Digital Signature
Digital Signature
A digital signature acts as a traditional handwritten signature that can be used to authenticate the identity of a user as well as the document content. It stores information about the signer along with the date, time, and state of the document when it was signed.
About Digital ID
Digital ID is the identity of a person/organization, which contains your name, Email address, a serial number, an expiration date, and the name of the company. A digital ID contains two keys, one is a public key (certificate) that is used to encrypt or lock data, and the other is a private key that is used to decrypt or unlock data that is encrypted.
You can distribute the certificate that contains the public key and other identifying information to those people who need to use it to verify your identity, validate your signature, or encrypt a document for you. Only your private key can unlock information that was encrypted using your certificate, so make sure to store your digital ID in a safe place.
You can not only obtain a digital ID from a trusted third-party provider called a Certificate Authority (CA) but also create a self-signed digital ID with Foxit PhantomPDF. Digital IDs are usually protected by password; you can store it on a computer in PKCS#12 file format, or in the Windows Certificate Store. All the digital IDs available on the computer are listed in the Digital IDs window. You can choose the Protect tab > Protect > Digital IDs to check the digital IDs list. In the Digital IDs window, you can also view the certificate details, refresh the ID list, add or remove a digital ID, and export a digital ID to an FDF, PKCS, or CER file.
For company-wide deployment, IT managers can also use the SignITMgr tool to configure which digital ID file is allowed to sign PDF files by users across an organization. Steps are as follow:
1. Create or install the digital ID file on your computer.
2. Click here to download SignITMgr tool, and open it.
3. You will find that the digital IDs you installed in your computer are listed in the SignITMgr window. In the window, do the following:
² Check the digital ID file that is allowed to sign a PDF file, click Generate Configure File, and save the file.
² If you want to change the setting which you have configured before, click Load Configure File to open the configuration file. Then check the digital ID file that is allowed to sign a PDF file, and click Generate Configure File to generate and save the modified configuration file.
4. After generating the configuration file, place it in “C:\Users\USERNAME\AppData\Roaming\Foxit Software\Foxit PhantomPDF\Signature”.
When IT manager has configured it completely, users can only use the specified digital ID(s) to sign PDF files, and will not be allowed to create a new ID.
Tip: The “Signature” folder is automatically created the first time users sign a PDF file with a digital ID. If it is not found in the specified folder, please create it manually.
Sign a PDF
Place a signature
Before you sign a document, you need to draw a signature field where the signature is placed, get a digital ID, and create the signature.
1. Choose Protect > Protect > Sign & Certify > Place Signature.
2. Press and hold the mouse button down, and drag to draw a signature field for your signature.
3. In Sign Document dialog box, choose a digital ID from drop-down menu. If you can’t find the specified digital ID, you will need to get a certificate from the third-party provider or create a self-signed digital ID.
4. (Optional)To create a self-designed digital ID, choose New ID from drop-down menu. In the Add Digital ID dialog box, select a location to store the digital ID. Click Next to type your identity information such as name, organization unit, e-mail address, etc. to be used when generating the self-signed certificate. In Use Digital ID for, choose one option as needed. Click Next to enter a file name, storage location and password for your new digital ID file. Confirm your password and click Finish. The New ID option will not be available if the IT manager has configured and restricted digital IDs to sign PDF files across the company (More information, please refer to the "Abot Digital ID" section).
5. Input the text or select an option from the drop-down list to specify your location and reason to sign the document in the Text For Signing group. Please note that Location and Reason fields are available only when the signature is defined to include the corresponding option in its appearance type. For the Reason field, Foxit PhantomPDF will save your custom reasons for you to choose from the drop-down list easily in future uses.
6. Choose an appearance type from menu. There are two types to choose, one is Standard Style, and the other is to Create New Style for your signature. Please refer to the instruction on "Creating signature appearance". You can view your signature in Signature Preview panel.
7. Click Sign. In the Save As window, specify the location and file name of the signed document.
Note: By default, the document is signed after you place the signature and then you will not be able to move or resize it. To change the setting, please uncheck the Sign the document immediately after the signature is placed option in File > Preferences > Signature.
