files, but it has been deprecated in the revised PDF 2.0 format and is not permitted for use with special ISO formats for PDF documents. They don’t work on mobile devices and cannot be used with specialized formats like PDF/A. For organizations who interact with legacy XFA documents, it’s important to know the options for converting these forms into usable PDFs.  

Most PDF forms today use AcroForm, which is compatible with a wider range of software applications and devices. While XFA forms can allow for text reflow and interactivity, they have become increasingly isolated over time, and few software products can support that format. AcroForms, on the other hand, are widely supported and compatible with a variety of software applications and devices.   

What is XFA Flattening? 

Flattening XFA forms means converting an XFA form into a static or non-interactive format, usually a standard PDF document. When you flatten an XFA form, you remove the dynamic and interactive elements, such as form fields and scripting, and create a fixed, uneditable representation of the form. 

Reasons to Convert XFA to PDF 

Converting XFA forms to standard PDF forms is often necessary or beneficial for several reasons: 

• Compatibility: XFA forms are not universally supported by all PDF viewers and software. Many mobile and web-based PDF viewers do not fully support XFA, which can create compatibility issues when sharing or distributing forms. Converting to standard PDF ensures broader compatibility. 
• Accessibility: Standard PDF forms are often more accessible to users with disabilities. XFA forms might not provide the same level of accessibility features, such as screen reader support and other assistive technologies. 
• Long-term Archiving: To ensure the longevity of your forms and their accessibility in the future, it's a good practice to convert XFA forms to standard PDFs. Standard PDFs are well-established and widely supported, making them a more reliable format for long-term archiving. 
• Collaboration: If you need to collaborate with others who don't have access to XFA-compatible software, converting to standard PDF makes it easier to share and work with the forms.  Data Security: XFA forms might include features that are not well-suited for data security and privacy. Converting to standard PDF can help mitigate potential security concerns. 
• Legal and Regulatory Compliance: In some cases, specific industries or regulatory bodies may require forms to be in standard PDF format for compliance reasons. Converting ensures that your forms meet these requirements. 
• Platform Independence: Standard PDF forms can be used on various operating systems and devices, while XFA forms may have limitations on where and how they can be used. 
• Easier Data Extraction: Standard PDFs often make it easier to extract data from forms using tools or software, which can be useful for data analysis and integration with other systems. 
• Improved User Experience: Standard PDF forms are generally more user-friendly, with familiar navigation and interface elements. Users may find them easier to complete and submit. 
• Future-Proofing: The technology landscape changes over time. By converting XFA forms to standard PDFs, you reduce the risk of your forms becoming obsolete or unsupported in the future. 

It's important to note that the decision to convert XFA forms to standard PDFs should be made based on your specific needs, your audience, and the requirements of the forms themselves. In some cases, you may choose to keep XFA forms for certain specialized use cases, while providing a standardized PDF version for broader distribution and accessibility. 

What are your options when converting XFA forms to PDFs?  

XFA Form Converter  

• Converts interactive XFA form content to a “flat PDF” so that the XFA content in a PDF can be consumed and processed by PDF processors 
• Flat PDF = PDF is view only – the interactivity is replaced by a static file. PDF with Acroforms = PDF is viewable and the forms are interactive. 

AcroForm Converter  

• Converts PDFs with Acroforms to flat PDFs so that the Acroform content is view only and can be consumed and processed by PDF processors  
• Flat PDF = PDF is view only – the interactivity is replaced by a static file. 

XFA Barcode Converter  

• Converts barcodes (including QR codes) generated by XFA forms into standard PDF consumable barcodes, images, commands, and outcomes so that the visual representations of XFA form data remain intact and can be consumed and processed by PDF processors.  

Data Importer & Exporter  

• Reduces manual errors and processing time by importing and/or extracting field-level form data from external data sources into PDFs that use static XFAs, dynamic XFAs and Acroforms.  

