Can't digitally sign in DC, but can in DC Pro

[michael_hugh]

I have a PDF that is publicly available by the DOD that is required for some of our contract employees to fill out, digitally sign, and return.

The problem is that each on that has a version of Acrobat Reader DC cannot sign it,  They click on the "sign" and it does not open the selection of certificates.

on our versions of Acrobat DC Pro we have in the main office - we are able to click the field and select a signature.

Why would this be happening and how can we fix it without purchasing 20 additional licenses for Pro that only need to be used for this one PDF?

[AnandSri]

Hello Michael.hugh,

As per the description above, the users with Adobe Reader DC are not able to sign a PDF with certificates, Is that correct?

To sign a document with a certificate-based signature, you must obtain a digital ID or create a self-signed digital ID in Acrobat or Adobe Reader.

Ask the users to open Adobe Reader, and from Tools tab, search for Certificates, and then click on Open. Then click on Digitally Sign, using the mouse, click and drag to draw the area where the user wants to put the Digital Signature.

For detailed information, you can refer to Adobe article Certificate-based signatures, Adobe Acrobat

Make sure that the users are not trying to use the Fill and Sign feature to sign the PDF with certificates.

Let us know how it goes and share your findings.

Regards,

Anand Sri.

[michael_hugh]

We have actually already tried that.  The Digitally Sign button is grayed - the form comes from the military site and is "secured" - we can't make any modifications to it, other than fill it out.

But when we go to "click to sign" ... Literally nothing happens.  The field is there - it reacts to the "click" (by highlighting and then going back to normal) - but nothing else happens at all.

They are using CAC, so they have certificates installed.  They have been able to sign other documents.  But this is not the first time this has happened.

http://static.e-publishing.af.mil/production/1/saf_cio_a6/form/af4394/af4394.pdf

Thank you for your assistance.

[Bernd Alheit · Accepted solution]

This form is not reader enabled.

[michael_hugh]

That is what I was inclined to believe - although I did not have experience with that before - I desperately needed verification of that.

Thank you so much for your assistance ... I now can provide a sound and "backed-up" answer to my superiors.

Incidentally, is there are way that I can see if a form is "reader enabled" if the only methods I have of looking at it are through Pro?

[Bernd Alheit]

This is the case when you see "Save a Copy" in the File menu.

[michael_hugh]

It is a secured form ... however - what you said got me to thinking about the "Save as Other" -> Reader Extended - > More Tools ...

I actually think that might work!!