Digital SignaturesRevu supports digital certification of PDFs and digitally signing PDFs. These twoactions have some similarities, and can be done at the same time, but they aredistinct. Before beginning, it is important to understand both concepts:

l Digital Certification is the act of certifying the accuracy of a document. When adocument is digitally certified, its page content is locked to prevent changes. Thecertifier can opt to allow limited changes that do not affect this content (for example,adding markups, completing form fields or applying digital signatures).

l Digital Signatures are independently validated signatures placed on a document bysomebody to approve the document in its current state. If changes are made to thedocument after the digital signature is placed, the status of the signature changesaccordingly.

l An important distinction between digital signatures and electronic signaturesis that the latter are not validated for authenticity. An electronic signature issimply an electronic representation of somebody's autograph; a digitalsignature contains a unique digital ID to verify its authenticity.

Revu supports both adding digital signature fields to PDFs and applying digitalsignatures to those fields. You can create and validate signatures from self-signedcertificates, which is ideal for certification that occurs within organizations or amongtrusted parties. Revu also supports commercially available certificates purchasedfrom trusted third-party Certificate Authorities.

Revu validates and signs documents based on the Windows Certificate Store and thePKCS #12 standards. Revu also supports Adobe CDS signatures.

Compatibility

Revu Standard, CAD or eXtreme 11.6 or higher

Contents

Creating Digital IDsExporting Digital ID CertificatesManaging Signature AppearancesAdding Digital Signature FieldsCertifying a PDFCertifying as the First SignerCertifying Without Signing

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Digitally Signing PDFsDigitally Signing a PDF That Already Has a Signature FieldDigitally Signing a PDF That Does Not Have a Signature FieldClearing Your Digital Signature

Validating Digital SignaturesImporting a Digital ID Certificate

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Creating Digital IDs

Before you can digitally sign or certify a document, you need a digital ID in Revu. Ifyou don't have one already installed on your computer, you can purchase one from atrusted Certificate Authority (consult the documentation that accompanies it to installthe digital ID; Revu will automatically detect digital IDs installed in eTokens, USBdongles, or in your Windows Certificate Store) or you can create one in Revu (alsoknown as "self-signed"). You will only need to do this once.

If you are not sure which option is right for you, consider the following:

Self-Signed:

l Usually adequate for personal use or for small-to-mid-sized companies, but it isgenerally recommended that their usage be limited to parties that have establishedmutual trust. When using a self-signed digital ID, you are essentially vouching foryourself.

l You will need to provide digital certificates to parties that will receive your signedand/or certified documents and they must install them in order to validate your digitalsignature.

Third-Party Certificate Authority:

l The Certificate Authority takes responsibility for verifying your identity to otherparties, bypassing the need for pre-established mutual trust.

l The Certificate Authority is usually trusted by the Windows Certificate Store bydefault, eliminating the need to provide digital certificates to recipients ahead oftime.

If you choose to purchase a digital ID from a third-party Certificate Authority, youshould not need to create a digital ID in Revu and you should not need to export adigital ID to send to recipients. Skip ahead to Managing Signature Appearances todetermine the appearance of your digital signature in Revu, if desired.

If you choose to use a self-signed digital ID, you will need to create it (describedbelow) and then export your public certificate so you can send it to recipients of yoursigned and/or certified documents.

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To create a new, self-signed digital ID:

1. Go to Document > Signatures > Digital IDs. The Manage Digital IDs dialogbox opens.

2. Click Add Digital ID. The New Digital ID dialog box opens.

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3. Select one of the available Create Digital ID options:l Create Digital ID file: Creates a digital ID in the PKCS #12 format. It is

protected by a separate password that is defined at the time of creation.l Create Digital ID in Windows Certificate Store: Creates a digital ID in the

Windows Certificate Store. It is protected by the user's Windows login.

Note: Since it relies on a user's Windows login credentials, WindowsCertificate Store is not recommended for environments with shared logincredentials. Additionally, the Windows Certificate Store is Windows-onlywhile PKCS #12 is compatible with both Windows and Mac OS.

4. Enter the Identity information, as desired.l Name and E-mail Address are required fields.

5. If Create DigitalID file was selected, enter and confirm a Password underPKCS #12 Options. This password will be used to confirm the user as thesigner of a document, so use a sufficiently secure password.

6. Click OK.

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Exporting Digital ID Certificates

When you create a self-signed digital ID, you need to send copies of your publiccertificate to anybody who will receive documents with your digital signature so theycan validate it. This should be done before sending them documents that you havedigitally signed. Fortunately, Revu makes it simple to export your public certificate.

To export your digital ID certificate:

1. Go to Document > Signatures > Digital IDs. The Manage Digital IDs dialogbox opens.

2. Select the digital ID to be exported and click Export. If this digital ID is password-protected (for example, a PKCS #12 ID), a password prompt will appear. Provide thenecessary password.

3. The Windows Save As dialog box opens. Browse to a desired location and click Save tosave the public certificate. This file can now be sent to other users, who can add it totheir trusted repositories.

