Thanks MTK358

It might come to that but AFAIK absence of expanding input text spaces and no possibility to protect some parts of the text mean the users could make a horrible mess of it. It wouldn't be significantly better than the existing .doc files.

Thanks michaelk

I've tried it now. The guinea pig Windows 7 with Acrobat Reader user could print the completed form but could not save it with their input text. I might have overlooked something; should that have been possible?

No, sorry I should of mentioned that one caveat.

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Ah! For present purposes that is not good. Thanks for confirming.

I also explored a Word 97/2000/XP document produced in OOo Writer and using text frames. This was very nice; frames could be protected (for the form text) and the data entry frames automatically expanded vertically to accommodate user text. When the frames' position was vertically centred everything lined up perfectly. Only problem was the vertically centred positioning was lost on saving and re-opening. Maybe MS Word does not support it.

Given that PDF forms cannot be saved, the best option may be exploring how to format a .doc file prettily with frames in a way that does not depend on vertical centring.

Update (in the hope that someone has a magic bullet solution for this surprisingly intractable requirement): it turns out OOo Writer 3.2.1 also loses all text frame protection on saving as a Microsoft Word 97/2000/XP file. Question asked on the OOoForum.

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This is unavoidable because Word does not support the features that are lost as explained in this OOo issue. I'm considering providing the forms in OOo Writer (.odt) format which will work perfectly. For MS Office users Excel would work.

I take it then, that you intend using VBA for basic form validation. If not you dont have to to worry about it. Consider also that at present your end users are filling up the forms in ink on paper mode and your company will not lose out if the form has no special validation.

So as a first baby step it might do.

Most of your likely clients would have some form of internet connection. You should also try a pilot for an "on line web based approach" by tying up with some providers who would provide good service (24x7 with good back up and administration) at very nominal rates. You've probably thought of this already.

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Thanks AnanthaP

As you write, non-validated forms would be OK as a baby step.

Using a third party HTML forms service is something I hadn't thought of but does have attractions as HTML forms are probably where we want to go. We can't go there now as we do not yet have an Internet-accessible web server with the necessary authentication and capability for users to save part-completed forms. Recommendations for providers of this type of service would be welcome.