Overview

Obtaining a physical signature is sometimes required. It could be for legal or compliance requirements, policy positions, or simply because one or both parties are more comfortable with signatures in a physical format.

The Adobe Acrobat Sign written signature workflow supports obtaining physical signatures while ensuring proper access control, maintaining the quality and clarity of the final document, and leveraging the benefits of electronic processing and auditing.

The written signature experience for signers

For recipients, the Written signature workflow closely resembles the Electronic workflow up to the point that they have to print off the document to apply their signature:

• The recipient is notified via email with an Open and print link to the document.
• When the link is selected, the recipient is presented first with a three-step summary of the signature process:

• The recipient can fill in any form fields that are requested/required on the agreement in the electronic experience.
  
• When ready, the recipient clicks the Next button at the bottom of the page to advance to the download, print, and sign instructions:

• The recipient clicks the Download button to download the document (complete with any field content entered electronically).
• The recipient opens and prints the downloaded PDF.
• The recipient physically signs the printed agreement.
• The signed agreement then must be scanned back into digital form.
  • Acrobat Sign accepts the file back in any normally accepted format (PDF, JPG, GIF, TIF, BMP).
  • Acrobat Sign only accepts one file. If there are multiple images, they must be concatenated into one file.
• A new email is sent to the recipient requesting they upload the signed document (email subject: Please upload {Agreement Name}). A link is provided to open the Upload to submit interface.
  
  • Recipients can also click the link in the original Open and print email to open the Upload interface:

• Clicking the Upload to submit button opens a browsing window for the recipient to find and select the signed agreement file on the local system.
• Once the file is selected, the file uploads to Acrobat Sign and the recipient is done.
• If there are subsequent recipients, the agreement progresses to the next. Otherwise, the agreement completes.

Allowing recipients to Convert their signature from the Electronic to the Written signature type

Customers that do not require an electronic signature type, and would like to overcome any customer skepticism of the electronic format, can permit recipients to convert the signature type from electronic to the written style.

When this conversion is enabled, recipients see an option to Print, sign and upload in the Options menu on the e-sign page.