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H
Help531
Known Participant
December 1, 2020
Question

Append Signed Document After Signing

  • December 1, 2020
  • 2 replies
  • 3755 views

I have been looking for an answer to this in the Sign forum for weeks now with no replies from Adobe.  Posting here as this seems to be much more active.

 

Hello, hoping someone knows the answer to this.  I know that the purpose of signing documents is to secure them.  We are using Adobe Sign, but often, after a document is signed, a corresponding dept (say, HR) needs to catalog the document for future audit/searches/filing. 

They normally have fields that they fill in after the file is signed, which they can quickly look at in the future.  In the past, using digital signature fields in the forms, we could specify certain fields to leave open after signing but with Sign, it seems to ignore all that and just locks everything, regardless of form field settings.  Is there any way around this?

We tried to see if there was a way to specify to NOT lock fields when signing but could not find one while using Adobe Sign.

This topic has been closed for replies.

2 replies

M
margueritek
Inspiring
December 2, 2020

The final document you get from AdobeSign cannot be modified. You need to make a "cover" PDF and include the signed file as an attachment. The cover PDF can have any fields you like. Take a look at the "Security Envelope" option in Acrobat.

H
Help531Author
Known Participant
December 4, 2020

Hi, thank you very much.  So I tried the security envelope but that was shot down.  So I am now looking to do it as an attachment.  So, the fields that they want to fill out would be in the attachment, not the main form.  However, whenever we send via Sign, the attachments do not come through.  Does Sign not allow for attachments? 

 

Is there another way to do the 'cover' item you mentioned?

 

Thank you!

M
margueritek
Inspiring
December 7, 2020

Thank you, I did try the security envelope but people found it confusing when they opened the PDFs remotely.  How do you do a cover sheet...I mean, I know how to create a PDF, but how does it become a part of the file I need signed if not an attachment?  I tried to just add a page to the file, but when it was signed, it locked up all pages in the PDF.


It's the other way around. The cover document contains (as a file attachment) the document to be signed. The user opens the attached file, fills in the form, and signs it. The signed file replaces the attachment (by default), so that saving the cover file, with the attached signed file, is the file you get back. Accounting fields are in the cover document (not the signed file) so you can fill those out when you get the package back. Think of the cover file as similar to a FAX cover page and routing slip.

Amal.
Amal.
Legend
December 2, 2020

Hi there,

 

Hope you are doing well and sorry for the trouble. As described you want to append the document after it is signed.

 

If a PDF is signed using a digital ID or certificate, it’s locked to prevent changes to the document. Occasionally, you or the signer may choose to lock the document after signing. In this case, the document becomes read-only and no further changes are allowed; even a signature can’t be added in the document. The Lock document after signing option is useful if you’re the last signer or the only one signer. 

 

If you received a PDF digitally signed by others, you can sign it, but can’t edit it.

While signing a PDF, if the signer chooses to lock the document after signing, the document becomes read-only for everyone, including the signer.

 

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

 

Hope this information will help

 

Regards

Amal

H
Help531Author
Known Participant
December 4, 2020

Hi, thank you very much.  So I tried the security envelope but that was shot down.  So I am now looking to do it as an attachment.  So, the fields that they want to fill out would be in the attachment, not the main form.  However, whenever we send via Sign, the attachments do not come through.  Does Sign not allow for attachments? 

 

 

 

Thank you!

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