Install your digital certificate in Adobe Reader XI

Installing your certificate in Adobe Reader

1. Open Adobe Reader.
2. Click “Edit” in the upper-left-hand corner.
3. Click “Preferences”.
4. On the left side of the “Preferences” window, click “Signatures”.
5. Click the “More …” button in the “Identities & Trusted Certificates” pane.
6. In the “Digital ID and Trusted Certificate Settings” window, click the “Add ID” button.
7. Click the radio button next to “My existing digital ID from:” and the radio button next to “A file”, then click the “Next” button.
8. In the “Add Digital ID” window, click the “Browse…” button.
9. Using the “Locate Digital ID File” window, navigate to where your digital certificate file is located, select the file, and click “Open”.
10. When the “Add Digital ID” window becomes visible again, enter the password or PIN used when downloading the digital certificate and press the “Next” button.
11. In the “Add Digital ID” window, select the certificate you just added and click the “Finish” button.
12. The new certificate and its details should now appear in the “Digital ID and Trusted Certificate Settings” window; close this window.
13. In the “Preferences” window, click the “More…” button in the “Creation & Appearance” pane.
14. Now we’re going to set up how your digital certificate will be presented when you sign PDF documents.  In the “Creation and Appearance Preferences” window, make sure the settings are as shown below:
    • Default Signing Method: Adobe Default Security
    • Default Signing Format: PKCS#7 – Detached
    • When Signing: Include signature’s revocation status
    • Enable Review of Document Warnings: When certifying a document
    • Prevent signing Until Warnings Are Reviewed: Never
    • Click the “New…” button in the “Appearances” pane. The “Configure Signature Appearance” window will open.
15. If you choose to have only the details of your certificate shown, click the radio button next to “No graphic” in the “Configure Graphic” pane.  The “Preview” pane shows how the details-only certificate will display.  Give the appearance a title; in this example, the title is “No Name”.  Click the “OK” button.
16. You may want to have an easily readable name associated with the details of your certificate.  If so, click the radio button next to “Name” in the “Configure Graphic” pane.  The sample appearance will appear in the “Preview” pane.  Give the appearance a title; in this example, the title is “My Name”.  Click the “OK” button.
17. You may create as many appearances as you wish by clicking the “New…” button in the “Appearances” pane of the “Creation and Appearance Preferences” window.  Each appearance will be listed in the “Appearances” list.  You may also edit and delete any appearances from this window.  When complete, click the “OK” button.
18. Click “OK” to close the “Preferences” window.  Your certificate is now installed.

To sign a PDF document by inserting a signature block

PDF documents can be signed in one of two ways – inserting a signature window and clicking an existing signature block.

1. Open Adobe Reader and click the “Fill & Sign” button in the upper-right-hand corner.
2. Click on “Work with Certificates”.
3. Click on “Sign with Certificate”
4. Adobe Reader will give you the opportunity to set the signature window in a place and size of your choosing.  Click the “Drag New Signature Rectangle…” button.
5. Place the pointer icon in the location for the upper-left-hand corner of the rectangle and drag the box to the desired size.
6. When you release the mouse button, the “Sign Document” window will open.  Make sure your desired signature is in the “Sign As:” pull-down menu.  The “Appearance:” pull-down menu defaults to “Standard Text” as shown in the display window below the pull-down menu; you can use this appearance or any other you may have created earlier.  When you have the appearance as you wish, click the “Sign” button.
7. Confirm you wish to sign the document when the “Request For Permission to Use a Key” window opens by clicking the radio button next to “Grant permission” and clicking the “OK” button.
8. The digital certificate will now appear in the signature window you drew in Step 5, and will resize to fit into the window.
9. You will now be required to save the signed PDF; you may keep the same filename and location or save it elsewhere.  Once done, you may close Adobe Reader.

To sign a PDF document with an existing signature block

PDF documents can be signed in one of two ways – inserting a signature window and clicking an existing signature block.

1. Open the document in Adobe Reader and scroll down till you find the signature block.  The signature block can be identified by the red pointer in its upper-left-hand corner.  Simply click in the window.
2. When you click in the signature block, the “Sign Document” window will open.  Make sure your desired signature is in the “Sign As:” pull-down menu.  The “Appearance:” pull-down menu defaults to “Standard Text” as shown in the display window below the pull-down menu; you can use this appearance or any other you may have created earlier.  When you have the appearance as you wish, click the “Sign” button.
3. Confirm you wish to sign the document when the “Request For Permission to Use a Key” window opens by clicking the radio button next to “Grant permission” and clicking the “OK” button.
4. The digital certificate will now appear in the signature block, resized to fit into the window.
5. You will now be required to save the signed PDF; you may keep the same filename and location or save it elsewhere.  Once done, you may close Adobe Reader.