The clerk asked for a certification that the exhibits are unaltered copies of originals. I can attest to custody and s…
Open the PDF document you want to certify in Adobe Acrobat.
Go to the Tools pane and select Protect.
In the Protect toolbar, click Certify with Visible Signature or Certify with Invisible Signature depending on your preference.
Drag to draw the signature field on the page if prompted for a visible signature, or confirm placement for an invisible signature.
In the dialog that appears, select your digital ID from the list or add a new one if necessary.
Set the Permissions options to control what changes are allowed after certifying (e.g., no changes, form fill-in only, or comments only).
Optionally, enter a reason for certifying the document.
Click Sign to apply the certifying signature.
Save the PDF when prompted to complete the certification process.
Best practiceIf you need to allow others to fill forms or add comments after certification, choose the appropriate restriction option before signing.
After certifying a PDF, Acrobat will display a blue ribbon in the document’s toolbar to indicate the document is certified and show any allowed changes.
This runs in the Acrobat app - there is no separate API for this task.
A digital signature proves who signed a document and that it hasn't changed since. A certified PDF goes further; it declares the document's content is authentic and locks it from changes. You can add a digital signature to any PDF, but you can only certify a PDF if it has no other signatures on it. Certifying is a stronger statement about the document's integrity.
A Digital ID is important because it acts as your unique electronic identity. It contains your private key, which creates your digital signature. This signature proves that you are the one who signed the document and helps ensure the document has not been changed after you signed it, making it legally valid and trustworthy.
If your PDF already has a signature, you cannot certify it directly. The 'Certify' function only works on PDFs that do not have any other signatures. You would need to obtain an unsigned version of the document to certify it. If that's not possible, you can still apply additional digital signatures to the existing document, but you cannot use the 'Certify' feature.
The Electronic Seal API allows organizations to apply a digital seal to documents automatically. This seal represents the organization's identity and guarantees the document's origin and integrity, similar to a company stamp. It is different from a personal digital signature, which is used by an individual to prove their identity and consent. The API is for organizational use, often for large volumes of documents, while personal digital signatures are typically for individual sign-offs.