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Managing Signature Appearances

Revu allows you to customize the information supplied with your digital signature aswell as its appearance. You can also create multiple appearances for your digitalsignature to suit any kind of signing need.

To create a signature appearance template:

1. Go to Document > Signatures > Digital IDs. The Manage Digital IDs dialogbox opens.

2. Select the desired digital identity and clickManage Appearances. The Appearances dialog box opens.

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3. Click the Add Appearance button. The Signature Appearance dialog boxopens.

4. Give this appearance template an easily recognizable name in the Title field. The titleappears in the selection list when choosing which appearance template to use whensigning the document.

5. Choose a Graphic option:l None: Applies no graphic to the signature.l Name: Prints the signer's name as a graphic.

l File: Applies the specified graphic to the signature. Click the navigatebutton to browse for a file (for example, a scan of the signer's "wet"signature).

6. Choose a Position option to determine where in the graphic appears in thesigning box.

7. Select any of the options in the Text list to enable them. These auto-generate certaininformation when a signature is applied. They are all optional.

8. Choose the Alignment of these options. The boxes correspond to the regionsof a signature field, such as "top-left," "middle" or "bottom-right" (as shown in

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the example below).

9. To set the font size of the text options manually, uncheck Auto and select the desiredFontSize. Otherwise, leave Auto checked.

10. To prevent field names such as "Digitally signed by" and "DN" from appearing in thesignature box, uncheck Labels.

11. To remove the Bluebeam icon watermark, uncheck Logo.12. The Preview of the digital signature updates whenever any option is set. Use this to

confirm that the appearance of this digital signature is satisfactory, and when it is,click OK.

Adding Digital Signature Fields

To prepare a document for digital signing, add one or more digital signature fields(depending on how many signatures are needed).

1. Go to Document > Signatures > Add Signature Field.2. Click and drag a rectangle to define the region where the signature will appear.3. If the PDFrequires multiple signatures, drag similar rectangles over the other signing

areas.4. To manage the properties of any signature field, right-click it and select Properties.

Set any of the following options, as desired:l Name: Assign a name to this signature field (often the name or title of the

person to sign here).l Tooltip: Enter text that will display when a user hovers their cursor over the

field.l Field: Select whether the field will be Visible (default), Hidden, Visible but

doesn't print or Hidden but printable.l Orientation: Select the orientation of the signature, in degrees: 0 (right-side

up, default), 90, 180 (upside down) or 270.l Read-Only: Check to set the signature field as read-only so it cannot be

altered. This will actually make it impossible to add a digital signature to thefield, so it is not generally recommended.

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l Required: Check to set the signature field as being required. Requiredsignatures are easily identified by a red border.

l Lock: Check to lock the properties of the signature field so that they cannotbe changed.

5. Press Esc when all signature fields have been added and then save the PDF.

Deleting Digital Signature Fields

In the event that it becomes necessary to delete a digital signature field, do thefollowing:

1. Go to Document > Signatures > Add Signature Field.2. Right-click the digital signature field to be deleted and select Delete.

Certifying a PDF

Documents can be certified, usually by the person who created it or by the firstsigner, as being authentic. Additionally, certifying a document prevents signers frommaking changes to its page content, though the certifier has the option to allow otherlimited changes to the document, including the addition of markups, the completionof form fields or the application of digital signatures. As such, documents should be

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certified only when they are complete, including after all digital signature fields havebeen added.

Certified documents cannot be combined with other documents without breaking thecertification. Combine documents before certifying or use Sets in Revu 11 or greaterto view separate certified PDFs as a single collection. The only option after certifyinga document that preserves the certification is to create a PDFpackage.

There are two ways to certify a PDF, depending on whether or not you are also asigner on the document. Please note that after the first signature is added to a PDF,its certification status cannot be changed; if a document needs to be certified, do soas the first signer or, if you are not a signer on the document, before sending it outfor signatures.

Certified documents will display a certification statement on the document'sProperties tab that can be reviewed at any time. Additionally, when opening acertified document a dialog box will appear prompting the reader to open theProperties tab in order to review the certification statement.

Certifying as the First Signer

Using this process, you can certify the document and sign it at the same time.

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1. Click in the desired signature field. The Sign dialog box opens.

2. Choose a Digital ID.3. For PKCS #12 IDs, enter the Password and click Log in.

l Windows Certificate Store IDs do not require a separate password as they areprotected by the user's Windows login.

4. Select DocumentCertification and choose one of the Permitted changesafter certifying options:

l No changes allowed: No changes are permitted and no other signatures canbe added.

l Fill in forms and digital signatures: Form fields can be completed andsignatures added, but no other changes are permitted.

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l Markups, fill in forms, and digital signatures: Markups can be added, formfields can be completed and signatures added, but no other changes arepermitted.

5. Complete any of the desired Options fields.6. Select an Appearance for your signature.7. Click OK. A Save As dialog box appears. Signed documents must be saved at the time

of signature.8. Enter a file name and select the location for the signed file, then click Save to save the

signed PDF.

Certifying Without Signing

The person who certifies a document need not necessarily be one of the signers.Remember, a PDFcannot be certified after it has been signed by any party, so if thedocument is to be certified, do so before sending it out for signatures.

