Scenarios for Setting and Checking Multiple Signatures 

The following describes two different scenarios for multiple signatures; it also gives you information about the results of each signature check and how these are displayed in Adobe Reader 7 and Adobe Acrobat 7.

To understand the following information, it is important to remember that the Adobe tools do not differentiate between those changes made to a form when a signature is set, and changes made to field content. This is because Adobe handles a signature field in the same way as an input field.

Scenario Description

An employee (recipient 1) fills out an order form and signs it in signature field 1. The form is sent to a manager (recipient 2), who approves this employee's order with his or her personal signature. This signature is set in another signature field, signature field 2. The order is placed only if both signatures are valid.

Scenario 1: Certified Document with Multiple Signatures

Prerequisite

To enable a certified document to be signed, the permitted changes in the form must be set so that changes can be made to form fields. For more information about setting which changes are allowed, see Certification of Forms.

...

1A: Data changed in form fields

       1.      Recipient 1 enters data in the relevant fields and signs the form (signature 1).

       2.      Recipient 2 changes data and signs the form (signature 2).

       3.      A check establishes that both signatures (1 and 2) are valid.

1B: No data changed in form fields

...

       1.      Recipient 1 enters data in the relevant fields and signs the form (signature 1).

       2.      Recipient 2 signs the form (signature 2).

       3.      A check establishes that both signatures (1 and 2) are valid.

Explanation:

In case A, although recipient 2 changes data, signature 1 is valid, since the document version in which the signature was set has not been changed. Signature 2 belongs to the next document version.

In Adobe Reader 7, you are notified with signature 1 that the changes in the document do not violate the defined permitted changes after the signature is set (green checkmark). This message appears for both case 1A and case 1B.

 

Scenario 2: Uncertified Document with Multiple Signatures

2A: Data changed in form fields

...

       1.      Recipient 1 enters data in the relevant fields and signs the form (signature 1).

       2.      Recipient 2 changes data and signs the form (signature 2).

       3.      A check establishes that both signatures (1 and 2) are valid.

2B: No data changed in form fields

...

       1.      Recipient 1 enters data in the relevant fields and signs the form (signature 1).

       2.      Recipient 2 signs the form (signature 2).

       3.      A check establishes that both signatures (1 and 2) are valid.

Explanation:

In case A, although recipient 2 changes data, signature 1 is valid, since the document version in which the signature was set has not been changed. Signature 2 belongs to the next document version.

In Adobe Reader 7, you are notified with signature 1 that the document has been changed after the signature was set (checkmark with exclamation point). This message appears for both case 2A and case 2B.