How to Remove or Hide the Timestamp from an Acrobat Digital Signature
Question details
The user wants to remove the timestamp or display only the date without the time zone in an Acrobat digital signature to save space.
- Product
- Adobe Acrobat
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Customizing the visual appearance of a digital signature block on a PDF document.
- Observed behavior
- The default digital signature displays the date, exact time to the second, and time-zone information, which takes up too much visual space on the document.
Ensure you have access to the digital ID or certificate you used to create the signature, as you will need to edit its specific appearance profile in your PDF software settings.
Edit the Digital Signature Appearance Profile
You can remove the date and timestamp entirely by editing the text configuration of your digital signature appearance profile.
Acrobat's standard appearance controls do not natively support showing only the date without the time. You must either remove the date entirely from the visual block or create a custom signature graphic that includes your preferred date format.
Go to Edit > Preferences (Windows) or Acrobat > Preferences (Mac). Select 'Signatures' from the Categories on the left.
In the 'Creation & Appearance' section, click the 'More' button to open the configuration window.
Under 'Appearances', click 'New' to create a new profile or select an existing one and click 'Edit'.
In the 'Configure Text' section of the appearance settings, uncheck the 'Date' checkbox to remove the displayed date and timestamp completely.
Click 'OK' to save the profile. The next time you sign a document, select this specific appearance from the 'Appearance' drop-down menu in the signing dialog.
Sign PDF Documents Easily with WPS Office
Need a simpler way to sign documents without complex timestamp configurations? WPS Office provides an intuitive PDF reader and editor that makes adding, customizing, and managing your electronic signatures effortless.
- 1. Open your PDF: Launch WPS Office and open the PDF document you need to sign.
- 2. Access the Signature Tool: Navigate to the 'Fill & Sign' or 'Insert' tab and click on the 'Sign' button, then select 'Create Signature'.
- 3. Create Your Signature: Draw, type, or upload an image of your preferred signature. WPS Office applies the visual signature cleanly without appending unwanted time-zone text.
- 4. Apply and Save: Place the signature exactly where you want it on your document, resize it if necessary, and save the PDF.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I show only the date without the exact time in Acrobat?
No, Acrobat’s default 'Date' checkbox includes the full timestamp (date, time, and time zone). To bypass this, you can uncheck 'Date' and manually type the date as part of your custom signature image or text.
Will removing the timestamp visually invalidate my digital signature?
No, removing the date and time from the visual appearance block does not invalidate the signature. The underlying digital certificate still securely records the exact signing time in the document's metadata.
How do I change the default signature appearance for all future documents?
When signing a document, select your newly edited appearance profile from the 'Appearance' drop-down menu in the 'Sign Document' dialog box. Acrobat will remember this choice as your default for the next time.
Why does the timestamp take up so much space by default?
By default, Acrobat includes the date, time to the nearest second, and the specific time zone offset to ensure strict audit trails for legal and corporate compliance, which results in a long string of text.
