This feature is exclusively available for users of DRACOON Premium.
This article describes how a PDF file can be digitally signed in DRACOON with your own digital signature and that of any other persons (such as contractual partners). In this way, a PDF document can be signed by you and other parties in a paperless and legally secure manner. After all signatures have been provided, the signed document is automatically stored as a new file in DRACOON.
For signing PDF files, DRACOON partners with the German company FP Sign, which is ISO 27001 certified and meets the highest security requirements.
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How does a signing process with DRACOON and FP Sign work?
1 Select PDF file
You select a PDF file in DRACOON to be digitally signed by you and one or more recipients.
2 Set recipient in DRACOON
You specify the persons (recipients) who are to digitally sign the file and specify their data in DRACOON (email address, name).
3 Insert signature fields for recipients in PDF file
You place fields for the recipients' signatures in the PDF file (typically at the end of a contract, for example).
4 Insert your own signature into PDF file
You place your own signature and, if applicable, your name abbreviation in the PDF file.
5 Send signature requests
From within DRACOON, you initiate the email dispatch of the signature requests to the recipients.
6 Signing of the PDF file by the recipients
An account with FP Sign is automatically created for the first recipient (if not already created). The recipient will receive an account activation link from FP Sign via email. After the recipient activates his account with FP Sign, he can sign the PDF file with FP Sign for which he received a signature request in a separate email from FP Sign.
This will be performed for all other recipients you have specified, one after another.
7 Upload of the signed PDF file to DRACOON, notification by email
The PDF file with all signatures is automatically uploaded by FP Sign as a new file to DRACOON. You will be notified by FP Sign via email about the completion of the signing process and will receive a log of all signing operations in the email.
Instructions: Sign PDF file digitally
Step 1: Select the PDF file to sign
- Right-click the PDF file to be digitally signed by you and at least one other recipient, and then click Sign in the context menu.
- Only PDF files can be signed with DRACOON. If your file to be signed is in another format (e.g. as a Word document), convert it into a PDF file (e.g. by printing the document with the printer "Microsoft Print to PDF" under Windows).
- PDF files that are located in encrypted data rooms cannot be signed with DRACOON.
- A notice is displayed informing you that the PDF file will be signed and sent using the FP Sign service provider.
You can select the Do not show hint again checkbox so that it is no longer displayed for every signing process in the future.
Click OK.
Step 2: Determine the recipients (other people to sign) and their order
- Click the Add recipient button.
- In the dialog box, specify the following data of the recipient: Email address, first name, and last name.
In the Private message field, you can specify an additional note that will be displayed to the recipient in the digital signature request email.- Only specify other people and not yourself as the recipient because your own signature will always be added automatically in the PDF document.
- The Mobile number field is currently not used and can therefore be ignored.
- The Recipient receives field is only for your information that the recipient will receive a signature request (request for digital signature performance) by email and cannot be changed.
- If you want more people to sign the document, click the Add another recipient button and enter the required data for this recipient as well. If necessary, repeat this step until you have added all the desired people.
Subsequently change order for signature performance: If you have added several recipients and want to change the order in which they have to sign, click the handle on the left side of the box for the recipient in question and drag the box up or down to the desired position.
- When you have added all of the people you want to digitally sign and the order of the people matches your preference, click Next.
Step 3: Place the signature fields for the recipients in the PDF file
- If the PDF document consists of several pages, scroll by clicking arrows above the PDF preview to scroll to the desired page where you want to insert the signatures are to be inserted (e.g. to the last page of a contract document).
- Under Recipients, in the box of the desired recipient, click Signature.
- A signature field for the recipient is inserted on the displayed page in the top left corner of the PDF document. Drag the field to the desired location on the page where you want the signature to appear, and finally click on the check mark in the upper left corner of the signature field to apply the selected position.
- Repeat steps 8-9 for all other recipients you had specified.
Step 4: Place your own signature and, if necessary, your own name abbreviation in the PDF file
- If you have your own signature as a graphic file (in PNG or JPEG format), click Upload and select the file with your signature from your device.
Otherwise, click Use template to choose from pre-made variants of your name in different handwriting styles: - Your signature field will now be automatically inserted in the top left corner of the displayed page in the PDF document (you don't have to click Sign as you do for the recipient signature fields). Drag the field to the desired position on the page where you want your signature to be and finally click on the check mark in the upper left corner of the signature field to apply the selected position.
- Optional: If you want your name abbreviation to appear in a specific location on each page in the PDF document, click the Upload button under Name abbreviation (optional), select the graphic file with your name abbreviation from your device, move the graphic to the desired location on the page, and finally click the check mark in the upper left corner of the graphic to accept the position.
You can select any graphic file for the name abbreviation - even one that represents something other than your name abbreviation.
Step 5: Start sending signature requests to recipients
- To complete the preparations for signing, click the Send button. By doing so, you initiate the sending of the signature requests via e-mail by FP Sign to the recipients.
If the Send button is not active, you have not yet inserted all the required signature fields (those of all recipients as well as your own) in the PDF document.
Step 6: Signing (digital signature) of the PDF file by the recipients
- The first of the recipients you specify will automatically receive an email from FP-Sign with their access data to FP-Sign (an account for FP-Sign has been automatically created by DRACOON for the recipient). The recipient activates his FP Sign account with the link given in the e-mail.
This step is not required if an account already exists for the recipient's email address at FP Sign.
- The recipient will receive a separate email from FP Sign at the same time asking them to digitally sign your PDF document. This email will also display the private message you had specified when adding the recipient in DRACOON (above at step 4).
- After the first recipient signs the file with FP Sign, steps 15-16 are automatically repeated for all other recipients in the order of recipients you specify.
Recipients do not receive signing requests by e-mail until the previous recipients (in the order you specify) have executed your digital signatures. This can be used, for example, to ensure that a third party only signs a document after it has been signed by the contracting party.
Step 7: Automatic provision of the signed PDF file in DRACOON and notification by e-mail
- After all recipients have digitally signed the PDF file, FP Sign automatically makes it available as an additional file in the DRACOON data room where the original PDF file is located. The new file contains the original PDF file but with the appropriate signature fields added, as well as the name abbreviation graphic, if applicable. The new file receives the original file name, extended by .signed.
Example of an original file to be signed: Agreement.pdf
Example of the ready signed file: Agreement.signed.pdf
Enter at the top of the search box signed.pdf to find signed files quickly.
At the same time, you will receive a notification e-mail from FP Sign with the subject "Signature request completed". This e-mail also contains a log of all the signing operations (persons involved, time).
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