Validation

Only signatures that can be validated are considered viable electronic signatures. Use this check to insure that the document and the signatures have not been altered since the signing.

Validating a Signature

Right-click on a signature or signature field in a document to get the pop up menu or go to the Signatures palette/panel and select Validate Signature. This will go through the document and recalculate the keys for each signature to insure that no alterations have occurred. If a signature is invalidated during this check the only way to obtain a valid signature is to have the affected signature(s) re-signed by the appropriate user.

You can also set the Acrobat^® Preferences for Digital Signatures to "Verify signatures when the document is opened."

Validation Status

Acrobat Icon	CIC Icon on Document Page	Validity Status	Events in Which Icon Will Appear
	N/A	Unsigned	Signature field has been created, but signature handler (i.e. Sign-it) has not been selected Unsigned signature field
	N/A	Valid	Signature is valid. Document has not been modified since this signature was applied. Notes: When you sign a document, your signature is automatically validated. The display of this icon can be suppressed on the page in the Signature Preferences. It will always display in the Signatures panel. Note: The setting you select in the Signature Preferences will always override Acrobat's preferences to Hide Signature Field Validity Icon When Signature is Valid.
	N/A	Valid	Signature is valid. Document has been modified since this signature was applied. Modifications can range from adding a new signature field to editing text or form fields. The display of this icon can be suppressed on the page in the Signature Preferences. It will always display in the Signatures panel. Note: The setting you select in the Signature Preferences will always override Acrobat's preferences to Hide Signature Field Validity Icon When Signature is Valid.
	N/A	Not validated	Changes were made to a document after signing Document re-opened without automatic validation Signature could not be validated because the signer's certificate is not in the list of trusted identities, revoked, or expired
	Red 'X'     Strikethrough     Hash Marks     Circle Slash	Invalid	Document was tampered with Corruption of data

Viewing All Signatures

You can view all signatures in the Signatures palette/panel.

Viewing Earlier Versions of Signed Documents

Right-click on the signature. Select View Signed Version.

The earlier version opens in a new PDF file, with the version number, name of the signer, and date and time of the signing in the title bar. If a signature has been invalidated or changes have been detected use the Compare feature to identify what alterations have occurred.

Comparing Two PDF Documents for Changes

Open the two documents to be compared. Close all other open documents. From the Advanced menu, select Compare Documents. Changes to the document subsequent to the signature will be highlighted for easy identification.

To compare two versions of a signed document, right-click on a signature and select "Compare Signed Version to Current Version.

Note: Adobe^® Reader^® does allow the user to compare documents.

Viewing PDF Documents Signed with Sign-it^® XF

You can open, view, sign and validate a PDF document containing Sign-it XF v1.3 signatures.