Editing Instructions
Editing the Printables
Most kits from The Toolbox feature pages with editable text boxes so you can type in your own text. To edit these pages, it is highly recommended that you use Adobe Acrobat Reader. Although other PDF readers may work (e.g., Preview on Macs), the formatting and editable text boxes work best using Adobe products.
ADDING YOUR OWN TEXT TO THE PRINTABLES- Do not open the files in an Internet browser from an email link or download screen. Instead, download the files directly to your device as described above.
- Open your printable kit in Adobe Acrobat Reader.
- All of the editable fields are shown in light blue boxes. Simply click into a blue box and type in your desired text. If there is no light blue box on a specific text/line, then that text/line cannot be changed or edited.
- Save the PDF with your added text for future use.
- You may use both lowercase and capital letters as you prefer. However, each text box is pre-formatted to populate text in a specific size, font, color, and alignment. These specifications cannot be changed.
- The light blue text fields do not print, so you can leave any and all fields blank as necessary.
- If the font does not appear to be populating correctly, ensure you have the correct fonts installed on your computer. The correct fonts can be found on the kit’s cover page.
- If the page is designed in landscape layout, the text boxes are formatted to rotate and print correctly. To edit these pages more easily, click View > Rotate Counterclockwise in the upper toolbar of Adobe Acrobat Reader. Now the page will be orientated so you can easily add your text without craning your neck.
Other Useful Tutorials
Here are some additional tutorials to help you with editing your files!
- Video: How to Edit Any Printable
- Video: How to Use the Student Planner Stickers
- Video: How to Edit the Moving Box Labels
- Video: How to Edit the Chore Charts
- Video: Customizing the Categories of the Recipe Binder
- Video: How to Edit the Magnetic Menu Board Files
- Video: How to Edit the Binder Coves & Spines
- How to Install New Fonts on Your Computer
Editing FAQs
WHAT ARE THESE BLUE BOXES ALL OVER THE PRINTABLES?
The blue boxes represent editable text fields. Meaning, anywhere there is a blue box, you can click and type in your own text. If you don’t want to type in your own text, don’t worry; the blue boxes don’t print. So just print out the pages as you normally would and fill them out by hand.
HOW CAN I CHANGE THE TEXT ALREADY TYPED ONTO THE PRINTABLES?
For a majority of the printable kits in The Toolbox, editable fields were only added to blank lines and spaces where you would write in your own information. As such, most of the words on the printables are set and cannot be changed.
Some kits, like the Recipe Organization Kit, Moving Box Labels, Binder Covers, Magnetic Menu Board, Packing Lists, and more feature editable titles and categories so they can be easily changed to your liking.
I CAN'T GET MY FULL WORDS TO FIT IN THE EDITABLE TEXT BOXES.
Each editable text box is only so big, and each one is set not to allow overflow typing for printing purposes. For areas with multiple lines, you will just need to “tab” down to the next line and keep typing. For single-line entries, you will need to abbreviate or shorten your words in order to get them to fit into the pre-sized box.
I CAN'T SEEM TO CHANGE THE FONTS OR COLORS OF THE EDITABLE TEXT.
Yes, that is correct. In order to make the forms edible, each and every text box has to be given specific text settings, including font, size, and color. As such, these specifications automatically populate when you type in the boxes and cannot be changed.
SOME OF THE PAGES ARE IN LANDSCAPE ORIENTATION - AM I SUPPOSED TO TYPE THIS WAY?
You certainly can, but you don’t have to! Click View > Rotate Counterclockwise in the upper toolbar of Adobe Acrobat Reader. This will rotate your view so you can type/edit with the words straight up-and-down. When you return to portrait orientation by clicking View > Rotate Clockwise, your text will remain formatted for the landscape view/ Watch this tutorial for more help.
I'M TRYING TO TYPE INTO THE RECIPE ORGANIZATION KIT AND THE FONTS LOOK REALLY WIERD AND POORLY SPACED.
All of the kitchen kits have been pre-formatted for the Oswald font. Please download this free font, and then all your words, spacing and formatting should appear correctly!
I'M A MAC USER AND I AM TRYING TO EDIT THE PRINTABLES IN PREVIEW. WHY DO THEY LOOK SO FUNNY?
Preview is a wonderful and convenient program to view and print your printables. But if you want to add text into the editable text boxes, it is recommended that you download Adobe Acrobat Reader (for free) instead.
Still Having Trouble?
Contact Megan HERE!