Some interesting things are said in DN15
(1) If there is no description (appearance (ākāra), feature (liṅga), sign (nimitta), & indicators (uddesa)) of nāma group, no designation-contact (adhivacanasamphasso) with regard to the rūpa group would be discerned (paññāyethā).
(2) If there is no description (ākāra, liṅga, nimitta,uddesa) of rūpa group, no resistance-contact (paṭighasamphasso) with regard to the nāma group would be discerned.
(3) If there is no description (ākāra, liṅga, nimitta,uddesa) of nāma group and rūpa group, no designation-contact with regard to the rūpa group and no resistance-contact with regard to the nāma group would be discerned.
(4) If there is no description (ākāra, liṅga, nimitta,uddesa) of nāma-rūpa, no contact would be discerned.
So I guess the experience of form is always the "percieved" form. Rūpa is always known as part of nāma, nāma-rūpa.
And also, in description of ayatanas or 18 dhatu, Rūpa is an object of the eye. So the form could also mean, visible form.
Due to eye and form, eye-consciousness arises.
Cakkhuñca paṭicca rūpe ca uppajjati cakkhuviññāṇaṃ MN148
Some Pali
ākāra = manner; condition; state; appearance.
liṅga = sign; mark; attribute; feature; the generative organ; the gender (in
grammar).
Nimitta = sign; omen; portent; cause.
Uddesa= 1. indication; 2. propounding; 3. recitation.
Adhivacanasamphasso= a term; designation. + contact
paṭighasamphasso = (anger; repulsion; collision.) + contact