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Countersigning a Document

You can countersign the existing signatures on a document. This will apply your signature to their signatures. Your countersignature will only be valid if the signatures it signs are also valid. If signatures have been applied to prior versions, the countersignature will not sign those versions; it will only countersign signatures on the latest version.

Countersigning a document can be used to provide additional authority for a signature or signal approval for another user's approval. For example, a manager might choose to countersign a document to verify that they have approved their employee's signing the document.

To countersign a document 

  1. Select a document, then open the Sign Document dialog box in one of the following ways:
    • Open the Metadata dialog box or Metadata Pane for any document. Select the Digital Signatures tab, and then click Sign.
    • Open the Tasks menu and point to Digital Signatures, then select Sign Document.
    • Right-click the document and select Sign Document.
  2. The Sign Document dialog box will open.
  3. Optional: In the Signing Image option, click Select, navigate to the signing image you want to use, and click Open. You can specify any .bmp, .gif, .jpg, .png or .tif image file.
  4. In the Signing Certificate option, click Select and choose your signing certificate. To view the details for your selected certificate, click Details.
  5. Optional: In the Signing Reason option, type your reason for signing this document.
  6. Select Countersign existing signature(s). If you do not want to countersign, clear this option.
  7. Click Sign.

To countersign a document

Note: While all supported browsers can view a document's signatures, Web Access only supports adding a new signatures (including countersignatures) to a document through Microsoft Internet Explorer.

  1. Open the Sign Document dialog box for a document by right-clicking the document and selecting Sign Document.
  2. Optional: In the Signing Image option, click the Select button, navigate to the signing image you want to use, and click Open. You can specify any .bmp, .gif, .jpg, .png or .tif image file.
  3. In the Signing Certificate option, click Select and choose your signing certificate. To view the details for your selected certificate, click the Details button.
  4. Optional: In the Signing Reason option, type your reason for signing this document.
  5. Select Countersign existing signature(s). If you do not want to countersign, clear this option.
  6. Click Sign.

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