> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.apryse.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.apryse.com/web/forms/form-field-styling.md).

# Styling PDF form fields

Discover how to enhance the appearance of PDF form fields with styling changes using WidgetAnnotation's functions. Customize widget annotations' styles and container elements effortlessly, and create

## Styling widgets programmatically

Starting in WebViewer 11 you can style widgets by modifying their annotation properties directly. These styles are serialized and therefore saved to the PDF document.

In earlier versions, styles could only be modified by using the [`Widget.getCustomStyles`](https://sdk.apryse.com/api/web/Core.Annotations.WidgetAnnotation.html#WidgetAnnotation__anchor) or [`Widget.getCustomContainerStyles`](https://sdk.apryse.com/api/web/Core.Annotations.WidgetAnnotation.html#WidgetAnnotation__anchor) functions and were not serialized or saved to the document.

{% tabs %}
{% tab title="JavaScript (SDK v11.0+)" %}
{% code lineNumbers="true" %}

```js
WebViewer(...)
.then(instance => {
  const { annotationManager, Annotations, documentViewer } = instance.Core;
  const { Color } = Annotations;

  documentViewer.addEventListener('annotationsLoaded', () => {
    const widgets = annotationManager.getAnnotationsList().filter(annotation => annotation instanceof Annotations.WidgetAnnotation);
    widgets.forEach(widget => {
      // Changes widget border color and thickness.
      widget.StrokeColor = new Color(255, 255, 50, 1);
      widget.StrokeThickness = 5;

      // Changes fill color within widget container.
      widget.FillColor = new Color(100, 0, 0, 1);

      // Changes widget position.
      widget.X = Math.floor(Math.random() * 500) + 1;
      widget.Y = Math.floor(Math.random() * 500) + 1;

      // Changes widget dimensions.
      widget.Width = Math.floor(Math.random() * (300 - 100 + 1)) + 100;
      widget.Height = Math.floor(Math.random() * (300 - 100 + 1)) + 100;

      // Redraws widget with updated styling.
      widget.refresh();
    });

    const widgetsWithText = widgets.filter(widget => {
      return (
        widget instanceof Annotations.TextWidgetAnnotation ||
        widget instanceof Annotations.ListWidgetAnnotation ||
        widget instanceof Annotations.ChoiceWidgetAnnotation
      );
    });

    // Change font family, size, and color of any widgets with text.
    widgetsWithText.forEach(widget => {
      widget.font = new Annotations.Font({ name: 'Arial', size: 15 });
      widget.TextColor = new Color(255, 255, 255, 1);
      widget.refresh();
    });
  });
});
```

{% endcode %}

[Annotations.Color](https://sdk.apryse.com/api/web/Core.Annotations.Color.html) [Annotations.Font](https://sdk.apryse.com/api/web/Core.Annotations.Font.html) [Annotations.WidgetAnnotation](https://sdk.apryse.com/api/web/Core.Annotations.WidgetAnnotation.html) [AnnotationManager](https://sdk.apryse.com/api/web/Core.AnnotationManager.html)
{% endtab %}

{% tab title="JavaScript (SDK v8.0+)" %}
{% code lineNumbers="true" %}

```js
WebViewer(...)
.then(instance => {
  // This method of styling widgets is not available in WebViewer 8.
  // See sections below for usage on getCustomStyles()
  // and getCustomContainerStyles().
});
```

{% endcode %}
{% endtab %}

{% tab title="JavaScript (SDK v6.0+)" %}
{% code lineNumbers="true" %}

```js
WebViewer(...)
.then(instance => {
  // This method of styling widgets is not available in WebViewer 6.
  // See sections below for usage on getCustomStyles()
  // and getCustomContainerStyles().
});
```

{% endcode %}
{% endtab %}
{% endtabs %}

## Styling the widget inner element

Implementing the [WidgetAnnotation's getCustomStyles function](https://sdk.apryse.com/api/web/Core.Annotations.WidgetAnnotation.html#WidgetAnnotation__anchor) allows you to add styling changes to particular types of widget annotations. This function gets called for every annotation but in the sample below we show how to filter for all widgets, and style specific widgets based on their type.

