Digital Signatures

Revu supports digital certification of PDFs and digitally signing PDFs. These two
actions have some similarities, and can be done at the same time, but they are
distinct. Before beginning, it is important to understand both concepts:
l

Digital Certification is the act of certifying the accuracy of a document. When a

document is digitally certified, its page content is locked to prevent changes. The
certifier can opt to allow limited changes that do not affect this content (for example,
adding markups, completing form fields or applying digital signatures).
Digital Signatures are independently validated signatures placed on a document by
somebody to approve the document in its current state. If changes are made to the
document after the digital signature is placed, the status of the signature changes
accordingly.
l

An important distinction between digital signatures and electronic signatures

is that the latter are not validated for authenticity. An electronic signature is
simply an electronic representation of somebody's autograph; a digital
signature contains a unique digital ID to verify its authenticity.

Revu supports both adding digital signature fields to PDFs and applying digital
signatures to those fields. You can create and validate signatures from self-signed
certificates, which is ideal for certification that occurs within organizations or among
trusted parties. Revu also supports commercially available certificates purchased
from trusted third-party Certificate Authorities.
Revu validates and signs documents based on the Windows Certificate Store and the
PKCS #12 standards. Revu also supports Adobe CDS signatures.

Compatibility
Revu Standard, CAD or eXtreme 11.6 or higher

Contents
Creating Digital IDs
Exporting Digital ID Certificates
Managing Signature Appearances
Adding Digital Signature Fields
Certifying a PDF
Certifying as the First Signer
Certifying Without Signing

www.bluebeam.com

Digitally Signing PDFs

Digitally Signing a PDF That Already Has a Signature Field
Digitally Signing a PDF That Does Not Have a Signature Field
Clearing Your Digital Signature
Validating Digital Signatures
Importing a Digital ID Certificate

www.bluebeam.com

Creating Digital IDs

Before you can digitally sign or certify a document, you need a digital ID in Revu. If
you don't have one already installed on your computer, you can purchase one from a
trusted Certificate Authority (consult the documentation that accompanies it to install
the digital ID; Revu will automatically detect digital IDs installed in eTokens, USB
dongles, or in your Windows Certificate Store) or you can create one in Revu (also
known as "self-signed"). You will only need to do this once.
If you are not sure which option is right for you, consider the following:
Self-Signed:
l

Usually adequate for personal use or for small-to-mid-sized companies, but it is

generally recommended that their usage be limited to parties that have established
mutual trust. When using a self-signed digital ID, you are essentially vouching for
yourself.
You will need to provide digital certificates to parties that will receive your signed
and/or certified documents and they must install them in order to validate your digital
signature.

Third-Party Certificate Authority:

l

The Certificate Authority takes responsibility for verifying your identity to other
parties, bypassing the need for pre-established mutual trust.
The Certificate Authority is usually trusted by the Windows Certificate Store by
default, eliminating the need to provide digital certificates to recipients ahead of
time.

If you choose to purchase a digital ID from a third-party Certificate Authority, you

should not need to create a digital ID in Revu and you should not need to export a
digital ID to send to recipients. Skip ahead to Managing Signature Appearances to
determine the appearance of your digital signature in Revu, if desired.
If you choose to use a self-signed digital ID, you will need to create it (described
below) and then export your public certificate so you can send it to recipients of your
signed and/or certified documents.

www.bluebeam.com

To create a new, self-signed digital ID:

1. Go to Document >
box opens.

2. Click

Signatures > Digital IDs. The Manage Digital IDs dialog

Add Digital ID. The New Digital ID dialog box opens.

www.bluebeam.com

3. Select one of the available Create Digital ID options:

l

Create Digital ID file: Creates a digital ID in the PKCS #12 format. It is

protected by a separate password that is defined at the time of creation.
Create Digital ID in Windows Certificate Store: Creates a digital ID in the
Windows Certificate Store. It is protected by the user's Windows login.

Note: Since it relies on a user's Windows login credentials, Windows

Certificate Store is not recommended for environments with shared login
credentials. Additionally, the Windows Certificate Store is Windows-only
while PKCS #12 is compatible with both Windows and Mac OS.
4. Enter the Identity information, as desired.
l

Name and E-mail Address are required fields.

5. If Create DigitalID file was selected, enter and confirm a Password under
PKCS #12 Options. This password will be used to confirm the user as the
signer of a document, so use a sufficiently secure password.
6. Click OK.

www.bluebeam.com

Exporting Digital ID Certificates

When you create a self-signed digital ID, you need to send copies of your public
certificate to anybody who will receive documents with your digital signature so they
can validate it. This should be done before sending them documents that you have
digitally signed. Fortunately, Revu makes it simple to export your public certificate.
To export your digital ID certificate:
1. Go to Document >
box opens.

Signatures > Digital IDs. The Manage Digital IDs dialog

2. Select the digital ID to be exported and click Export. If this digital ID is passwordprotected (for example, a PKCS #12 ID), a password prompt will appear. Provide the
necessary password.
3. The Windows Save As dialog box opens. Browse to a desired location and click Save to
save the public certificate. This file can now be sent to other users, who can add it to
their trusted repositories.

www.bluebeam.com

Managing Signature Appearances

Revu allows you to customize the information supplied with your digital signature as
well as its appearance. You can also create multiple appearances for your digital
signature to suit any kind of signing need.
To create a signature appearance template:
1. Go to Document >
box opens.

