Would you like to be able to create fillable forms for your office or organization? Word 2007 makes that possible with Content Controls. Word 2007 also contains several pre-designed form templates that you can use and modify to fit your needs. This page contains a step-by-step guide that will show you how to create a form in Word 2007.

If you don’t see the Developer tab as an option in the Ribbon, then you need to first turn that option on.

1. Click on the Microsoft Office button, and then click on the Word Options button.
2. From the categories in the left pane, click on Popular.
3. Check the box next to Show Developer Tab in the Ribbon and click OK.

The next step is to design the layout of your form. To enhance the look of your form, you can use tables to add borders and lines. Then type all of your text into the table and add colored shading for an even more professional appearance. See How to Create a Table in Word 2007 for instructions on creating tables.

After you have finished designing your form, you can begin adding the form fields which are called Content Controls. The Content Controls are where users will insert their information. The Content Controls include text boxes, pictures, drop-down lists, and dates. The Content Controls are located on the Developer tab in the Controls group.

1. Place your cursor in the position where you want to add a form field.
2. From the Developer tab, on the Controls group, choose the type of Content Control to insert.
3. Repeat these steps for each Content Control.

The default instructional text for each of the form fields can be changed by doing the following:

1. On the Developer tab, click Design Mode.
2. Click on the Content Control that you want to modify, then begin typing to edit the text.
3. On the Developer tab, click Design Mode again to turn it off and to save the instructional text.

If you want to add a pick list in your form that also allows the user to add their own text if needed, then you can do that with a Combo Box.

1. From the Developer tab, click Design Mode, and choose the Combo Box form field.
2. Right-click on the Combo Box form field and choose Properties.
3. Click the Add button, and type in an item that you want to have in the pick list. Click OK.
4. Keep clicking Add as needed to add additional items to the pick list.
5. Click OK to close the Properties window.

You should add protection to your form so that it cannot be altered.

1. From the Developer tab choose Protect Document.
2. The Restrictions Pane will open on the right side of the document. Under Editing Restrictions, check Allow Only and then choose Filling In Forms.
3. Click Yes, Start Enforcing Protection.
4. You will then be prompted to enter a password. You do not have to enter a password to protect the document, but without a password, users will be able to turn off the protection and modify the form. However, if you do enter a password, be sure to use a pa ssword that you will not forget.

NOTE: To turn off the protection, click on Protect Document again, then click the Stop Protection button.

When using a table to design your form, try using Word’s "draw table" feature to create a custom table. To turn on Word’s Draw Table feature, click the Insert tab, click the Table drop down, and select Draw Table. Your mouse pointer will change to a pencil that you can use to draw the table. There is even an eraser tool under the Design tab (visible only when working in a table) to remove any table borders. Go to the Design tab, and under Table Tools choose Eraser. Your mouse pointer will change to an eraser and you can simply click on any lines in your table to remove them.

The Controls group on the Developer tab on the Ribbon contains the buttons you need to create forms in Word 2007. (See Step 3)

Rich Text: Use this button for text that will contain formatting.

Text: Use the button for plain text.

Picture: Use this button to insert a picture, drawing, shape, chart, table, clip art, or other graphic into the form.

Combo Box: Use this button if you want users to pick from a predefined list of items. If the item is not on the list, the user still has the ability to type in their own text. Text cannot contain formatting.

Drop-Down List: Use this button if you want users to select from a predefined list of items. Text cannot contain formatting.

Date Picker: Use this button if you want the user to enter a date.

Building Block Gallery: Use this button to insert cover pages, header and footers, page designs, or other building blocks to the form.

NOTE: If your form will also be used in earlier versions of Word, then you need to use the Legacy Forms buttons located under Legacy Tools. If your form will be used on a Web site, then you'll need to use the ActiveX Controls also located under Legacy Tools.