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Table 5 Signing environment preferences
Importance
Description
Section
Recommended
A number of preferences affect the signing workflow and resulting
signature. All users should review these settings.
Setting Signing Preferences
Optional
Create default user information ahead of time to save time later.
Setting Identity Information
Optional
Use the default signature appearance or create your own.
Customizing Signature Appearances
Optional
To sign with a timestamp, configure a timestamp server.
Using Timestamps During Signing
Acrobat 9 Family of Products
Authoring Signable Documents
Security Feature User Guide
Setting Signing Preferences 47
Tip:
Participants in signing workflows (both document authors and signers) should review
their application settings and configure their environment. Some preferences control
authoring, some only have to do with signing, and some impact both.
4.2.1 Setting Signing Preferences
Preferences options vary by platform and application as follows:
1. Choose one of the following:
Acrobat (Windows):
Edit > Preferences > Security
Acrobat (Macintosh):
Acrobat > Preferences > Security
Adobe Reader (Windows):
Edit > Preferences > Security
Adobe Reader (Macintosh):
Adobe Reader > Preferences > Security
2. Set your preferences as described in the following sections:
“Requiring Preview Mode” on page 47
“Changing the Default Signing Method” on page 48
“Embedding Signature Revocation Status” on page 49
“Allowing Signing Reason” on page 50
“Showing Location and Contact Details” on page 50
“Enabling Document Warning Review” on page 50
“Requiring Document Warning Review Prior to Signing” on page 51
“Enabling a Warnings Comment or Legal Attestation” on page 51
4.2.1.1 Requiring Preview Mode
In general, everyone within a signing workflow needs to know that what they are viewing is actually what
is signed or being signed. Preview mode automatically checks document integrity and generates a report
that itemizes any content that could potentially prevent the signer from knowing what they are signing.
Preview mode provides several benefits:
It checks the document for elements that may prevent a signer from seeing what they are signing.
It suppresses document elements that may prevent a signer from knowing what they are signing.
It generates a report about those elements. For details, see
Chapter 8, “Document Integrity and
Preview Mode”
.