Signatures > Digital IDs. The Manage Digital IDs dialog

2. Select the desired digital identity and click Manage Appearances. The
<name> Appearances dialog box opens.

www.bluebeam.com

3. Click the
opens.

Add Appearance button. The Signature Appearance dialog box

4. Give this appearance template an easily recognizable name in the Title field. The title
appears in the selection list when choosing which appearance template to use when
signing the document.
5. Choose a Graphic option:
l

None: Applies no graphic to the signature.

Name: Prints the signer's name as a graphic.

File: Applies the specified graphic to the signature. Click the

navigate
button to browse for a file (for example, a scan of the signer's "wet"
signature).

6. Choose a Position option to determine where in the graphic appears in the

signing box.
7. Select any of the options in the Text list to enable them. These auto-generate certain
information when a signature is applied. They are all optional.
8. Choose the Alignment of these options. The boxes correspond to the regions
of a signature field, such as "top-left," "middle" or "bottom-right" (as shown in

www.bluebeam.com

the example below).

9. To set the font size of the text options manually, uncheck Auto and select the desired
FontSize. Otherwise, leave Auto checked.
10. To prevent field names such as "Digitally signed by" and "DN" from appearing in the
signature box, uncheck Labels.
11. To remove the Bluebeam icon watermark, uncheck Logo.
12. The Preview of the digital signature updates whenever any option is set. Use this to
confirm that the appearance of this digital signature is satisfactory, and when it is,
click OK.

Adding Digital Signature Fields

To prepare a document for digital signing, add one or more digital signature fields
(depending on how many signatures are needed).
1. Go to Document >

Signatures >

Add Signature Field.

2. Click and drag a rectangle to define the region where the signature will appear.
3. If the PDFrequires multiple signatures, drag similar rectangles over the other signing
areas.
4. To manage the properties of any signature field, right-click it and select Properties.
Set any of the following options, as desired:
l

Name: Assign a name to this signature field (often the name or title of the
person to sign here).
Tooltip: Enter text that will display when a user hovers their cursor over the
field.
Field: Select whether the field will be Visible (default), Hidden, Visible but
doesn't print or Hidden but printable.
Orientation: Select the orientation of the signature, in degrees: 0 (right-side
up, default), 90, 180 (upside down) or 270.
Read-Only: Check to set the signature field as read-only so it cannot be
altered. This will actually make it impossible to add a digital signature to the
field, so it is not generally recommended.

www.bluebeam.com

Required: Check to set the signature field as being required. Required

signatures are easily identified by a red border.
Lock: Check to lock the properties of the signature field so that they cannot
be changed.

5. Press Esc when all signature fields have been added and then save the PDF.

Deleting Digital Signature Fields

In the event that it becomes necessary to delete a digital signature field, do the
following:
1. Go to Document >

Signatures >

Add Signature Field.

2. Right-click the digital signature field to be deleted and select Delete.

Certifying a PDF
Documents can be certified, usually by the person who created it or by the first
signer, as being authentic. Additionally, certifying a document prevents signers from
making changes to its page content, though the certifier has the option to allow other
limited changes to the document, including the addition of markups, the completion
of form fields or the application of digital signatures. As such, documents should be

www.bluebeam.com

10

certified only when they are complete, including after all digital signature fields have
been added.
Certified documents cannot be combined with other documents without breaking the
certification. Combine documents before certifying or use Sets in Revu 11 or greater
to view separate certified PDFs as a single collection. The only option after certifying
a document that preserves the certification is to create a PDFpackage.
There are two ways to certify a PDF, depending on whether or not you are also a
signer on the document. Please note that after the first signature is added to a PDF,
its certification status cannot be changed; if a document needs to be certified, do so
as the first signer or, if you are not a signer on the document, before sending it out
for signatures.
Certified documents will display a certification statement on the document's
Properties tab that can be reviewed at any time. Additionally, when opening a
certified document a dialog box will appear prompting the reader to open the
Properties tab in order to review the certification statement.
Certifying as the First Signer

Using this process, you can certify the document and sign it at the same time.

www.bluebeam.com

11

1. Click in the desired signature field. The Sign dialog box opens.

2. Choose a Digital ID.

3. For PKCS #12 IDs, enter the Password and click Log in.
l

Windows Certificate Store IDs do not require a separate password as they are
protected by the user's Windows login.

4. Select DocumentCertification and choose one of the Permitted changes

after certifying options:

No changes allowed: No changes are permitted and no other signatures can

be added.
Fill in forms and digital signatures: Form fields can be completed and
signatures added, but no other changes are permitted.

www.bluebeam.com

12

Markups, fill in forms, and digital signatures: Markups can be added, form
fields can be completed and signatures added, but no other changes are
permitted.

