Dynamic Screen Titles for your PDF

Creating Dynamic Headers in Designer PDF

You can use a static text field in the Builder to simulate a screen title that appears only when a screen is used, then carry that field into the Designer PDF and style it like a header. This approach lets you keep the PDF clean because the header will only show when its matching screen conditions are met, rather than appearing on every page.

Why this works

A static text field can be used to recreate screen titles in the PDF Designer, and conditional static text fields can be hidden from the mobile user while still appearing in the PDF when conditions are met. That makes this a useful workaround when you want screen title text to appear and disappear based on whether a screen is included in the form's submission.

This technique is especially helpful for conditional screens. If a screen does not appear, its matching static text field will not appear either, so the PDF header stays accurate without extra blank sections. It is also useful when you want more control over layout than the standard PDF header provides, which is edited separately in the form settings and has limited edit options.

Steps to build it

1. Create a static text field in the Builder.
2. Type the name of your screen in the static text field.
3. Hide the static text field from the mobile user under "Advanced" or "More" options in the left panel.
4. Make the static text field conditional.
   • Ensure that it matches the same conditions as the screen it belongs to.
5. Save your changes in the Form Builder
6. Go to the PDF Builder and locate the screen on which you added the static text field.
   • You can locate the screens and fields on the left panel of the builder. 
7. Add the static text field, placing it above or below the existing screen title.
8. Format the static text field so it looks like the existing screen title.
9. Delete the original screen title.

Design tips

Match the font, color, spacing, and background of the existing screen title so the static text field blends in naturally with the PDF layout. To ensure the static text and the existing screen title match, drag the static text field just above or below the existing screen title in the designer for better comparison.

When it comes to background coloring, you can click the screen title to copy the hex code, then paste it into the static text field's background color hex code box. This will ensure the colors are an exact match.