“I have a PDF file in which I should add my digital signature certified via Adobe Reader. When I go to add the signature though, all the signature options are greyed out. I checked the security systems and signatures are allowed…. I'm using the latest version of Adobe but I can't ... Any advice? "
Actually, Adobe Reader is just a PDF document reader. To add a digital signature (with certificate) in a PDF file, and especially in an externally imported PDF document, you need a professional PDF program such as PDF Element Editor. Although such a program is not as famous and popular as Adobe Reader and Adobe Acrobat, it is capable of applying a digital signature certified which will allow you to speed up your workflow with colleagues, customers and partners. Below we see how to use this program for insert a certified digital signature in a PDF file.
How to Create Digital Signature for PDF
Step 1. Download and install PDFElement
Click the download button below to download the installation package (for Windows or for Mac). After the download, if there is a message asking you to run the application, click Run and proceed with the installation. If no window appears then double click on the downloaded file (the .Exe one) to install PDFElement on your PC or Mac OS X.
Main screen:
Step 2. Create digital signature in PDF
Click on Open File ... to browse your computer and search for the PDF document to import into the program and on which you want to insert the certified signature. After opening, access the section "Protect ”To proceed with the creation and addition of the certified digital signature in the PDF.
In the "protect" menu, click on "Signature document". Move the mouse over the PDF document and click to draw the area where you want to insert the signature. When you do this, a window called "Add Digital ID".
Users who want to insert the signature in the PDF through this program for the first time, have to click on the button "New digital ID”To create a new code. In the "Existing digital ID" box, you can import the certificate, if you already have it.
If you don't have a digital ID, create one by entering your name, email address, company name, etc ...
At the end of the creation of the digital ID, you will return to the initial window and here by clicking on "BUSINESS”You will be able to insert the signature in the PDF file.
NB: Given theauthenticity of the digital signature you will be able to sign PDF documents using a certificate-based digital ID, just like the one created by this PDF Editor program. Alternatively, a certificate ID issued by an external and trusted certification authority can also be imported into the program. With a certified digital signature, recipients will be able to verify the authenticity or otherwise of the PDF file.
If instead of a certified digital signature, you want to insert your own "handwritten" signature, read this article.
Does the signature digitally inserted with this program then have the value of "authenticity" of the PDF document?
Insert Certified Digital Signature in PDF File -