Security - Adobe Acrobat and PDF for Architecture, Engineering, and Construction - page 133

Figure 10.12 Read signature information in a tooltip
Adding Signature Fields
A signature field can be added when someone signs a document, or a signature can be placed into an
existing signature field on a document. You may want to add blank signature fields to a document if you
are the originator of the document, for example, and need approval signatures from a number of others. A
certified document cannot be signed by anyone else unless there are blank signature fields added to the
document prior to certification.
Follow these steps to add a signature field to a document:
1. Click the Sign task button's drop-down arrow and choose Create a Blank Signature Field from the
menu.
2. An Adobe Acrobat dialog box opens saying the Signature Field tool is selected and that you can
draw a marquee to place the field; click OK to close the information dialog box.
3. Draw a marquee on the page for the signature field; release the mouse to open the Digital Signature
Properties dialog box, which displays the Appearance tab by default.
4. Select visual options for the signature field, such as border and fill colors and styles, on the
Appearance tab.
5. Click the General tab; the field is named Signature1 by default. Leave the default text or type
custom text.
6. Click the Tooltip field and type text instructions if desired.
7. Click Close to dismiss the dialog box and complete the field.
Tip: If you are planning to using Acrobat's automatic field duplication process, delete the “1” suffix from the default
name to make use of the auto naming feature.
The blank signature field is shown on the document page in the area specified by the marquee (Figure
10.13). It is also listed in the Signatures pane. If you add a signature to a document rather than signing a
blank signature field, the signature can be further protected.
Figure 10.13 Add blank signatures to a document before routing for approval