LetterSigner
The LetterSigner application offers all the necessary features to sign your documents. To serve the broadest possible market, the Portable Document Format (PDF) was chosen as the LetterSigner document format. Both the “classical” handwritten signature as the digital signature may be used to sign documents. It is also possible to add other data fields in a document to enter a date, or free text, like “read and approved”.
The LetterSigner software enables you to open, view, navigate and sign PDF documents directly within one and the same application.
Signing by hand with an electronic pen
When using the LetterSigner software on a Tablet PC or a specific signing device connected to the PC, documents can be signed by hand using the stylus. The look and feel of this manual signing process equals the ceremonial aspect of signing a paper version. Drawing one’s signature is only allowed on predefined fields, the rest of the document remains locked and unchanged. These fields are indicated by standard PDF form fields, which can be added by LetterGen during the creation of the document. When saving the document, the handwritten fields (signatures and text) are embedded into the PDF document. The electronic signature is represented as a stamp and secures the document.
Signing digitally by means of a smart card
An electronic signature is a legally recognized electronic tool, which indicates that a person accepts the content of an electronic message or a document.
Signing documents digitally is based on a Public Key Infrastructure. By means of PKI based smart cards, such as the Belgian eID, a DIGIPASS CertiID from VASCO, a Keynectis token, a Certipost token, etc.
Along with this signature a certificate is added to the document to provide the identity of the signer. The combination of the signature and the certificate delivers non-repudiative proof of the identity of the signer, as well as a warranty for the authenticity of the signed document. Since the signed document is fully PDF compliant both the document and the signatures can be displayed and validated by a viewer using Acrobat Reader.
Any user that modifies and saves the document, after it has been electronically signed, will invalidate the electronic signature(s).
On the LetterSigner the signed field will be shown as hereunder.
Once the signature is saved, it will display in a viewer (like Acrobat Reader) as follows. Also, if a document is printed, the signature will be shown inside the document, proving the signatory's identity and document integrity.
