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jimb1953
Participant
April 29, 2015
Answered

How do I sign a PDF with a certificate using Acrobat Reader DC? This works fine in Adobe Reader XI.

  • April 29, 2015
  • 3 replies
  • 89843 views

Using Acrobat Reader XI I can sign a PDF document with a Digital Certificate. After updating to Acrobat Reader DC I can't figure out how to do this. I see where I can sign with an image of mu signature, but how do I sign with a certificate?

Correct answer IsakTen-RwIoo2

Check

In the top bar select "Tools". Check whether the Tools list in the right-hand pane has "Certificate" tool. If it does not look for the "Certificate" tool in the Tools list in the main pane (you may need to scroll down to get to it. The caption below should say "Add". Click on it. The "Certificate" tool is added to the list of frequently used tools in the right-hand pane.

Now that ""Certificate" tool is in the right-hand pane, click on it. You get a new bar on the top that lists operations that you can do with digital signatures. These are the same options that you had in Acrobat XI when you clicked on Fill&Sign->Work with Certificates.

Good luck!

3 replies

Participant
October 20, 2020

For some pdf documents, "Certificates" tool works, but for some pdf docuements the options under Certificates are greyed out as shown below. Wonder why?

 

Participant
October 26, 2020

Yes, I have that issue - form downloaded from a Government website and cannot be signed digitally.  The entire section is greyed out.  

WolfShade
Legend
July 10, 2018

Thank you, IsakTen, for this.  Why the hell Adobe keeps obscuring things that used to be so simple just blows my mind.  I'm surprised that Adobe still has customers after something like this.

V/r,

^ _ ^

IsakTen-RwIoo2Correct answer
Inspiring
April 29, 2015

Check

In the top bar select "Tools". Check whether the Tools list in the right-hand pane has "Certificate" tool. If it does not look for the "Certificate" tool in the Tools list in the main pane (you may need to scroll down to get to it. The caption below should say "Add". Click on it. The "Certificate" tool is added to the list of frequently used tools in the right-hand pane.

Now that ""Certificate" tool is in the right-hand pane, click on it. You get a new bar on the top that lists operations that you can do with digital signatures. These are the same options that you had in Acrobat XI when you clicked on Fill&Sign->Work with Certificates.

Good luck!

Participant
May 3, 2016

I'm not sure what version you're using but same as the others here I find no way to add the "certificate" option to the sidebar,

please see screenshots below:

(note: using Max OS X 10.11.4 El Capitan)

a4YDfVU.png3aJWoXi.png

1Ov8lSF.png

Bernd Alheit
Community Expert
Community Expert
May 3, 2016

It is possible in Adobe Acrobat, not Acrobat Reader.