How to Use Digital Certificates from Different Providers in Acrobat
Question details
Organizations and users need to sign PDF documents using digital certificates issued by various external providers, including hardware tokens and cloud-signature services.
- Product
- Adobe Acrobat
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Signing a PDF document using a third-party digital certificate or a physical hardware token rather than a standard self-signed certificate.
- Observed behavior
- Cloud-signature providers require specific Adobe account configurations, while locally installed token certificates require middleware and OS certificate store integration to be recognized by Acrobat.
Ensure you have your physical hardware token (smart card or USB) plugged into your device, or verify that your organization has provided you with the necessary cloud-signature account credentials.
Configure Hardware Token or Smart Card Certificates
Install the necessary drivers and middleware for your hardware token so that Acrobat can access the certificate from the operating system's store.
Token-based certificates rely on your computer's operating system to read the physical device. Acrobat needs the device's specific middleware to recognize the certificate for digital signatures.
Download and install the specific driver and middleware software provided by your hardware token or smart card manufacturer.
Insert your hardware token into your computer's USB port or insert your smart card into the card reader.
Launch Adobe Acrobat, go to Edit > Preferences (Windows) or Acrobat > Preferences (Mac). Select 'Signatures' from the left categories, and click 'More' under 'Identities & Trusted Certificates'.
Select 'Digital IDs' in the left tree view. Confirm that your hardware-based certificate is listed. If prompted, you may need to attach the specific PKCS#11 module provided by your vendor.
Use Cloud-Signature Providers
Access and use cloud-based certificates that are configured and supported by your organization's Adobe account.
Easily Sign PDFs with Digital Certificates in WPS Office
WPS Office provides a robust, built-in PDF editor that natively supports digital signatures. You can easily apply trusted, certificate-based signatures to your documents to verify authenticity without dealing with complex configurations.
- 1. Open Your PDF: Launch WPS Office and open the PDF document you need to sign.
- 2. Navigate to Protect Tab: Click on the 'Protect' tab located on the top ribbon menu.
- 3. Initiate Digital Signature: Click on 'Digital Signature' and then select 'Sign Document' from the dropdown menu.
- 4. Apply Certificate: Draw the signature field on the page, select your digital ID from your system's certificate store, and click 'Sign' to secure the file.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why isn't my hardware token certificate showing up in Acrobat's Digital IDs?
Your hardware token requires specific middleware or drivers to communicate with your operating system. Ensure the manufacturer's software is installed so the OS certificate store can read it, which in turn allows Acrobat to display it.
Can I use any cloud-signature provider I want in Adobe Acrobat?
No. Cloud-signature providers in Acrobat are limited to those supported by Adobe and explicitly enabled by your organization's Adobe account or Acrobat Sign configuration.
How do I add a new certificate provider to Acrobat's trusted list?
You can manage trusted certificates by navigating to Preferences > Signatures > Identities & Trusted Certificates. From there, you can import new provider certificates into Acrobat's trusted identity list.