Create signature appearance
You can set the appearance of your digital signature by selecting different options in Sign Document dialog box. For example, a signature can include an image of your handwritten signature, a company logo, or a photo, date and so on. Furthermore, you can create dynamic signature appearance to user for different purpose. A signature appearance also includes information that helps others verify your signature, such as reason for signing, contact information, and more.
Different appearances of signatures
Choose Protect > Protect > Sign & Certify > Place Signature.
Press and hold the mouse button down, and drag to draw a signature field for your signature.
In Sign Document dialog box, choose Create New Style from Appearance Type menu.
You can configure the graphic for your signature by drawing, setting a name, or importing a file. Check the options that you want to appear in digital signature. A signature appearance can include lots of information showing the users attributes, including name, organization, country, logo, location, etc. You can click Setting to specify the font and font size if necessary. Click OK to save the settings.
(Optional) After placing the signature, right-click it and choose Properties… to set the properties of the signature field. In the Signature Properties dialog box, you can set the appearance, actions, etc. Please refer to the instruction on the properties of the "Signature Field Button". (Note: This operation is not available after signing the document.)
Note: To manage the created styles, go to File > Preferences > Signature.
Move, resize and delete an unsigned signature
You can move, resize and delete signatures before signing the document, but you aren’t allowed to change certificate and appearance of certificate.
1. To move a signature
Select the Select Annotation command or the corresponding tool, put the pointer over the signature, click and drag the signature to another place you like.
2. To resize a signature
Select the Select Annotation command or the corresponding Tool, click the signature. Place the cursor on any corner point. Pointer changes into the cursor showing the direction at which the rectangle will be resized.
3. To delete a signature
Select the Select Annotation command.
Right-click the signature and choose Delete from context menu, or press Delete key.
Note: If you have checked the Locked option in Signature Properties dialog box, the operations to the signature above are not available.
Sign Documents
A PDF is signed to indicate your approval. The signature is flattened, so it cannot be resized and moved after signing the document. Multiple people can sign a PDF more than once. When you sign a document, your digital signature appears in the signature field. The appearance of the signature depends on your preferences.
1. Sign a PDF after placing, please choose one of the followings to sign the document:
Choose Protect > Protect > Sign Document.
Select the Hand command and right-click the signature, choose Sign Document.
Set your signature preferences in Preferences dialog box. Choose File > Preferences > Signature, check the option of “Sign the document immediately after the signature is placed” to sign the document immediately when the signature is placed.
2. Type file name and specify location in pop-up Save As dialog box.
Note: By default, the document is signed after you place the signature. To change the setting, please uncheck the Sign the document immediately after signature is placed option in File > Preferences > Signature.
Modify a signed signature
To modify a signature after signing the document:
Validate the signature first. And right-click the signature with the Hand command and choose Clear Signature. The signature will be cleared and only a blank signature field will be left.
Click the blank signature field with the Hand command, and create a new signature. Please refer to the instruction on "Creating signature appearance".
To delete a signed signature:
Validate the signature first. And right-click the signature with the Hand command and choose Clear Signature. The signature will be cleared and only a blank signature field will be left.
Choose the Select Annotation command or the corresponding tool, right-click the signature field and choose Delete.
Certify a PDF (Business Edition Only)
Only the author can certify his/her own PDF documents. The author can specify what changes can be made to the file after certifying. Whenever approved changes are made, the certificate remains valid. If a reader tries to make changes you haven't allowed, the certificate is invalidated and any subsequent users will be notified that the document was tampered with.
To certify your PDF, please do the following:
1. Open your PDF document you want to certify.
2. Select Protect > Protect > Sign & Certify > Certify with visible signature/Certify without visible signature.
3. Press and hold mouse button down, drag to select an area on the document where you want the signature to appear.
4. In the pop-up Certify Document dialog box, choose a digital ID. If you don’t find the specified digital ID, you need to get a digital ID from a third-party provider or create a self-signed digital ID.
5. Set authorized actions for your document from the drop-down menu in Permitted Actions After Certifying item.
6. Set the signing reason and choose an appearance type from the menu.
7. Click Sign.
8. To set the properties of the signature, please refer to the instruction on the properties of the "Signature Field Button".
9. To sign the document, please see the instruction on "Sign a PDF".
10. To validate the signature, please refer to the instruction on "Validate Signatures".