When trying to add digital signature screen goes black

[stepankas52275399]

Hi,

I am using Adobe Reader DC and I would like to digitally sign a document. I have installed my certificate, I think it was successfull. But when I try to digitally sign it, the screen goes black, nothing happens and I have to press Esc to return to the document.

I can see that under the black screen, there is the box where the singature should appear, but it is not working.

Thank you

Stepanka

[Adorobat · Accepted solution]

Hi Stepanka,

As per the issue description mentioned above, you are facing issue when trying to sign a pdf using digital signature, is that correct?

Please try following troubleshooting steps:

Launch Reader > Edit > Preferences > Signatures .

Under Creation & Appearance > click More > uncheck use modern user interface for signing....

Relaunch Reader and check.

Also, try signing another pdf file using certificates and try again.

Also, let us know dot version of Reader and the operating system installed on the machine? You may refer to the steps given in this link on how to check the version in Acrobat: Identify the product and its version for Acrobat and Reader DC

Let us know if you need any help.

Shivam

[stepankas52275399]

Great, thank you for your help, it worked!

Stepanka

[thomas ac93659294]

Hi Shivam,

I just got the same issue and your suggested fix worked well.  Thank you 🙂
But thought I would give you my version details.
Acrobat DC 2019.012.20034

Mac OS 10.15.4.

Hope this helps.

[James5DC8]

Hi there,

I have the updated version of Adobe and my screen still goes black when i try to add a signature after taking the steps above.

I need to sign and fill using a drawn signature.

[TheDuder]

This is happening to me as well. The fix works if there is already a signature field, but if I just try and add my signature - the screen looks like the image above and there's nothing I can do but Esc out of it.

[Jeroen22244645z38f]

What I tried: 

- uncheck use modern user interface for signing (no success)

- start Adobe DC "Run as Administrator" once and try to use Signature module (success). Afterwards the "black screen" was gone when running DC without Run as Administrator used.

[TheDuder]

"Run as Administrator" worked for me. Thanks!!

[DrakkarBCN]

Thx for this great help!! It was useful for me

[Patrick22581644ny10]

Thank you!  Unchecking modern user interface worked for me on a Dell PC running Adobe Acrobat Pro DC.  I have been battling with this for months!

[24111013kmyk]

Hi

i have the same issue and tried your suggestion but it did not work for me. i uninstalled and re installed it again but no luke

[itm46582145]

This does not work at all.

With 15.007.20033.2203 everything worked flawless. You could fill in signature or initals, and delete them.

If you upgrade to the newest Acrobat Reader DC 2022 having these set up before, the before used signature & initals are _present_ but not deletable / editable (with the - sign)...

If you install a clean Adobe Reader DC 2022, it wont let you use "Fill and Sign" - the UI simply doesnt work.

Yes "Certificates" is the only UI that works after applying that trick of "modern interface" option but neither does Fill and Sign react other than that infamous black screen with the white dot in the middle. You only can leave that black screen with the ESC key, so it is a obvious bug in the UI not showing up correctly.

PLEASE, could you fix that? Or give as a workaround ?

[Artistic25367220nc7z]

i had the same issue and this fix worked for me as well. MANY THANKS!

[brad_kelley]

Same symptoms using Adobe Acrobat Pro DC 2019 

• Architecture: x86_64
• Build: 19.12.20034.328841
• AGM: 4.30.85
• CoolType: 5.14.5
  
• JP2K: 1.2.2.43391

The solution above (unchecking use modern user interface for signing, followed by a quit and relaunch of the application) didn't resolve the problem.

Any other suggestions?

[Ellen Kedma]

This helped very much! I had the same issue and it worked amazingly. Thank you a lot for solving this trick 🙂

[poloak]

This method does not work for me and the screen is still grayed out, like another responder stated.  Can you please suggest other things to fix this?

[AnnieMcDi]

 I tried the method described above. At first it did not work for me but then I unistalled/reinstalled/logged out/logged back in and it seemed to fix it...good luck.

[amylau]

I tried this and restarting the MacAir, but it's still showing a black screen and I don't know why. This worked on my other computer before, so I'm at a loss. I even tried importing a signature file. Not sure what to do next.

Thank you! Amy

Continuous Release Version 2020.006.20034

Architecture: x86_64

Build: 20.6.20034.366983

AGM: 4.30.98

CoolType: 5.14.5

JP2K: 1.2.2.45402

[kitmcc]

Didn't work for me either. Repeatedly tried. On iMac Pro. 

Architecture: x86_64

Build: 20.9.20074.389258

AGM: 4.30.101

CoolType: 5.14.5

JP2K: 1.2.2.46033

[KidCamera]

Hi,

I'm having the same problem except when the screen greys out I can't escape or do anything. The suggested troubleshoot did not work. Any other ideas?

[VictoriaParisi]

This works, but only if you then uninstall and reinstall adobe - Thanks! my old signatures even came back 🙂 seemed like a weird glitch 

[brad_kelley]

Ok, but then is the correct instruction just to re-install? 😃 And was that uninstalling just Acrobat? Or the whole suite? thx

[patrickh63063817]

This worked for me! It took me forever to find this answer! Thank you!

[paulf99602562]

Still happening for at Version 2019.021

The overlay appears over the interface and there appears to be one small pixel in the centre. I have tried the solution of unchecking "Modern user interface...." and restarted the software, but the same issue is still happening. 

[amylau]

Hello,

This worked once I reinstalled Acrobat Reader DC. Thank you!

Amy