Unable to Sign digitally sign PDF

[ellery_tan]

I have a PDF document that I need to sign digitally, but whenever I choose FILL AND SIGN, I am unable to do so as it is saying that "The author of this form has specified the field which you can fill. Click on any field to start filling form." I cannot paste my signature as well. I think the form is also secured. Please help. THANK YOU.

[Amal.]

Hi Ellery_tan,

Thanks for reaching out. as described above, you are unable to sign digitally sign PDF, correct?

Have you got the PDF which is already signed, and trying to sign it with your signature?

Its a design behavior, once the PDF is signed it gets locked for further editing. You wont be able to edit, once the PDF is signed the document becomes read-only and no further changes are allowed; even a signature can't be added in the document.

If you're the only one signer, you can remove your signature and work on the document. If the document is signed by others, you can request the initiator to share an unsigned copy or the source document with you.

As stated above, the form is secured, you need to contact the author/creator of the pdf to get the access to edit the file.

For more information please use the help article - https://helpx.adobe.com/in/acrobat/kb/edit-signed-PDF.html

Hope it helps

Regards

Amal

[amyf54689062]

Hi Amal,

This is constantly happening to me with Adobe Acrobat - as well as many other people. Someone scans a form and sends it to me. I then receive this error message and am unable to sign it. Does Adobe have plans to fix this?

[Amal.]

Hi Amy

Hope you are doing well and sorry to hear that.

Is this an issue with a particular PDF file or with all the PDFs that you try to sign? Please try with a different PDF file and check.

What is the workflow/steps you are doing to sign the PDF file? A small video recording of the same would be very helpful.

Also, please share the screenshot of the error message and the PDF file in question so that we can check it at our end. https://helpx.adobe.com/document-cloud/help/sharing-pdfs.html

Regards

Amal

[Susanne25599084lasa]

Hi Amal

as the other writer says, this is a very common and very irritating problem. Is Adobe planning on fixing this bug? Please do not reply by asking me to send video, screenshot etc. - I prefer to have Adobe's suggestion for a workaround and to hear if this will be solved permanently soon. Please note that it is only Adobe that has this problem!

[Amal.]

Hi there

Hope you are doing well and sorry to hear that. Is this an issue with a particular PDF file or with all the PDFs? Please try with a different PDF file and check.

If its a file-specific issue please share the file with us for testing as described here https://helpx.adobe.com/document-cloud/help/sharing-pdfs.html

Regards

Amal

[Test Screen Name]

Don't use FILL AND SIGN for this form - that's what the message is telling you. You don't need to and you can't. Just start typing in the form. And use the signature field already in the form.

[Susanne25599084lasa]

Thank for responding, however your suggestion does not work. None of the fields are fillable.

[Bernd Alheit]

Can you share the form?

[Susanne25599084lasa]

Unfortunately not as it is confidential. I appreciate the community taking time to respond to everyone’s questions but is there not someone from Adobe here to help?

[MeenakshiNegi]

Hi Susanne,

Thank you for reaching out.

We will require the document to further investigate the issue. As the problem occurs with a particular PDF, this can be file specific issue.

If possible, share the PDF with us in a private message. You may initiate a private message using the envelope icon at the community window's top right.

Thanks,

Meenakshi

[FrankieDocBoy]

The actual solution is to not use the "Fill & Sign" as someone else suggested.  You need to click on the “Certificates” button rather than the “Fill & Sign” button.  This brings up a new button called “Digitally Sign” and that permits the sig on a locked doc which has another sig already.