Annotation Preserver  

• Handles annotations made within PDFs to ensure that the annotations are visible with the PDF regardless of the PDF viewer.  

How to Convert XFA to Standard PDF 

Here at Datalogics, we offer two helpful tools for converting XFA to standard PDFs: Forms Flattener (command-line utility) and Forms Extension™ (add on to Adobe PDF Library). Either can help optimize your XFA forms, depending on your needs.

If you download PDF Forms Flattener (either as a free trial or a purchase) you’ll be able to import XFA form data into blank PDF documents before you flatten. Keep in mind that if your XFA form contains dynamic features or scripting, these may not be fully preserved during the conversion to a standard PDF, as XFA forms use XML-based scripting that's not supported in traditional PDF forms. So, the converted PDF may not retain all the interactive elements of the original XFA form. 

What About Dynamic XFA? 

Interactive forms that can change form fields based on user input are known as dynamic forms as opposed to static forms. Some tools have trouble converting dynamic XFA to PDF, but Adobe PDF Library is able to flatten dynamic XFA with no issues. Forms Extension™ is an Adobe PDF Library (APDFL) companion SDK that extends digital document support to PDFs with static XFA, dynamic XFA and Acroform content to quickly and easily import and export form data, lock completed forms to prevent editing, fill databases with forms data, and provide consistent viewing experiences across all devices. 

Hopefully you now have a good understanding of how to XFA form flatten, why it can be a good idea to convert XFA PDF to standard PDF, and what it means to flatten XFA PDFs in general. To get a better idea of how to best optimize your PDF forms, read Static, Dynamic and Acro, Oh My! Becoming a Wizard at PDF Forms.

Current Customer Use Cases 

Here's a look at how some of our customers have benefitted from optimizing XFA forms for their PDF workflows:

Government  

Governmental departments often use XFA forms for registration and application materials (i.e. IRS, military, benefits, licensing, etc.). Forms Extension imports and exports data and batch converts this information into standard PDFs for easier storage and viewing online. Converting XFA to standard PDFs in this scenario addresses issues related to accessibility, usability, and compatibility, ensuring that government forms can be efficiently filled out by a broad user base without running into any technical barriers. 

Software  

One of our global software clients encountered a significant challenge related to using XFA forms. These forms had become the standard technology for rendering crucial application objects, like purchase orders, contracts, or invoices, within their software ecosystem. While XFA forms offered certain advantages, they presented a notable limitation: they severely restricted their customers' access to the underlying data within these documents. To address this limitation and enhance the user experience, our team implemented a strategic solution – the integration of a Forms Extension module directly into their software. This module was designed with the specific goal of seamlessly converting XFA documents into Acroforms, thereby granting users full and unrestricted access to the content and data contained within these important documents. 

Real Estate  

In an effort to optimize and streamline its daily operations, a home appraisal organization embarked on a transformative journey, leveraging the power of Forms Extension. Their objective was clear: to enhance the efficiency and accuracy of their data collection process, particularly when appraisers were out in the field conducting property assessments. The goal was to not only empower appraisers to seamlessly enter data while on-site but also to automate the subsequent process of integrating this data into the appropriate broker PDF forms. 

Finance/Banking  

Many of our financial customers use Forms Extension for applications for opening accounts, credit cards and home loans. After customers enter data and submit their information, data is extracted from the forms and the forms are flattened into a standard PDF for viewing and storage within financial workflows.  

XFA to PDF Code Samples

For developers looking for XFA to PDF conversion solutions, you can check out these code samples on GitHub to get started. 

• For .NET/C#/.NET Framework: We have several forms-related samples depending on you needs, but the ConvertXFAToAcroForms.cs sample is a good place to get started. The ConvertXFAToAcroForms sample demonstrates how to convert XFA to AcroForms, and also converts XFA (Dynamic or Static) fields to AcroForms fields and removes XFA fields.
• For C++: ConvertXFAToAcroForms.cpp  
• For Java/Maven: ConvertXFAToAcroForms.java

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