Ubuntu – How to digitally sign PDFs in 2019

encryptionlibreofficeopen sourcepdf

This older post is either pointing to mostly dead software or the answers are not fully applicable.

I want to take a PDF document, stick in an image of my signature and have this be digitally signed using a certificate so that the document is secured and any changes will be picked up.

I'd like to open a document, navigate to the relevant signature page, click on the line or draw a box, enter a password and my signature should be drawn and certificate used to digitally sign the doc.

I've tried the following options and here are the problems:

  • Libre Office: Difficult to sign existing PDF's, better to create pdf's with. Have to add signature image separately.

  • PortableSigner: Hard to position signature but does the job

  • Master PDF Editor: Works well but takes 70 dollars to prevent ugly watermark being added to PDF's

  • Foxit Reader: Only adds image without any certificate signing.

Any ideas?

Best Answer

I use DocuSign, which is free web app (for single signatures). It also serves as a (hopefully) trusted third party.

From DocuSign - Wikipedia:

DocuSign, Inc. is an American company headquartered in San Francisco, California that allows organizations to manage electronic agreements. As part of the DocuSign Agreement Cloud, DocuSign offers eSignature, a way to sign electronically on different devices. DocuSign claims it has over 475,000 customers and hundreds of millions of users in more than 180 countries. Signatures processed by DocuSign are compliant with the US ESIGN Act. and the European Union's eIDAS regulation, including EU Advanced and EU Qualified Signatures.

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