Form blocked after sign in draw field

[Orange Raven]

Hey,

hope you can understand my problem, cause I´m not a english native speaker.

I try to make a form in adobe acrobat DC, cause we would like to reduce our paper. Idea is: Make the form as pdf, take it on cloud and our externals can sync their tablets, copy the form, fill it with custumer and he can sign it on the tablet.

So far, so easy. Problem ist the date and the sign. After the customer did his sign on paper, the fields (name, date, checkboxes etc.) should be blocked for ever. The sign on tablet should deaktivate the edit-function of the form.

Sadly i can´t find a good german book about adobe acrobat DC. And in google are some tutorials, which are not working yet. Maybe one of you have a good link or a idea.

Thank you.

[barbara_a]

In order to prevent changes after signing, open the Properties panel for the signature for field. You can double-click on the field or right-click or select it and press Enter.

Once the Digital Signature Properties panel opens, select the Signed tab and select the 'Mark as read-only' button. Then choose which fields you want to lock.

[Orange Raven]

Edit: Ignore that one pls, I´ve found the mistake. I generate the wrong from (checked "need sign" at start)

Thank you for that quick response, but I maybe do something wrong. There is no sign property after double click.

For example a new form:

Where is my general mistake (I´m sure, there is one).

[Orange Raven]

I try what you wrote. Sadly there is a problem or I missunderstood something.

I don´t want to add a digital signature. I just want sign on a tablet in a field and after that make it read only. If I add a digital signature property it only work after I make a digital signature (windows, acrobat reader) and it don´t worl with adobe reader on android or windows. After just wirte in the field, the other fields are still editable.

Steps:

- Office make a form and safe it on cloud (onedrive, google, adobe)

- externals go to the custumer, fill the form and in the end give the customer the tablet

- customer write on tablet screen his signatur

- external safe the form on cloud

- now the pdf is read only and not longer editable

Thank you.

[barbara_a]

It was my misunderstanding. A signature field is the most secure way of locking all fields so that's why I suggested it.

However, you could use a button with a JavaScript instead.

Create a button. You could name it 'Finished' or 'Done' or whatever makes sense for your form.

Open the Button Properties dialog box and click the Action tab. From the Select Action dropdown list, select 'Run a JavaScript'. Then click the Add button and add this script:

for (var i=0; i<this.numFields; i++) {
    var f = this.getField(this.getNthFieldName(i));
    if (f==null) continue;
    f.readonly = true;
}

[ls_rbls]

Then you need to use Fill & Sign in that tablet.

Download it from the app store.

After a signature is applied using Fill & Sign, either by applying a wet signature or inserting an image , the document becomes read only.

See quick tutorial here:

https://helpx.adobe.com/sign/how-to/use-fill-and-sign.html 

[Orange Raven]

JavaScript works fine with the button. Problem is, that it not works proper on android with Cloud. Only on Windows, but thats a minor problem, cause we decide then, that externals all get windows touch notebooks/tablets and no android. Maybe I find a app on android to solve that problem (most apps include adobe reader cant press the button when file is on cloud).

Last problem is the signature field. I can´t find a field to "draw in" (the sign). The only field is the digital signature field, but then we have the problem from start (+if it works, the sign of the customer is safed on tablet). Best would be a field like a text field or a check box, where the customer can draw his sign in and its read only too after pressing the button.

[ls_rbls]

Even though it seems that you already educated yourself and know what to do, I feel like you may be confusing a few things.

When you say that the form doesn't work if it is shared through a cloud service, which cloud service are you referring to: Adobe Document Cloud, Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive, Sharepoint?

Aside from the fact that Acrobat Reader mobile app doesn't support  signing a PDF document with a digital certificate method, there are some cloud storage services  that will only open  a PDF file directly in the default web browser of the mobile device  that it is accessed with and not in the Reader mobile app like it should.

This could be the reason why the button  with a javascript method may not seem to work for you.

I do have a form with a button that works in my Android device using the Adobe Reader mobile app.

If I share this PDF document via Adobe Document Cloud,  and when I access such file from another device, it will download to that device and open the shared PDF  file with the Adobe Reader mobile app by default.

But , When it is accessed through  any other cloud storage services the PDF document will not open by default in the Adobe Reader Mobile app.

It will open instead with the default browser of my mobile device using whatever PDF plugin is supported exclusively by the cloud storage service provider, for example.

So, the main question is, are you using the right mobile tools?

You can still achieve workflow and enforce security in a PDF document that it is  sent out for signatures and that it is accessed  with any device on the web using  the Adobe Sign tool not Fill & Sign.

Have you tested  how to share and electronically apply a signature in your PDF document using Adobe Sign yet?

See here:

https://helpx.adobe.com/acrobat/using/capture-and-sync-your-signature.html 

https://acrobat.adobe.com/us/en/sign/features/e-sign-mobile-app.html 

The link above shows how to electronically sign PDF documents in a collaboration environment using the Adobe Reader mobile app.

If, on the other hand,  you create a digital signature field in your form and then try to apply the electrinic signature method in it , it simply won't work with the Reader mobile app; that method is not supported.

Trying to  apply a digital signature, like when you use a smart card or with a self-signed certificate, the Adobe Reader mobile app won't support  the self-signed  certificate method on such signature fields nor  using a smart card device to secure a document via encryption using a certificate authority validation mechanism.

