Formatting Recommendations for Surveys, Images, & PDFs in Ripple

Surveys in Ripple are a powerful way to collect participant data throughout every phase of a study—from initial screening to ongoing follow-up. With customizable input fields, embedded images, and HTML support, surveys can be tailored to match your study’s branding and IRB-approved content.

However, it’s important to note that how a survey appears when completed as a web form may differ from how it appears when downloaded as a PDF. This article highlights the key differences between web and PDF survey formats and provides best practices—especially when using images or signature fields—to ensure both versions are optimized for usability and compliance.

Key Differences: Web Display vs. PDF Rendering

Ripple surveys are completed by participants via web forms, but many teams download them as PDFs for documentation. The PDF is dynamically generated at the time of download—it is not a static copy of the original web form.

Feature	Web Form Display	PDF Download Rendering
Input Fields	Interactive (e.g., text boxes, radio buttons)	Rendered as static text; no intput fields
HTML Content	Fully supported and responsive	Limited support; may display incorrectly or break layout
Scrolling	Infinite scroll (no page breaks)	if no page breaks are used-- automatic page breaks are generated by PDF generator and may occur mid-content
Page Layout	Continuous display across sections	Page breaks may not match survey logic
Font Sizing	Optimized for screens (pixels)	Optimized for print (points)

Important Note:

Even if a survey displays well as a web form, the corresponding PDF may not look the same. This is especially relevant when your survey contains images, HTML formatting, or signature lines.

Using Images in Ripple Surveys

Images can enhance your survey by adding branding or approved visual content, but they also increase file size—especially in PDF exports. This can lead to formatting issues or delivery problems when sharing survey files.

Risks of Large or Numerous Images:

PDFs may become too large for email attachments.
High-resolution images can cause long loading or rendering times.
Signature fields are stored as images, further increasing file size.
HTML content rendered as images can cause formatting and layout issues.

Best Practices for Using Images:

Compress before uploading using tools like TinyPNG or Adobe Compressor.
Use efficient file formats like .jpg or .png.
Reduce image resolution unless high clarity is essential.
Avoid converting HTML blocks into images.
Keep signature fields small but legible to minimize file size.

Recommendations for Survey Design with PDF Use in Mind

If your team downloads or emails completed surveys as PDFs, consider these tips during survey creation:

Survey Design:

Avoid long HTML blocks.
Use small, optimized images only when necessary.
Insert intentional page breaks using Ripple's "Page Break" element to control layout in PDFs.

Survey Testing:

Preview both the web version and the downloaded PDF.
Check for misaligned content, image rendering, and formatting consistency.

File Size Management:

Keep PDFs under 10MB to stay within standard email limits.
For large files, use secure file-sharing tools and provide a link instead of an attachment.