Creating Documents to Support Multiple Digital Signatures

I am currently working on creating a paperless business process utilizing Adobe Acrobat's Digital Signature Feature. However, I'm having a lot of problems utilizing it.
Can somebody please explain the entire process from document creation in Word to creating the digital signature fields to distributing the document and receiving signed versions back?
Also, how can I enable this feature so coworkers with Adobe Reader can sign and send back to me?
Thank you very much,
Jeff

A tip: if you want "multiple signatures" to mirror a paper workflow
where someone signs a document in more than one place, this does not
fly in PDF. In PDF, a person does not sign the same document more than
once (except perhaps to countersign after they signed, then someone
else changed).
Also bear in mind that if you have the idea that you will send out a
document, that it will be signed separately by multiple people, then
you will merge the signatures back into a single document, that this
flies even less well.
Aandi Inston

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How to do Multiple digital signatures?

I have created a form in Acrobat 9 Pro with multiple digital signatures. This is an approval form that is emailed "up the chain of command". I have enabled extended features in Adobe Reader so that users without Acrobat 9 can digitally sign the form. I created the form and did a certified signature. I then emailed it to a typical user who filled in the form and emailed it to her boss for a digital signature. Her boss digitally signed it and emailed it to the CFO. The CFO does not have Acrobat 9. When she gets it, she gets the error message "This document enabled extended features in Adobe Reader. The document has been changed since it was created and use of extended features is no longer available. Please contact the author for the original version of this document." How do I correct this?

Steve,
I wanted to test how cumbersome it would be to have the 2 staff members open with Adobe Reader instead of Creative Suite; however, I have not been able to find any option like "open with" in my outlook email. Every time I try to open it defaults to my Acrobat 9 Pro to open the document. Would the 2 staff members have to save the email and then use "open with" in order to by pass Creative Suite?
Also I am not sure if you answered my question last time - Is it possible to just upgrade the Acrobat portion of Creative Suite or do you have to upgrade the entire Creative Suite just to get the newer Acrobat? I will also be checking the upgrade link you sent. Thanks.

Excel 2010 - Multiple Digital Signatures?

How would you add multiple digital signatures to an Excel 2010 workbook?

Hi,
To add multiple digital signatures, we need to create the signatures first.
Then please refer to the following steps:
Click the File tab.
Click Info.
Under Permissions, click Protect Document,
Protect Workbook or Protect Presentation.
Click Add a Digital Signature.
Read the Word, Excel, or PowerPoint message, and then click OK.
In the Sign dialog box, in the Purpose for signing this document box, type the purpose.
Click Sign.
Check the following MS link for additional information.
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/excel-help/add-or-remove-a-digital-signature-in-office-files-HA010354308.aspx
Regards,
George Zhao
TechNet Community Support

Multiple Digital Signatures on single profile.

Hello,
I have a question. Can I create multiple digital signatures on a single system.
If Yes, I can create digital signature of any "Signature required person" and I can sign for him, If I have his email id and Organization name, correct?
It means we can easily sign for any other person in the world. If so, how does this system mean to be safe ?
Thanks

Please repost this issue in Acrobat forum.This is reader forum.

Pdf fillable form - multiple digital signatures

I have a fillable pdf form that requires multiple digital signatures. Is there a way to send the form to multiple parties and merge it back to one form upon receipt of the signature from each party? Does that be accomplished with a javascript or do I need to use a different software? Thank you.

That's not how digital signatures work, so the answer is "no". When multiple people need to sign a document, they need to sign the same document in sequence.

Form Size issue with multiple Digital Signatures

I have created a form (liveCycle 8) with multiple digital signatures required. When each user signs the form, that section of the form is locked using collections. The form is workflow through email after each user signs it. Each time the user signs and forwards the form, the form's size becomes too large.
How can the form be optimized to compress each time an users signs the form?
Thank you,
Lori

Steve,
After your request to post the form, I wanted to removal some company items like the Logo. Once I removed the Logo, I found the biggest issue was a Logo image size that was making the file so large. Once I reduced the image size, the signatures only added 46kb at each signature level.
Thank you for your help,
Lori

Creating a form that allows multiple Digital Signatures

I am trying to make a PDF form that allows multiple users to sign different portions of a single form. I have created the form and inserted the Digital signature fields. Which if I use my Acrobat 8 Professional to open I am able to sign each different signature field independantly, but if the form is opened in just Reader 8 it will not allow singing of any digital signature field at all. Seems the security settings revert to a default of not allowing the form to be signed. Anyone able to help, if I have not provided enough information please let me know as I am pretty new to LiveCycle.

The previous post is correct. Reader will not allow you to sigh an form unless it has been reader extended to enable the signing functionality. Acrobat pro or LiveCycle Reader Extensions can be used for this.
Regards
Steve

Creating multiple digital signatures

When I create multiple freehand signatures in an adobe acrobat document there is an issue.
Can I create multiple signatures and place them on the document without having the original signature be listed as part of an older revision? It marks a new signature as a change to the document and creates a second revision.