{% hint style="warning" %}
These style changes will not be serialized and therefore won't be saved to the PDF document.
{% endhint %}

{% tabs %}
{% tab title="JavaScript (SDK v11.0+)" %}
{% code lineNumbers="true" %}

```js
WebViewer(...)
.then(instance => {
  const { Annotations } = instance.Core;

  Annotations.WidgetAnnotation.getCustomStyles = widget => {
    if (widget instanceof Annotations.TextWidgetAnnotation) {
      // can check widget properties
      if (widget.fieldName === 'f1-1') {
        return {
          'background-color': 'lightgreen'
        };
      }
      return {
        'background-color': 'lightblue',
        color: 'brown'
      };
    } else if (widget instanceof Annotations.PushButtonWidgetAnnotation) {
      return {
        'background-color': 'black',
        color: 'white'
      };
    } else if (widget instanceof Annotations.CheckButtonWidgetAnnotation) {
      return {
        'background-color': 'lightgray',
        opacity: 0.8
      };
    }
  };
});
```

{% endcode %}

[Annotations.WidgetAnnotation](https://sdk.apryse.com/api/web/Core.Annotations.WidgetAnnotation.html)
{% endtab %}

{% tab title="JavaScript (SDK v8.0+)" %}
{% code lineNumbers="true" %}

```js
WebViewer(...)
.then(instance => {
  const { Annotations } = instance.Core;

  Annotations.WidgetAnnotation.getCustomStyles = widget => {
    if (widget instanceof Annotations.TextWidgetAnnotation) {
      return {
        'background-color': 'lightblue',
        color: 'brown'
      };
    } else if (widget instanceof Annotations.PushButtonWidgetAnnotation) {
      return {
        'background-color': 'black',
        color: 'white'
      };
    } else if (widget instanceof Annotations.CheckButtonWidgetAnnotation) {
      return {
        'background-color': 'lightgray',
        opacity: 0.8
      };
    }
  };
});
```

{% endcode %}

[Annotations.WidgetAnnotation](https://sdk.apryse.com/api/web/Core.Annotations.WidgetAnnotation.html)
{% endtab %}

{% tab title="JavaScript (SDK v6.0+)" %}
{% code lineNumbers="true" %}

```js
WebViewer(...)
.then(instance => {
  const { docViewer, annotManager, Annotations } = instance;

  Annotations.WidgetAnnotation.getCustomStyles = widget => {
    if (widget instanceof Annotations.TextWidgetAnnotation) {
      return {
        'background-color': 'lightblue',
        color: 'brown'
      };
    } else if (widget instanceof Annotations.PushButtonWidgetAnnotation) {
      return {
        'background-color': 'black',
        color: 'white'
      };
    } else if (widget instanceof Annotations.CheckButtonWidgetAnnotation) {
      return {
        'background-color': 'lightgray',
        opacity: 0.8
      };
    }
  };
});
```

{% endcode %}

[Annotations.WidgetAnnotation](https://sdk.apryse.com/api/web/Core.Annotations.WidgetAnnotation.html)
{% endtab %}
{% endtabs %}

## Styling the widget container element

Implementing the [WidgetAnnotation's getContainerCustomStyles function](https://sdk.apryse.com/api/web/Core.Annotations.WidgetAnnotation.html#WidgetAnnotation__anchor) allows you to add styling changes to the ***container element*** of the widget annotation.

{% hint style="warning" %}
These style changes will not be serialized and therefore won't be saved to the PDF document.
{% endhint %}

{% tabs %}
{% tab title="JavaScript (SDK v11.0+)" %}
{% code lineNumbers="true" %}

```js
WebViewer(...)
.then(instance => {
  const { Annotations } = instance.Core;

  Annotations.WidgetAnnotation.getContainerCustomStyles = widget => {
    if (widget instanceof Annotations.TextWidgetAnnotation) {
      return {
        'background-color': 'lightblue',
        color: 'brown'
      };
    } else if (widget instanceof Annotations.PushButtonWidgetAnnotation) {
      return {
        'background-color': 'black',
        color: 'white'
      };
    } else if (widget instanceof Annotations.CheckButtonWidgetAnnotation) {
      return {
        'background-color': 'lightgray',
        opacity: 0.8
      };
    }
  };
});
```

{% endcode %}

[Annotations.WidgetAnnotation](https://sdk.apryse.com/api/web/Core.Annotations.WidgetAnnotation.html)
{% endtab %}