I think the main issue here is to not confuse what the Adobe Reader mobile app is capable of  doing when it comes to supporting electronic signatures versus digital signatures.

See differences here:

http://www.differencebetween.net/technology/difference-between-digital-signature-and-electronic-sign... 

But if you do find a third party tool that will allow you to digitally sign a PDF document in your mobile device, please share your feedback.

I've been struggling myself on how to make this possible with my  PDF forms at work for a very long time now.

Specifically more now at present;   there is hardware and middleware support for Android to use a smart cards to sign in into a secured website using smart card, for example.

[Orange Raven]

Yes, you are absolut right. I confusing some thing I think. I´m not that bad in IT things (some semester study in it long time ago) and I´m working in mainly in webservice (Website, SEO, Ads etc.) and have some skills in Illustrator. Thats why there are some know things, but mostly not sure. 🙂

Ok, step by step. Thank you for the information, that the mobile apps mostly not support the sign. But as I wrote, that issue is not a big one, cause we have the choice to use Windows divece. There is no need for android yet.

I´m using for testing oneDrive, but Adobe Cloud is possible to use too. We haven´t deciede it yet. On Andorid there is a option in OneDrive to open a cloud PDF with another app. Problem ist, that you only can open it local. You have to safe it as a copy and upload it again. The App Xodo works here baraley. The digital sign field works, but the button does not. Haven´t tested yet what happens when you take the javaScript in the sign field, because the copy-safe-again-steps are not smooth and is a source of error with our not digital-native-externals.

The realy very last problem ist, that I only need a form field for drawing the signature. A field which get read only after hit the javaScript Button. Sadly the sign field is not a option.

[Orange Raven]

Little push. Did anyone have a solution for the last and final problem?

"The realy very last problem ist, that I only need a form field for drawing the signature. A field which get read only after hit the javaScript Button. Sadly the sign field is not a option."

[ls_rbls]

Well, I'm sorry to break it to you, but the signing with a digital certificate is not supported in the mobile app yet (I don't know if this will be implemented but it will cool to digitally sign with self-signed certificates or with a smart card reader from a mobile device.

In my opinion you are still trying to force a feature that doesn't apply to your workflow. That is why that javascript won't work.

You need to use instead the Adobe Sign tool which will allow the users to electronically apply a signature, but you select where to put those field accross your PDF document and to who you will send it to.

Once the document is signed it can be protected with read only

See my slide:

.Drag and drop the signature fields where you want them in your document and send for signatures.

You can opt to use this method with Adobe Fill & Sign which works relatively well in mobile devices: 

https://helpx.adobe.com/acrobat/how-to/fill-and-sign-pdf-forms.html

BUT, for your particular need use the Adobe Sign tool instead https://helpx.adobe.com/acrobat/how-to/send-documents-for-electronic-signature.html

Both methods accept signing and applying electronic signatures (not digital signatures), however, the Adobe Sign tool is the tool that allows you to enforce a tighter security, password protection  etc.

[ls_rbls]

CORRECTION TO MY LAST REPLY TO AVOID CONFUSION

I mentioned that both methods accept electronic signatures , not digital.

Adobe Fill & Sign only allows for electronic signature.

The Adobe Sign actually allows digital signatures. I've seen Adobe employees in the forums mention that this is not supported for the mobile devices, yet it is advertised as to be able to sign from anywhere by applying the digital workflow provided by this tool in conjunction with cloud-based signatures.

I have not tested this yet in my own device.

But basically you select and direct your users where to select their signatures from, like for example, cloud based  signature which is the feture of the Adobe Sign tool that allows user to digitally sign from mobile devices.

https://helpx.adobe.com/in/sign/using/digital-signatures.html 

You will have to test a form using Adobe Sign and figure out where the digital certificates are pulled from when a user is trying to sign using a mobile device.

See the link provided in the following thread about usi

ng digital signatures:

https://community.adobe.com/t5/acrobat/getting-signatures-from-mobile-devices/m-p/10833120 

[barbara_a]

To make it clear, the JavaScript button that I described would need to be separate from the signature field. After the person signs, they would need to click the button in order to lock the form. 

[ls_rbls]

Hi Barbara_Ash,

I am also learning javascript, can you briefly elaborate a little more why the javascript has to be executed from a button and not as an additional javascript action in the  same signature field?

[barbara_a]

Actually, it could be added to the signature field. 

[Orange Raven]

Thanks to all for help. Today we found a so simple solution. Sometimes you need some days away and a rethink.

After filling the form we can sign it in app with the sign funktion (App in Android can store 2 signs, so we just delete it every time).

And after it we just print it as pdf. Print, not safe. Thats important. In the print PDF no form-fields are editable and the sign is in it. Safe enought to been proof in german law for what we need.

Thanks to all for help. The Script button will help anyways in another project I think about.

[try67]

Are you sure it's acceptable? What you have created is basically just a document with a hand-written signature. It is trivial to edit its contents using something like Adobe Acrobat. If you want to get real security that the contents has not been changed then you must use a proper Digital Signature field.

[Orange Raven]

It used the fill and sign option in Adobe Acrobat Reader App.

Yeah, its editable in some ways, like more or less every pdf if you realy try. Its in this case enough. You can see the create date in cloud, the printed pdf is sent with E-Mail to two Mailadresses (Customer and Backoffice). For that case and that kind of needs its fine.