>As a business process when would people be approving the other's signatures?
As a normal business process maybe not. But consider: a signature can
have a visual aspect. This visual aspect might be large and not just
an written name: so someone could be tricked into signing something
different than the original document, maybe.
Anyway, this is moot. The signature becomes a part of the PDF. Each
signature certifies the entire PDF, not what a document looks like,
but byte for byte everything in the PDF, whether you can see it or
not. Hence, each signature encapsulates the previous signatures.
Aandi Inston

Multiple Digital Signatures (certificates) results in VERY slow PDF

I created a form in Lifecycle that typically has 8 signatures. As more signatures are added the form slows down significantly. Our director, who ultimately signs off on the document, has informed us that it took him 35+ minutes to approve 3 documents. The forms are on a network drive. I had read some old threads that mentioned this issue was being investigated and the newer versions of Acrobat should help speed up this process. We are currently running Acrobat X 10.1.4. Any suggestions as to what might be slowing things down? I know the digital signatures require validating and expect it to slow things down a bit but 11+ minutes is probably more than it should be. Thanks

Hi,
Just out of curiousity, if the form has been Reader Enabled, and, if the director could download the free Adobe Reader v11 from the Adobe web site, and he signs the file using version 11, is the signing process faster? It should be much faster in version 11 because we fixed the recursive validation issue that made dealing with multiple signatures so slow.
If you're interested in the nuts and bolts read on, but if not I'll understand...
The way signature validation use to work is Acrobat (and Reader as well because because the signature creation and validation mechanisms are the same in both) would start to validate signature number 8 right after the signature was created (it needs to do the validation so it knows whether or not to put the green check mark next to the signature). As part of the validation process it would need to re-validate each previous signature (and this is where things start to get weird). In order to validate signature 7 it has to also validate all previous signatures (6 thru 1) and every time it validates a new signature it has to do all of the previous signatures. Each signature would get validated as many times as it was part of the revision list. That is, signature 1 got validated eight times, signature 2 seven times and so on.
Begining with version 11 (or XI as it says in the product) we stopped all of the recursive validation and just do each signature once which makes the signature validation process much quicker. I'm always looking for real world examples, and if you can test it with Reader XI I'd appreciate knowing the results.
Thanks,
Steve

Issue with multiple digital signatures disabling fast web view

Hello, I'm using acrobat 9.1 pro and have some questions regarding an issue using multiple signatures on a pdf.
Why am I asking the question below? My job involves preparing pdf's for submission to FDA. The FDA requires, among other things, that electronically submitted docs have fast web view enabled.
I am currently exploring ways of using digital signatures to sign pdf reports and still make sure they are FDA spec compliant. My issue involves a document that would have multiple signature fields. What I do is create at least two signature fields in the doc and then save and optimize while enabling fast web view. When I sign the first box and save, the file retains the fast web view status. Yet, when I apply and signatures past the first one, the file is subsequently set to fast web view off without any obvious way of turning it back on. I am confused as to why it gets disabled only after the second, and not right after even the first one was signed. And, of course, I would like to know if it is possible to maintain fast web view and how to do it. I'll gladly accept "tinkering under the hood" of the file suggestions if they exist as well.
Please let me know if anything is unclear or you need further information.
Thanks for your time and help.
~Vlad

Hi Vlad,
Michael actual had the correct answer. The purpose of a "Linearized" file (i.e. a file that has been Optimized for Fast Web View) is to get the first page to display as soon as possible so you can start reading without waiting for the rest of the file to download. As an aside, the designated first page doesn't necessarily have to be page 0 (PDF's use a zero based counting system for pages), but usually it is. To quote the PDF specification, "The primary focus of Linearized PDF is optimized viewing of read-only PDF documents. It is intended that the Linearized PDF be generated once and read many times. Incremental update is still permitted, but the resulting PDF is no longer linearized and subsequently is treated as ordinary PDF."
When you sign a PDF file the first time the Save process is a "full save", that is the entire document is rewritten so there are no more than two %%EOF (end-of-file) markers in it. The first EOF designates which page to show first and the second EOF designates the end of the rest of the file (so the browser knows when to stop downloading). However, when you add a second (or subsequent) signature the file is saved as an "incremental save" and all of the new data is tacked onto the the end of the original file. This is so you can do a rollback to the previous signed version and allows Acrobat/Reader to check the integrity of each signature independent of any other signatures. It's the incremental save that breaks the linearized optimization of the file.
Steve

How can I create a form requesting a digital signature at the end?

I'm looking to create a form for a meeting that allows attendees to fill out their address and pertinent information as an agreement and at the conclusion of the form give them the option to sign electronically/digitally.
How can I do this? Is Adobe Forms the best program for this?

