Adobe Reader 8

Create a self-signed digital ID

If you’re not using a third-party digital ID, you can create your own self-signed digital ID. When you create a self-signed digital ID, the resulting file stores an encrypted private key used for signing or decrypting documents and a public key contained in a certificate, which is used for validating signatures and encrypting documents.

  1. Choose Document > Security Settings.
  2. Select Digital IDs on the left, and then click the Add ID button .
  3. Select Create A Self-Signed Digital ID For Use With Acrobat, and click Next.
  4. Specify where to store the digital ID, and click Next.
    New PKCS#12 Digital ID File
    Stores the information in a file that you can send to others. This is a standard encryption format with a .pfx extension in Windows and .p12 in Mac OS.

    Windows Certificate Store (Windows only)
    Stores the file where other Windows applications can also retrieve it.

  5. Type a name, email address, and other personal information for your digital ID. When you certify or sign a document, the name appears in the Signatures panel and in the signature field.
  6. (Optional) To use Unicode values for extended characters, select Enable Unicode Support, and then specify Unicode values in the appropriate boxes.
  7. Choose an option from the Key Algorithm menu. 2048-bit RSA offers more security than 1024-bit RSA, but 1024-bit RSA is more universally compatible.
  8. From the Use Digital ID For menu, choose whether you want to use the digital ID for signatures, data encryption, or both. Click Next.
  9. Specify a filename and location for the digital ID file.
  10. Type a password; passwords are case-sensitive, must contain at least six characters, and may not contain double quotation marks or the following characters: ! @ # $ % ^ & * , | \ ; < > _. Type the same password in both the Password and Confirm Password boxes. Click Finish.

    You can export and send your certificate file to those who need to validate your signature.

    Important: Make a backup copy of your digital ID file. If your digital ID file is lost or corrupted, or if you forget your password, you cannot use that profile to add or validate signatures.