Requiring Certified Signatures with Adobe

Overview

A certificate-based signature, like a conventional handwritten signature, identifies the person signing a document. Unlike a handwritten signature, a certificate-based signature is difficult to forge because it contains encrypted information that is unique to the signer. It can be easily verified and informs recipients whether the document was modified after the signer initially signed the document.

The easiest and recommended way to create a certificate-based signature is to use a self-signed digital ID.

The following procedure outlines how to create a document that requires a certificate-based signature

Procedure

Preparing your document

In order to request certificate signatures you must first certify the document. Certifying the file locks changes so if you want multiple signatures you’ll want to prepare your signature fields first:

1. Click on More tools then Prepare Forms
2. If your document isn’t already a form it’ll prompt you to convert it to one, just click start here and then Ok in the message that pops up after
1. Don’t click the requires signatures checkbox.
3. At the top there’s an icon for Add signature fields, click that then click where you want a signature in your document.  Repeat this step as necessary

Certify your document

1. Click on More Tools
2. Click Certificates

3. Click Certify (visible or invisible)
   If you already have a signature field in your document and you choose to insert a visible certified signature, you will see the following prompt.

   Choosing visible

   If you already have a signature field in your document and you choose to insert a visible certified signature, you will see the following prompt.
   

   Choose OK to use one you have already created, you must then right-click the existing signature field and choose "Certify with Visible Signature" to continue or choose "Drag New Signature Rectangle..." to add a new signature field.

4. You may need to configure your Digital ID, if you already have one just click OK
   
5. Add your PIN or password and click Sign
6. Save the file
7. Send the file to others for signature
1. In order to get the certified signature you cannot send the file through Adobe Sign, but you can provide it to them over email or through other means.
2. Other signers will need to configure a digital ID before signing.