Signing a PDF
Signing a PDF
Selecting a PDF for signing
To sign a PDF, click Sign on the Tools tab. An
Open File window appears. Select a PDF file, or click
Cancel if you'd rather select a PDF later. The Sign
PDF window opens. You can now click Browse to select
another PDF file to sign.
Defining the area for your signature
Click Place Signature. Using the mouse in the right
preview panel, drag to select the area for the signature.
Alternatively, you can click an existing
signature field.
Selecting a digital ID
A new window opens to allow you to add your digital ID to the
signature area. At the top of the window, you'll see a drop down
list of all the digital IDs (certificates)
registered on your computer. You can create a self-signed digital ID or use a
digital ID purchased from a third party certificate authority. Read
more about obtaining a digital
ID.
Changing the appearance of your signature
Next you can change the appearance of your digital signature,
which can contain your name, date, reason for signing, and
location. You can also select an image for your signature. It is a
good idea to use an image file scanned from your actual signature.
All the popular image file formats are supported.
Here you can also select the Lock the document option to
disallow any future changes to the document after it has been
signed.
Signatures Visibility
Digital signatures can be visible or invisible. Check the
Appear on all pages option if you want the signature to be
visible on all pages of a document. This is just a matter of visual
preference because placing a signature on one page is enough to
validate your document.
Check the Invisible option if you want your signature to
appear only in the Signatures panel of Adobe Reader.
Check the Visible on print option if you want an
invisible signature to be visible when printed on paper.
Saving the signed PDF
When you click Sign, you will be prompted to save the
document with the new digital signature.
Removing a digital signature
To remove a digital signature, just open a document in the
Sign PDF tool. In the left panel, you'll see a list of all
signatures applied to the document. To remove a signature, select
it in the list and click Remove. Click Save As to
save the PDF.
If you would like to create a preexisting location for other
people to use, first open a document in the Sign PDF tool.
Then click the Place Signature Field option, and using the
mouse in the right panel, drag to select the area for the signature
field.
Applying a signature to multiple PDFs
Click the Sign Multiple Files button, and select all the
PDFs you want to sign. Click OK. The New Signature
window opens, and you’ll be able to specify the details. Click
Sign to digitally sign all the selected PDF documents.
Certifying Signatures
The intention of certifying a document is to prove the identity
of where it came from and then restricting what others can
subsequently do with the document, for example, changing the
content. Signing, on the other hand, means you agree to the
content.
A certifying signature is a way to prove
the identity of the person who created the document and to restrict
what others can do with the document subsequently. A simple
signature , on the other hand, is typically
used to just approve a document.
There can be more than one signature in a document, but only the
first signature can be certifying. For example, the person who
created a PDF can sign it with a certifying signature and assign
certain permissions, for example, allowing or disallowing changes
to the document. Next, people who subsequently read the document
can make changes (if allowed) and sign their approval.
To place a certifying signature, select a PDF for signing and
click Certify. Next, using the mouse in the right preview
panel, drag to select the area for the signature.
A new window opens to allow you to add your certifying
signature, much like an approval signature.
The difference is that here you’ll be able to set what actions
on the PDF others will be permitted to do. Use the Permitted
actions after certifying drop down list.
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