Excel for Mac 2011 3 problems re tickboxes, iPad usability and file sizes

I use Mac OSX (v10.6.8) & MS Excel for Mac 2011 (v14.2.5) & have set up several spreadsheets with tickboxes for staff to use. We needed to have a total for each column (of the no. of ticks) so I assigned the value (true/false) to the cell to the right of each checkbox cell. The sample attached is only part of 1 spreadsheet – all the spreadsheets have more rows than this.

SAMPLE excel file.xlsx

Problems:
1. When I print these spreadsheets the ticks now print as crosses – including when converted to .pdf (when first created they used to print as ticks)
2. The files are becoming huge in size as more & more rows are added.
3. The files were created as .xlsx files – but now it would be best if they can be updated (i.e. checkboxes ticked or unticked) using iPads and “Numbers” program. However if I convert the files to .xls, they become even larger. (And would these .xls spreadsheets be editable using Numbers anyway? When I built the spreadsheet, they hadn't told me they were going to move a few people to iPads!)

I would appreciate any assistance that can be given.

Thanks!

Originally Posted by JosephP

Numbers will remove Form controls when it opens the workbook so you've got a problem there!

That will definitely be a problem. I'm now approaching this spreadsheet in a different way.
Many thx Joseph P,
Cheers,
Algernon