How to Create a Form in Access

Posted on by Ian

To create a form in Access 2013 or 2016:

  1. On the left navigation pane, click the table or query that contains the data for your form
  2. From the Create tab on the Ribbon, click Form

This creates a form based on the table or query that you selected from the navigation pane. You can modify the form as required.

You can also create a blank form (using the Blank Form button) or you can use the Form Wizard to create a form.

Here are screenshots for the above steps.

The Navigation Pane

Screenshot of navigation pane with a table selected.
Highlighting a table or query before clicking the “Form” button uses that table/query for the form.

The Form Button on the Ribbon

Screenshot of the Form button on the Ribbon in MS Access 2013.
The “Form” button on the Ribbon – under the “CREATE” tab. Clicking this button will create a form based on the selected table or query.

The Result

You can view the form in three views; Layout view, Form view, and Design view.

Here’s what they look like.

Layout View

After clicking the Form button above, your form is displayed in Layout view. Layout view allows you to modify your form while it is populated with real data. It is similar to Design view but with a more visual emphasis.

Screenshot of form in Layout view in MS Access 2013.
After clicking the “Form” button, Access generates a form in Layout view. Clicking “Form View” (highlighted) will display the form as the user will see it.
Screenshot of the color picker in Layout view.
Layout view allows you to change the layout, add colors and other styles.

 

Form View

Form view is how the user will see the form. You can enter data from this view. The data will be inserted into the table that the form is based on (in this case, the Customers table).

Screenshot of form in Form View in Access 2013.
This form is in Form View. This is how the user will see the form.
Screenshot of form with added formatting in Access 2013.
A form in Form view after some basic formatting has been applied.

Design View

Design view allows you to design the form to very specific requirements. It is similar to Layout view in that you can perform the same tasks. However, Design view allows you to change certain properties that cannot be changed in Layout view (such as Default View or Allow Form View).

Screenshot of form in Design view in Access 2013.
The form in Design View. Here you can modify the form as needed. The small icons at the bottom right allow you to quickly toggle between Design view, Form view, and Layout view as required.

Property Sheet

The Property Sheet provides many options for specifying properties for each field on your form. You can format the form (eg, change colors, fonts, borders, heights, widths, etc). You can also specify validation rules, filter lookups and more.

Screenshot of the Property Sheet in Design view in MS Access 2013.
You can access the property sheet from the Property Sheet button on the Ribbon.

 

Saving a Form

You can save a form just as you save any other database object. For example, clicking on the small floppy disk icon in the top menu will do it.

Screenshot of saving a form in Access 2013
You can save a form by clicking the floppy disk icon in the top menu. Be sure to have the actual form tab open (and not the underlying table that you created the form from – as they may have the same name).

Name the form at the prompt, then your form will appear in the left navigation pane, under the heading “Forms”.

Screenshot of the form name in the navigation pane.
Saving the form adds it to the left navigation pane, under the “Forms” heading.