Operation Manual

232
USING ACROBAT X STANDARD
Digital signatures
Last updated 10/11/2011
The cursor changes to a cross-hairs.
2 Click where you want to sign and draw your signature.
3 To include the signature with the document, save the PDF.
Note: You cannot add an ink signature to a PDF created in LiveCycle Designer ES or the LiveCycle Forms ES. PDFs
created from those sources do not allow comments and markups.
Sign in Preview Document mode
When document integrity is critical for your signature workflow, use the Preview Document feature to sign
documents. This feature analyzes the document for content that may alter the appearance of the document. It then
suppresses that content, allowing you to view and sign the document in a static and secure state.
The Preview Document feature lets you find out if the document contains any dynamic content or external
dependencies. It also lets you find out if the document contains any constructs such as form fields, multimedia, or
JavaScript that could affect its appearance. After reviewing the report, you can contact the author of the document
about the problems listed in the report.
You can also use Preview Document mode outside a signing workflow to check the integrity of a document.
1 Select Edit > Preferences.
2 From the Preferences dialog box, select Security on the left.
3 Select View Documents In Preview Document Mode When Signing, and click OK.
4 In the PDF, click the signature field and choose Sign Document.
The document message bar appears with the compliance status and options.
5 (Optional) Click View Report in the document message bar (if available) and select each item in the list to show
details. When you’re done, close the PDF Signature Report dialog box.
6 If you’re satisfied with the compliance status of the document, click Sign Document in the document message bar,
and add your digital signature.
7 Save the PDF using a different name than the original, and close the document without making any further changes.
Certify a PDF
When you certify a PDF, you indicate that you approve of its contents. You also specify the types of changes that are
permitted for the document to remain certified. For example, suppose that a government agency creates a form with
signature fields. When the form is complete, the agency certifies the document, allowing users to change only form
fields and sign the document. Users can fill the form and sign the document. However, if they remove pages or add
comments, the document doesn’t retain its certified status.
You can apply a certifying signature only if the PDF doesn’t already contain any other signatures. Certifying signatures
can be visible or invisible. A blue ribbon icon
in the Signatures panel indicates a valid certifying signature. A digital
ID is required to add the certifying digital signature.
1 Remove content, such as JavaScripts, actions, or embedded media, which may compromise document security.
To let other Adobe Reader users sign the document, enable usage rights by choosing File > Save As > Reader Extended
PDF in Adobe Acrobat.