Digitally Sign PDF Documents in Java (Code Example)

Add Digital Signatures to PDF in Java

Add custom digital signatures to PDF documents in Java based on PFX certificate files. The all-in-one electronic signature API easily integrates with your Java application to give you a personalized document signing experience using a few lines of code.

Instantiate Signature with (PDF) as input document
Instantiate DigitalSignOptions object with certificate & password details
Call sign method of Signature class and pass DigitalSignOptions to it

Work with PDF Signature API

You require GroupDocs.Signature namespace to digitally sign documents in Java & J2SE applications. Use signature manipulation features to customize sign, search and signature verification processes, manage eSignature colors, styling and overall appearance.

Get the respective assembly files from downloads or fetch the whole package from Maven to add ‘Conholdate.Total` directly in your workspace.

Add Text Signatures to PDF in Java

Add customized text signature to a PDF document in Java using advanced text settings such as font color, size, name, text alignment and border adjustment.

Create a new instance of Signature class and pass input document
Instantiate the TextSignOptions object and specify text signature options
Call sign method of Signature class instance and pass TextSignOptions to it

eSign Remotely Located Documents

The document eSign API enables you to load & display remotely located documents from various cloud document storage sources such as stream, local disk, URL, FTP, Amazon S3, and Azure Blob storage. Using document information extraction feature - fetch the basic information about the source document file (PDF) along with extracting other valuable document information such as file type, file size, pages count, page height and width etc.

Add Image Signatures to PDF in Java

Using Conholdate.Total for Java - insert custom image as an electronic signature to a PDF document in Java. Add company logo, stamp icon or name using different colors and text effects.

Create a new instance of Signature class and pass input document to it
Instantiate the ImageSignOptions object and specify image signature options
Call sign method of Signature class instance and pass ImageSignOptions to it

Image Representation of Document Pages

Apply digital signatures to a wide range of document formats and generate the image representation of the already signed document pages in PNG, JPG or BMP formats. You can easily preview the complete document as a whole or choose to display some specific pages based on page numbers or page ranges.

Using advanced document previewing features - easily hide digital signatures from the signed documents while generating the document preview.

What is PDF file format?

PDF (Portable Document Format) is a widely used document file format developed by Adobe Systems in 1993. It was specifically designed to provide a platform-independent solution for storing and sharing documents across various operating systems and over the Internet. PDFs utilize a vector-based drawing model, storing graphical elements such as lines, shapes, and images as mathematical equations. This unique approach ensures that PDFs are resolution independent, guaranteeing consistent document quality regardless of the viewing device or program.

One of the key advantages of PDFs is their support for a range of security features. Encryption, password protection, digital signatures, and document watermarking are among the security measures available. These features make PDFs highly secure and suitable for sensitive documents, such as medical records, legal documents, government forms, and invoices. The printing industry also heavily relies on PDFs to facilitate electronic communication with customers.

Creating PDFs is a straightforward process, as they can be generated from various electronic document formats, including Word documents, PowerPoint presentations, and webpages. It’s important to note that PDFs are typically not editable directly. To modify the content of a PDF, it must first be converted to a different file format that supports editing. Numerous software programs, many of which are freely available for download, offer the functionality to convert PDFs to editable formats.

PDFs have gained immense popularity and have become a standard method for document sharing due to their versatility, security features, and consistent formatting. Their compatibility across different devices and operating systems ensures seamless document access for users. Additionally, PDFs preserve the layout, fonts, and images of the original document, making them an ideal choice for sharing visually rich content.

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Digitally Sign PDF in Java