Blurry signature image importing to Acrobat

[Rick N.]

I am trying to install a crisp signature image into Acrobat and each attempt renders a blurred image.

When I insert the signature as a regular image it renders fine. When I insert the image using the Add Signature function, it renders with a grey board and the color changes. 

Is there a special way to create and load signatures in Acrobat in order to use the Signature function?

In that attached sample, the top signature is using the Add Signature funtion and the bottom is using the general Add Image function.  

I've tried jpg and png formats. I've taken screenshot of the clean original to create a seperate file. At the advise of Adobe suport, I've recreated the file by creating a new signature on a piece of paper and taking a high resolution photo. I always get the same result.

[ls_rbls]

Are you trying to edit the signature  image files with Adobe Acrobat or an image editing software before the image file is used as a signature?

If you're using Acrobat to edit an image, be aware that Acrobat is not an image editing program.

As an PDF editing program, any supported  file type that you open with Acrobat will undergo through a file conversion  process to a .pdf file type.

Based on the screenshot provided, it seems like the Add Signature function as you describe is dependent on some preferences settings that may need to be adjusted, or maybe you've missed a step.

See this Adobe Helpx guidance and check if you missed something:

https://helpx.adobe.com/acrobat/using/signing-pdfs.html

[Rick N.]

NO - I am not editting the image with Acrobat. I am adding the image to acrobat and it is fine when it is added as an image object and blurry when added using the Signature - Image function. 

[Amal.]

Hi Rick N

Hope you are doing well.

++ Adding to the discussion

Would you mind sharing the steps you are doing to add the signature image to Adobe Acrobat? A small video would help us to better understand the issue.

If you are using an image as your signature please check the steps below:

• Sign your name in black ink on a clean, blank sheet of white paper. Sign in the middle of the paper so you don't photograph or scan the edges.
• Photograph or scan your signature. If you are taking a picture of your signature, make sure that the page is lit and that no shadows fall across the signature.
• Transfer the photo or scan to your computer. Acrobat/Reader accepts JPG, JPEG, PNG, GIF, TIFF, TIF, and BMP files. You do not need to crop the image. Acrobat/Reader imports just the signature if the photo or scan is fairly clean.

Regards

Amal

[Rick N.]

I signed my name on a clean sheet of paper.

I took a picture using my phone.

I sent the jpg to my computer.

I opened the jpg in Photoshop. I cropped the image, adjusted the contrast and brightness. I removed the background.

I saved the image as a PNG file and a JPG for testing purposes.

I Added the signature as a JPG using the Acrobat - Signature feature and using the Add-Image feature. It is fine as an image and blurry as a signature.

I did the same steps using the PNG file with the same results. 

I am not editting the signature in Acrobat, only adding it to Acrobat.

I've called Support about this multiple times. They suggest the steps above but are not able to solve the problem. I am availble for a screen share if support would like to contact me.

Thank you

[ls_rbls]

Seems to me like a bug, since using the the "Select Image" button from the Fill & Sign tool doesn't respect the bit depth of the selected image.

With Adobe Photoshop, You should be able to work around that with a reasonable visual result if you change the bit depth of your image file to 24 bit or higher.

Note my screenshot example below.

Following a guidance that i found online,  I used Microsoft Paint to create my signature image and changed the image depth to 24 bit by saving the file as a 24 bitmap image file, then reopening it and "Save As" again but as a  .png image file retaining the 24 bit depth.

 

From top to bottom, the first signature was uploaded using the the Fill & Sign tool and then selecting an my 24 bit .png image file that I created in MS Paint.

The second signature is a certificate-based digital signature field.

And the third and last signature is just an image field where I uploaded my image file onto using the "Edit Text & Images" tool.

Just be aware, that the Fill & Sign tool  seems to be buggy since it appears that it was not designed with the idea in mind to expand and maintain a non-blurred aspect ratio of an image file as you manually enlarge the electronic signature bounding box that holds the uploaded image in it.... but I may be totally wrong.

[Rick N.]

Thank you. I could accept a little bit of distortion as you have in your three examples but my image is getting blown out completely. 

There is only one option the Photoshop - File - Export to..  to control the bit depth which is to make it smaller, I believe, and I have not enabled it. The check box is in the top right corner of the attached screenshot. 

This seems to be a bug with Acrobat. After spending days and hours trying to figure this out in the past year, I believe the ontly work around is to not use the Signature feature and just add the signature.png as an Image. 

[Rick N. · Accepted solution]

SOLUTION: I'd like to post a solution to my problem in hopes of helping others with the same problem.

I short, the problem was that if I added a signature image in jpg or png format to the document using the Fill & Sign - Add Signature feature the image would be blurry. When adding the same file to the document using the Edit PDF - Add Image the signature image would be clear. 

Testing and confirmation was to create a PDF on the adobe website to bypass the the software loaded on my Mac. The Fill & Sign - Add Signature worked fine confirming that this was a software issue.

The solution was to download AcroClearner from Adobe's website and remove the software from my computer and then to reinstall the Acrobat DC software. The signature file now loads correctly using Fill & Sign - Add signature.

I hope this helps anyone else having these problems and saves you from investing countless personal and work hours to figure it out.

I spoke to at least 5 support agents and it wasn't until the last agent to present the solution. 

[ls_rbls]

Thank you very much for sharing that solution.

I am glad you were able to get this resolved.