Certified Documents are Un-Combinable?

[EvanJonesMdR]

We obtain Electronic Signatures from Doctors for the purpose of sending them in a combined PDF to the State Medicaid.  However these "Certified" PDFs uncombinable.

We're using Adobe Acrobat to combine these files and the specific error we receive is, "Certified documents cannot be merged.".

These PDFs can still be secure and combinable.  It indicates that this document cannot be modified and would not like not modify it, but would like to combine it into a larger PDF file.

Right now, we are by default internet explorer Acrobat Preferences to not open PDFs in Browser and then saving them as TIFFs and merging those.

Any work-around to ensure that the PDF signature attributes remain intact when needing to combine these documents?

Thanks

[SimonATS · Accepted solution]

Signed Echosign documents are both security password protected as well as certified with the aim to prevent editing of the signed pdf. Combining documents is considered editing in this permission set.

If you were able to combine signed documents, the signature on the original document would then be extended  to the combined document.

My advise would be to make the other documents you use to combine with the signed document, part of the original agreement is applicable,

echosign allows you to upload mutliple documents into a single transaction, Echosign will combine the individual documents for you.

[Smitty918]

I tried to send out the original document however, I got a pop-up saying the original was too large to be sent out? How do you overcome this issue?

[Hoa318340823480]

Hi, I need to combined the signed document and the audit trail pfd but came up with the message "Please enter Permission Password". The pdf was not password protected and I'm trying to merged the signed document and audit trial signature document together with no luck. Any help would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks

[mariahweyne]

You can combine them, but only as a PDF Portfolio.

[Hoa318340823480]

thank you so much  - its not what I wanted but its a work around for now. appreciate your help. 

[EvanJonesMdR]

Aw dang; ok well I certainly appreciate your response, but we get multiple documents from multiple doctors across the state, at different intervals & frequencies with different documents.  We eventually combine these into one large PDF for uploading them to the state; and unfortunately, certified documents will not combine.

Again, I thank you for your time!

[deannaf28190112]

Yes this is a terrible problem.  I have the same issue digital signing certified pdfs, then later needing to combine them into a larger drawing set from the different disciplines.  There has to be a better way!  If adobe gave a certified, but combine-able option that would be idea.

[mp8135420]

Use "portfolio" option. It creates a pdf containing your pdf documents

[MANUEL17455606u46r]

Merging files with portfolio option is the solution.
If you create "photocopies" (image to be transformed or directily a pdf) with some programs like edocprinter,  or even with Acrobat, they don't contain a certificate/sign and can't be validated. Thay can be altered.

Some programs "flatten" certifcate-based signatures: imagine an old document signed and sealed with wax. When you photocopy that document, you flatten the sealing wax and that document is a mere copy. Clip or staple those paper documents and you obtain an analogue equivalent of merging electronic documents without certificates.