PDF sign: signing allowed, current document is protected

[guyr]

Using version 6.0.6.0722. Got a PDF form from employer, selected all the checkboxes, now trying to digitally sign. I created a signature using Draw Signature. Now I'm trying to apply it. If I look at Permission details, it says "Signing allowed". But when I double click the signature I created, it pops up a message saying "The current document is protected, you can not create signatures." I don't know what this means. I certainly can create signatures. But I just can't figure out how to apply the signature I created. The form has a signature block, but right-clicking it just creates an empty white rectangle within the purple signature block.

Instructions appreciated. Thanks.

[cherry]

Hi Guyr,

To sign a PDF document, please go under 'Protect'->'PDF Sign'->choose your signature, then place it onto the signature block. Then right-click on the signature and click on 'Apply' would be fine.

If you fail to sign the document as I mentioned, please send us a copy of the mentioned PDF document for a testing. If it is inconvenient to upload here, please email the PDF document to [email protected].

[ajw]

I'm having the same issue. I have tried going to Protect->PDF Sign and then clicking on a signature, but after clicking the signature I get the "The current document is protected, you can not create signatures." message. This document also shows signing as allowed. I have emailed a copy of the document to you, Cherry, since it's too big for the forums.

Thanks in advance for the help!

[cherry]

Hi ajw,

Thanks for your post. I'll check your email and take a closer look at the document.

[Stemajo]

Hello, same issue over here. I have sent the PDF file to [email protected].

Cheers

[vrschweiz]

Hello, I have the same issue too. Cannot sign the pdf by including a scanned signature file though the pdf permissions allow signatures. Have sent the pdf by email! Though it would have been good to know what was wrong with all the pdf files of the previous posters.

[Doris Wang]

Hello, I have the same issue too. Cannot sign the pdf by including a scanned signature file though the pdf permissions allow signatures. Have sent the pdf by email! Though it would have been good to know what was wrong with all the pdf files of the previous posters.

Hello vrschweiz,

I've replied your email as below. Please check if it works for you as an temporary resolution:

This issue has been reported to our bug tracking system with ID 0053804 for further investigation. For now, please try below method as an alternative.

1 Draw a signature with drawing tool, like Windows' Paint.
2 Take a screenshot to the signature and save the image.
3 Open the file and navigate to Comment - Stamps - Create custom stamp and insert the signature file. You can also set the opacity in this step.

You may find signature under Comment - Stamps - Stamp.

[richell_huang]

The sign allowed shown under Properties is for digital signature, as you can see under Properties, modify content is not allowed, so you can only sign it with digital ID and other signature like PDF sign is not allowed.
May i advise you to create a self-signed digital ID with Foxit PhantomPDF and sign document with it?

[Brettelectric]

I had the same problem. Here's what did and didn't work for me.

Applying my signature as a 'stamp', as suggested above, did not work for me. It looked really bad, because the white background behind the signature was stamped onto the document too.

I don't have PhantomPDF, and did not want to download it, so that wasn't an option.

The problem, as suggested in the post above, is that 'modify content' is not allowed, so I changed that. I couldn't just change the setting, as there was no option to do this, and 'save as' didn't help either.

What did work was going to File/create/from file, selecting the file that you want to sign, and creating a brand new file which is an exact copy of the old file.
The new file I created had all the security settings set to 'allowed', including 'modify content', which allowed me to sign it as usual.

This might not work if you have to use the exact original document and can't create a duplicate of it, but it worked fine for me.

[cherry]

Brettelectric

Thanks for the sharing. Another way is that you may create a signature with transparent background that will not cover the original content of the PDF document. You may use the Photoshop tool to change the background of the image from white to transparent. Thank you.

[arseniy]

Same here. I try to sign this with PDF sign. The doc has no protection but when I try it says it is protected. I did signed docs this way before.

https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fw8ben.pdf

[lyndi_wu]

arseniy

Would you please run Foxit, go to Help>About Foxit Reader to check the version you use?We cannot reproduce the issue in the latest version 8.2 with your file, please help to upgrade to version 8.2 to see if it happens.