electronic signature on pdf

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Electronic Signature on PDF

Category: Technology

How can you apply an electronic signature to a PDF document? First, its helpful tounderstand the strengths and vulnerabilities of this well-known file format. Then, you can

try new online software that enables you to place legally-binding e-signatures on PDF

documents.

The PDF Format

Necessity is the mother of invention. This is true of many technological innovations,including the Portable Document Format.

The Portable Document Format better known as PDF is an invention that was created

out of a common need. Businesses in the early 1990s craved a way to share electronicdocuments that was independent of the hardware, software, and operating systems thattheir clients were using at the time, and a software company called Adobe Systems

stepped in with a solution.

The solution was the PDF, a first-of-its-kind file format that allowed people to retain

formatting on the files they were sending regardless of the computer or operating systemtheir intended recipient was using. PDFs were heralded as a breakthrough when they

were released to the public in 1993, and they slowly began to change the way companies

communicated internally and externally.

Digital Signatures

By 2000, businesses of all sizes were frequently emailing PDF contracts and agreements

to clients with instructions on how to print, sign, and return those documents with a faxmachine or scanner. As cumbersome as this process seems, it was a significant

improvement over the traditional two-way postal mail contract exchange.

As the years went by, additional technologies were created that made it possible for PDFs

to incorporate digital signatures. Despite the obvious benefits this provided businessesthat sent and received signed agreements on a daily basis, it was by no means a foolproof

method of managing documents and transactions.

For one thing, customers and clients who received PDF documents via email needed to

download specific software, such as Adobe Reader, before they could sign thesedocuments in a digital format. The software that was required to apply digital signatures

was difficult for many people to use. And although a digital signature can serve as an

indication that a document has been approved, it is not a visual representation of a hand-drawn signature.
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Technically, a digital signature is an encrypted certificate, whereas an electronic

signature can be handwritten in the same way as a traditional signature. Although digital

signatures can work well for internal company operations, they are not practical forconsumers who need to execute documents on an infrequent basis. These consumers

cannot be expected to have access to expensive software suites and to know how to use

complicated computer programs. For these common use cases, electronic signatures arethe answer.

Electronic Signatures

Electronic signatures can be applied directly onto PDF files online when a company uses

a top-rated e-signature platform.

RightSignature, in particular, is a web-based system with a proprietary viewer that lets

users view, fill out, and sign PDF files in any web browser. People who are sent contractsand agreements to be signed electronically can fill out form fields and draw their

handwritten signatures directly onto the PDF documents without having to downloadAdobe Reader or install any other software. The system is compliant with theESign ActandUETA and produces legally-binding documents.

Two of the keys to getting electronic documents signed and returned quickly are

accessibility and usability. The more downloads, add-ons, and plug-ins a person needs,

the lower the chances that he or she is going to be successful at signing and returning adocument in an electronic format.

Cloud-based electronic signature softwarelike RightSignature have lowered the bar for

consumers and made it easier for people to sign their names on PDF documents leading

to more signed contracts and completed agreements for companies that implement thispopular technology.

Electronic Signature vs. Digital Signature

Category: Best Reads, Education

For most people who enter into contracts on a daily basis, the terms electronic

signature and digital signature mean roughly the same thing. From a legal perspective,however, an electronic signature and a digital signature are two very different forms of

consent.

Whether a signature is electronic, digital, or handwritten on paper, the underlying concept

remains the same. All three types of signatures represent the intent of the person signing a

document. Although the terms electronic signature and digital signature are often
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used interchangeably in conversation, they do in fact have distinct meanings from both a

technical and a legal perspective.

Electronic Signature

At its core, an electronic signature can be any type of electronic consent or approval.More specifically, the E-Sign Act defines an electronic signature as an electronic sound,symbol, or process attached to or logically associated with a record and executed or

adopted by a person with the intent to sign the record.

So what does that mean? In laymans terms, it means that anelectronic signature can be

any type of audio file, a graphic representation, or a procedure that is somehowassociated with an electronic record. It can be something as simple as a written name or a

button that says I agree, or as complex as a biometric signature.

It is important to remember that not all electronic signatures are weighed equally in the

eyes of the law, and a signature that cannot be verified for integrity and security is goingto be less defensible in court. That is one of the reasons why many professional

businesses require that customers and clients do more than just type in their names or

click I Agree when they sign important documents electronically. This is also whymost companies require that clients use defensive e-signature platforms when entering

into any type of binding agreement.

Digital Signatures

Entering into an agreement with a digital signature is somewhat more complex than using

an electronic signature, although both types of signatures can be used by people to

indicate consent or agreement to a document.

By most definitions, a digital signature is similar to a rubber stamp with the maindifference being its digital nature and the fact that certain bits of unique personal data

must be hidden within the digital stamp to ensure its security and verifiability.

Digital signatures are also frequently compared to fingerprints, since each contains aunique set of data that is hidden to the human eye. With digital signatures, thisdata is

placed within the computer code and it can be used to indicate consent and to prove

whether a signer has created or modified a file. If anything within a contract is changed

or altered after the digital signature has been put in place, then that change will be noted

and the contract will become invalid. This ensures the integrity of every contract andhelps protect against forgery, which is a common concern with electronic contracts in

general.

Digital signatures are an excellent tool that businesses and consumers can use toauthenticate contracts that are signed electronically, however the process of creating a

digital signature can be somewhat complicated for most people without computer

backgrounds. Thats why many businesses that use digital signatures do so with the help
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of a platform or a tool like RightSignature. Documents executed with RightSignature

contain the most critical elements of both electronic signatures and digital signatures,

which ensures that any contracts being signed electronically will be just as legallydefensible if not more so than contracts signed with pen and paper, should the issue

ever be brought to court.
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