/t5/acrobat-discussions/how-to-combining-pdfs-with-digital-signature/m-p/9731761#M93540Mar 21, 2018
Mar 21, 2018
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Digital Signature, unlike "wet" signatures, apply to the entire document as a whole, not just to the page where the signature is located.
If someone could add new pages to a document you signed and it would appear you agreed to those pages without having seen them before you won't be too happy, would you?
I came here looking for an actual work around and came across your comment. This is what I've been doing but wanted to see if there was a proper way to go about this. Good to know that there isn't.
You're awesome. This was the only thing that worked. There's always a workaround and you discovered it. What a hassle Adobe created but hey you got it to work! I will share with everyone I know. Wish I found your response sooner as I wasted many hours on this. Thanks!!!
/t5/acrobat-discussions/how-to-combining-pdfs-with-digital-signature/m-p/12024958#M312064May 09, 2021
May 09, 2021
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Correct Answer: Unable to not lose them
Work Around:
Ex: File 1 has dig sig (or more) - File 2 dose not You sign the dig sig. - Print this to PDF - Use combine feature - Presto Done Reason: Print to PDF removes the Dig Sig but leaves the Sig.
Pro Tip: Need another dig sig after you have combined files. Use Fill & Sign and add Place Signature. This is will allow you to create a size of the dig size box and then require to immediately save the combined file PDF. Now hover over your sig, right click and choose Clear Sig. Hit save. Presto you have not added a dig sig for the next person in the sig collection line. I am using Adobe Acrobar XI Version 11.0.09
As more organizations use electronic records for things like meeting minutes, where they want to create a set of signed minutes for each meeting, and then combine the files into a single file for a specific year, as the archive, it would seem Adobe Acrobat would grow to allow each signed PDF to be combined, but have the signatures tied to each file remain. So one could look at a signatures tree for the packaged file and see that each individual file still has its signature integrity. This equates to where one can put signed paper minutes pages into a locking record notebook, on numbered pages, and have each individual meeting (file) still be its own.
Some organizations (like NIH) require uploads of flattened PDFs not portfolios, so combining a number of signed PDFs is a common need. Will just have to go back and request signer to sign in a word doc and then convert to PDF I suppose. Or some other non-digital method Hassle but OK
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