To certify a document without signing it:

1. Go to Document > Signatures >Certify Document. The Sign dialog boxopens.

2. Choose a Digital ID.3. For PKCS #12 IDs, enter the Password and click Log in.

l Windows Certificate Store IDs do not require a separate password as they areprotected by the user's Windows login.

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4. Select DocumentCertification and choose one of the Permitted changesafter certifying options:

l No changes allowed: No changes are permitted, including the application ofdigital signatures. Select this option only if the document does not need to besigned.

l Fill in forms and digital signatures: Form fields can be completed andsignatures added, but no other changes are permitted.

l Markups, fill in forms, and digital signatures: Markups can be added, formfields can be completed and signatures added, but no other changes arepermitted.

5. Complete any of the desired Options fields.6. Click OK.

Digitally Signing PDFs

How a PDF is digitally signed depends on how it was created. In most cases, asignature field will have already been added to the document in preparation for yoursignature. Such documents might also be certified. In some cases, however, youmight need to add your own signature field before signing. Fortunately, Revu makesit simple to do this, too.

Digitally signed documents cannot be combined with other documents withoutinvalidating the signatures. Combine documents before certifying or use Sets in Revu11 or greater to view separate signed PDFs as a single collection. The only optionafter signing a document that preserves the signature is to create a PDFpackage.

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Digitally Signing a PDF That Already Has a Signature Field

1. Click in the desired signature field. The Sign dialog box opens.

2. Choose a Digital ID.3. For PKCS #12 IDs, enter the Password and click Log in.

l Windows Certificate Store IDs do not require a separate password as they areprotected by the user's Windows login.

4. Complete any of the desired Options fields.5. Select an Appearance for your signature.6. Click OK. A Save As dialog box appears. Signed documents must be saved at the time

of signature placement.7. Enter a file name and select the location for the signed file, then click Save to save the

signed PDF.

Digitally Signing a PDF That Does Not Have a Signature Field

1. Go to Document > Signatures > Sign Document.2. Click and drag a rectangle to define the region where the signature will

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appear. The Sign dialog box opens.

3. Choose the Digital ID to sign with.4. For PKCS #12 IDs, enter the Password and click Log in.

l Windows Certificate Store IDs do not require a separate password as they areprotected by the user's Windows login.

5. Under Signature Type, select Digital Signature.6. Complete any of the desired Options fields.7. Select an Appearance for the signature.8. Click OK. A Save As dialog box appears. Signed documents must be saved at the time

of signature placement.9. Enter a file name and select the location for the signed file, then click Save to save the

signed PDF.

Clearing Your Digital Signature

In the event that you wish to clear your digital signature, either permanently or inorder to make any needed changes and reapply it, you can do so easily. You can onlyclear your own digital signature.

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To clear your digital signature, simply right-click the signature and select ClearSignature.

Validating Digital Signatures

When a document that has been digitally signed is opened in Revu, signatures areautomatically checked for validity. One of seven icons will be displayed to indicatethe status of a signature's validity.

The document has been Certified and the Certification is valid.

The signer's identity is trusted and the document has not been changed. This is avalid signature.

The signer's identity is unknown. If the signer is known and trusted, seeImporting a Trusted Identity Certificate to add the identity to your list of trustedidentities.

The signature has not yet been validated and the document has not beenupdated since signed.

The signature is valid, but the document has been updated since being signed.

The signer's identity is unknown and the document has been updated sincebeing signed.

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The signature or certification is invalid and the document has been altered sincebeing signed.

To attempt validation on a signature again (for example, if you've installed acertificate that wasn't installed when the file was first opened), right-click thesignature and select Validate Signature.

Importing a Digital ID Certificate

Before a digital signature can be validated in Revu, the digital ID certificate of thesigner must be imported in your trusted repository. The recommended best practicewhen it comes to importing digital ID certificates is to have signers send you theirdigital IDcertificates (which can be easily exported from Revu) directly and importthem into your trusted repository ahead of time. This way, you already have theirdigital ID on file, ready to validate any digital signatures they place, and since you gotit from them directly, you have more reason to trust it.

To import a digital ID certificate from a file you've been sent:

1. Save the .cer file that was sent to you somewhere on your computer or network.

2. In Revu, go to Document > Signatures > Trusted Identities. The ManageTrusted Identities dialog box opens.

3. Click Add Trusted Identity. The Windows Open dialog box opens.

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4. Browse to the location of the saved .cer file and open it. Revu automatically adds it toyour list of trusted identities.

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Digital SignaturesCompatibilityContentsCreating Digital IDsExporting Digital ID CertificatesManaging Signature AppearancesAdding Digital Signature FieldsDeleting Digital Signature FieldsCertifying a PDFCertifying as the First SignerCertifying Without Signing

Digitally Signing PDFsDigitally Signing a PDF That Already Has a Signature FieldDigitally Signing a PDF That Does Not Have a Signature FieldClearing Your Digital Signature

Validating Digital SignaturesImporting a Digital ID Certificate