5. Complete any of the desired Options fields.

6. Select an Appearance for your signature.
7. Click OK. A Save As dialog box appears. Signed documents must be saved at the time
of signature.
8. Enter a file name and select the location for the signed file, then click Save to save the
signed PDF.
Certifying Without Signing

The person who certifies a document need not necessarily be one of the signers.
Remember, a PDFcannot be certified after it has been signed by any party, so if the
document is to be certified, do so before sending it out for signatures.
To certify a document without signing it:
1. Go to Document >
opens.

Signatures >Certify Document. The Sign dialog box

2. Choose a Digital ID.

3. For PKCS #12 IDs, enter the Password and click Log in.
l

Windows Certificate Store IDs do not require a separate password as they are
protected by the user's Windows login.

www.bluebeam.com

13

4. Select DocumentCertification and choose one of the Permitted changes

after certifying options:

No changes allowed: No changes are permitted, including the application of

digital signatures. Select this option only if the document does not need to be
signed.
Fill in forms and digital signatures: Form fields can be completed and
signatures added, but no other changes are permitted.
Markups, fill in forms, and digital signatures: Markups can be added, form
fields can be completed and signatures added, but no other changes are
permitted.

5. Complete any of the desired Options fields.

6. Click OK.

Digitally Signing PDFs

How a PDF is digitally signed depends on how it was created. In most cases, a
signature field will have already been added to the document in preparation for your
signature. Such documents might also be certified. In some cases, however, you
might need to add your own signature field before signing. Fortunately, Revu makes
it simple to do this, too.
Digitally signed documents cannot be combined with other documents without
invalidating the signatures. Combine documents before certifying or use Sets in Revu
11 or greater to view separate signed PDFs as a single collection. The only option
after signing a document that preserves the signature is to create a PDFpackage.

www.bluebeam.com

14

Digitally Signing a PDF That Already Has a Signature Field

1. Click in the desired signature field. The Sign dialog box opens.

2. Choose a Digital ID.

3. For PKCS #12 IDs, enter the Password and click Log in.
l

Windows Certificate Store IDs do not require a separate password as they are
protected by the user's Windows login.

4. Complete any of the desired Options fields.

5. Select an Appearance for your signature.
6. Click OK. A Save As dialog box appears. Signed documents must be saved at the time
of signature placement.
7. Enter a file name and select the location for the signed file, then click Save to save the
signed PDF.
Digitally Signing a PDF That Does Not Have a Signature Field

1. Go to Document >

Signatures >

Sign Document.

2. Click and drag a rectangle to define the region where the signature will

www.bluebeam.com

15

appear. The Sign dialog box opens.

3. Choose the Digital ID to sign with.

4. For PKCS #12 IDs, enter the Password and click Log in.
l

Windows Certificate Store IDs do not require a separate password as they are
protected by the user's Windows login.

5. Under Signature Type, select Digital Signature.

6. Complete any of the desired Options fields.
7. Select an Appearance for the signature.
8. Click OK. A Save As dialog box appears. Signed documents must be saved at the time
of signature placement.
9. Enter a file name and select the location for the signed file, then click Save to save the
signed PDF.
Clearing Your Digital Signature

In the event that you wish to clear your digital signature, either permanently or in
order to make any needed changes and reapply it, you can do so easily. You can only
clear your own digital signature.

www.bluebeam.com

16

To clear your digital signature, simply right-click the signature and select Clear
Signature.

Validating Digital Signatures

When a document that has been digitally signed is opened in Revu, signatures are
automatically checked for validity. One of seven icons will be displayed to indicate
the status of a signature's validity.
The document has been Certified and the Certification is valid.
The signer's identity is trusted and the document has not been changed. This is a
valid signature.
The signer's identity is unknown. If the signer is known and trusted, see
Importing a Trusted Identity Certificate to add the identity to your list of trusted
identities.
The signature has not yet been validated and the document has not been
updated since signed.
The signature is valid, but the document has been updated since being signed.
The signer's identity is unknown and the document has been updated since
being signed.

www.bluebeam.com

17

The signature or certification is invalid and the document has been altered since
being signed.
To attempt validation on a signature again (for example, if you've installed a
certificate that wasn't installed when the file was first opened), right-click the
signature and select Validate Signature.
Importing a Digital ID Certificate

Before a digital signature can be validated in Revu, the digital ID certificate of the
signer must be imported in your trusted repository. The recommended best practice
when it comes to importing digital ID certificates is to have signers send you their
digital IDcertificates (which can be easily exported from Revu) directly and import
them into your trusted repository ahead of time. This way, you already have their
digital ID on file, ready to validate any digital signatures they place, and since you got
it from them directly, you have more reason to trust it.
To import a digital ID certificate from a file you've been sent:
1. Save the .cer file that was sent to you somewhere on your computer or network.
2. In Revu, go to Document >
Signatures > Trusted Identities. The Manage
Trusted Identities dialog box opens.

3. Click

Add Trusted Identity. The Windows Open dialog box opens.

www.bluebeam.com

18

4. Browse to the location of the saved .cer file and open it. Revu automatically adds it to
your list of trusted identities.

www.bluebeam.com

19