Hi,
Unfortunately, digital signatures are not supported in Adobe FormsCentral.
In order to collect signatures from the attendees, you can either use Adobe EchoSign to collect electronic signatures or Adobe Acrobat to get the documents digitally signed.
Please follow the links to know more about the services:-
Adobe EchoSign:-Electronic Signature Software, Digital Signatures | Adobe EchoSign
Adobe Acrobat:- PDF converter, PDF editor, convert to PDF | Adobe Acrobat XI Pro
Regards,
Nakul

Acrobat 7 document goes blank after digital signature

Secretary creates document on network drive. When a manager digitally signs the document it goes blank. Acrobat Pro 7.1.4. After multiple tries the document will work. Can automatic saving be disabled during the signing procedure so that the document does not have to be recreated to be signed again.

Finally I found the solution.
The file size increase is a result of the embedded information used for long-term signature validation.
If you do not need this feature, you can turn it off:
Preferences > Security > Advanced Preferences > Creation tab
disable "Include Signature’s Revocation"
Help page: http://help.adobe.com/en_US/acrobat/X/pro/using/WS934c23d7cc8877da1172e0811fde233c98-8000. html
BR
Harald

Multiple Digital Signatures in one Form

Hello
I have an Interactive Forms that requires the digital signing of 6 different users. There is a control under the Web Dynpro Native named : Signature : Sign and Lock which allows multiple signatures but I am not able to use it correctly.
I need to associate text fields in the form to a certain signature so when the user signs them they are locked BUT but I need to be able to have other text fields open so another user can sign the form. It is only when the second user signs the form that the remaining text fields are locked
Any idea ?
Eyal

Hi Mare,
You cannot merge files and expect that the digital signatures will be preserved. When you sign a file you are signing all of the bytes in that file, and only that file. Once you combine files you are creating a new unsigned file. If someone were to sign the new file they are signing all of the bytes in the new file, not just some of the bytes. There is no "page level" signing in PDF files, only whole file signing.
You can however put the signed files into a Portfolio file. A Portfolio keeps the files separate. Think of a Portfolio like a file cabinet in the physical world. Just because you put different files into the file cabinet drawer, they don't merge.
Steve

Multiple Digital Signatures in Adobe Acrobat XI - PDF locks after first signature is saved

I am working with a fillable pdf that was set up by an administrator to have multiple DIGITAL ID/SIGNATURES inputted, i.e. it does not allow images of signatures or text; when you click on the signature field, it ONLY prompts the insertion of a Digital ID. This form requires multiple signatures and editing/text from diverse people. I need to sign it and then circulate it to these other people. For some reason, when I insert the first digital ID and save it, the pdf becomes locked - it is no longer fillable, and no one else can edit or even insert their own signatures. What can I do to allow editing/additional signatures to be inputted after putting in my signature and saving the document? PLEASE HELP.

I don't know where I could post it...Could you please tell me how I might check if signature fields are set to "read only" or not? I have been looking through this pdf for so long and I don't even see the option to do that. When I click on the signature field, it just prompts me to insert the digital signature...there isn't much information displayed at all.

Proper process for multiple digital signatures?

Hello,
I am trying to solve a little process problem that I'm hoping Acrobat can function for. First off, for reference I am currently using Acrobat 9 Pro.
My company has engineering standards documents that require multiple department head signatures for authorizing official release, resulting in a published document to the rest of the company. What I would like to do is move away from printing these documents and running around the company collecting signatures, scanning the document & having to distribute and archive that scanned version. Often times we have people all over the country and this makes accomplishing this within a reasonable timeline difficult and inefficient. I would like to distribute a finalized form with multiple signature fields that can be digitally signed, re-compiled into a single presentable document for publishing. Is there a way to do this effectively (minimizing the signers required steps, and therefore minimizing the chances of the form stalling at a stage) and without the form needing to be opened, signed, saved, attached to a new email & sent on to the next person in the line? I have tried utilizing the distribute form function but this does not seem to result in a final SINGLE document that can be published; but instead it results in a separate file noting the signature dates and completion, although leaving the original form blank and unusable for the deliverable required. Am I just missing a final step?
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Best regards,
- Aaron

I finally got the document to send out by unclicking the "Collect name & email from recipients to provide optimal tracking" button, however, the responses come in as anonymous, so it's not real helpful with tracking my responses. Plus, I don't know if I'll encounter problems with follow up. The normal tracking system allows me to resend a message to those who have not responded. Now I guess I would just resend the request to those I have determined have not signed. Still working through the bugs but I'll update what I know and figure out here. Perhaps I will come to a solid solution and give a better summary.
As of now, I am sending and receiving responses... but the recipients have to change the received file to save as it is coming to them as read-only. Seems like this should be a whole lot less complicated.

Creating Documents to Support Multiple Digital Signatures

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