Create a form on your own

You can use the steps in this topic to guide you through creating a form from start to finish. You'll use many of the steps to create every form. The others you'll use when you create a particular kind of form — for example, one that displays data from more than one table. You need to use only the steps that are relevant to the type of form that you're creating. For other tasks related to creating forms, ask the Answer Wizard.

See examples of what forms are and how they work

  1. Start your form

    Create a blank form and select a record source

    See examples of the kinds of tools you can work with when designing a form

  2. Add headers and footers

    See how you can use sections on a form

    Add or remove a form header and footer or a page header and footer

    Change the size of a header, footer, or other section

  3. Display data, text, and totals on the form

    See how you display data, text, and totals in text boxes, labels, and other controls

    Display data from the underlying table or query in a text box

    Display a title or other informational text in a label

    Calculate a total for one record in a text box

    Display a list of values that you can select from in a list box

    Automate a task, such as opening another form, by adding a command button

    Get more information about labels, text boxes, and other controls

  4. Format, move, size, and align labels, text boxes, and other controls

    Make the text in a label, text box, or other control bold, italic, or underlined

    Change the font, font size, and line weight for all text and lines on the form at once

    Move a text box or other control and its label

    Size a field

    Align labels, text boxes, and other controls to each other

  5. Display records from a related table in a subform

    See examples of subforms and how they work

    Create a subform

  6. Make final adjustments

    Check the form's design by looking at it in Form view or Datasheet view