{% tab title="JavaScript (SDK v8.0+)" %}
{% code lineNumbers="true" %}

```js
WebViewer(...)
.then(instance => {
  const { Annotations } = instance.Core;

  Annotations.WidgetAnnotation.getContainerCustomStyles = widget => {
    if (widget instanceof Annotations.TextWidgetAnnotation) {
      return {
        'background-color': 'lightblue',
        color: 'brown'
      };
    } else if (widget instanceof Annotations.PushButtonWidgetAnnotation) {
      return {
        'background-color': 'black',
        color: 'white'
      };
    } else if (widget instanceof Annotations.CheckButtonWidgetAnnotation) {
      return {
        'background-color': 'lightgray',
        opacity: 0.8
      };
    }
  };
});
```

{% endcode %}

[Annotations.WidgetAnnotation](https://sdk.apryse.com/api/web/Core.Annotations.WidgetAnnotation.html)
{% endtab %}

{% tab title="JavaScript (SDK v6.0+)" %}
{% code lineNumbers="true" %}

```js
WebViewer(...)
.then(instance => {
  const { docViewer, annotManager, Annotations } = instance;

  Annotations.WidgetAnnotation.getContainerCustomStyles = widget => {
    if (widget instanceof Annotations.TextWidgetAnnotation) {
      // can check widget properties
      if (widget.fieldName === 'f1-1') {
        return {
          'background-color': 'lightgreen'
        };
      }
      return {
        'background-color': 'lightblue',
        color: 'brown'
      };
    } else if (widget instanceof Annotations.PushButtonWidgetAnnotation) {
      return {
        'background-color': 'black',
        color: 'white'
      };
    } else if (widget instanceof Annotations.CheckButtonWidgetAnnotation) {
      return {
        'background-color': 'lightgray',
        opacity: 0.8
      };
    }
  };
});
```

{% endcode %}

[Annotations.WidgetAnnotation](https://sdk.apryse.com/api/web/Core.Annotations.WidgetAnnotation.html)
{% endtab %}
{% endtabs %}

## Customizing the widget DOM element

You can also extend the createInnerElement function on widget annotations. This allows you to use your own DOM elements for the display or just to add your own event handlers.

{% hint style="warning" %}
These style changes will not be serialized and therefore won't be saved to the PDF document.
{% endhint %}

{% tabs %}
{% tab title="JavaScript (SDK v11.0+)" %}
{% code lineNumbers="true" %}

```js
WebViewer(...)
.then(instance => {
  const { Annotations } = instance.Core;

  const createInnerElement = Annotations.CheckButtonWidgetAnnotation.prototype.createInnerElement;
  Annotations.CheckButtonWidgetAnnotation.prototype.createInnerElement = function() {
    const button = this;

    const el = createInnerElement.apply(this, arguments);
    el.addEventListener('click', () => {
      console.log('check button clicked', button.fieldName);
    });

    return el;
  };
});
```

{% endcode %}

[Annotations.CheckButtonWidgetAnnotation](https://sdk.apryse.com/api/web/Core.Annotations.CheckButtonWidgetAnnotation.html)
{% endtab %}

{% tab title="JavaScript (SDK v8.0+)" %}
{% code lineNumbers="true" %}

```js
WebViewer(...)
.then(instance => {
  const { Annotations } = instance.Core;

  const createInnerElement = Annotations.CheckButtonWidgetAnnotation.prototype.createInnerElement;
  Annotations.CheckButtonWidgetAnnotation.prototype.createInnerElement = function() {
    const button = this;

    const el = createInnerElement.apply(this, arguments);
    el.addEventListener('click', () => {
      console.log('check button clicked', button.fieldName);
    });

    return el;
  };
});
```

{% endcode %}

[Annotations.CheckButtonWidgetAnnotation](https://sdk.apryse.com/api/web/Core.Annotations.CheckButtonWidgetAnnotation.html)
{% endtab %}

{% tab title="JavaScript (SDK v6.0+)" %}
{% code lineNumbers="true" %}

```js
WebViewer(...)
.then(instance => {
  const { Annotations } = instance;

  const createInnerElement = Annotations.CheckButtonWidgetAnnotation.prototype.createInnerElement;
  Annotations.CheckButtonWidgetAnnotation.prototype.createInnerElement = function() {
    const button = this;

    const el = createInnerElement.apply(this, arguments);
    el.addEventListener('click', () => {
      console.log('check button clicked', button.fieldName);
    });

    return el;
  };
});
```

{% endcode %}

[Annotations.CheckButtonWidgetAnnotation](https://sdk.apryse.com/api/web/Core.Annotations.CheckButtonWidgetAnnotation.html)
{% endtab %}
{% endtabs %}


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