(Mono C#) Sign a PDF (Simplest Possible Example)

See more PDF Signatures Examples

This example demonstrates how to a sign a PDF using mostly default options in the simplest way possible.

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// This example requires the Chilkat API to have been previously unlocked.
// See Global Unlock Sample for sample code.

Chilkat.Pdf pdf = new Chilkat.Pdf();

// Load a PDF to be signed.
// The "hello.pdf" is available at https://chilkatsoft.com/hello.pdf
bool success = pdf.LoadFile("qa_data/pdf/hello.pdf");
if (success == false) {
    Debug.WriteLine(pdf.LastErrorText);
    return;
}

// Options for signing are specified in JSON.
Chilkat.JsonObject json = new Chilkat.JsonObject();

// In most cases, the signingCertificateV2 and signingTime attributes are required.
json.UpdateInt("signingCertificateV2",1);
json.UpdateInt("signingTime",1);

// Put the signature on page 1, top left
json.UpdateInt("page",1);
json.UpdateString("appearance.y","top");
json.UpdateString("appearance.x","left");

// Use a font scale of 10.0
json.UpdateString("appearance.fontScale","10.0");

// In this example, the appearance of the digital signature will contain three lines:
// 1) The signing certificate's common name
// 2) The current date/time
// 3) Some arbitrary text.
// The keyword "cert_cn" is replaced with the Certificate's Subject Common Name.
// The keyword "current_dt" is replaced with the current date/time.
// Any number of appearance text lines can be added.
json.UpdateString("appearance.text[0]","Digitally signed by: cert_cn");
json.UpdateString("appearance.text[1]","current_dt");
json.UpdateString("appearance.text[2]","The crazy brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.");

// Load the signing certificate. (Use your own certificate.)
Chilkat.Cert cert = new Chilkat.Cert();
success = cert.LoadPfxFile("qa_data/pfx/myPdfSigningCert.pfx","secret");
if (success == false) {
    Debug.WriteLine(cert.LastErrorText);
    return;
}

// Tell the pdf object to use the certificate for signing.
success = pdf.SetSigningCert(cert);
if (success == false) {
    Debug.WriteLine(pdf.LastErrorText);
    return;
}

success = pdf.SignPdf(json,"qa_output/hello_signed.pdf");
if (success == false) {
    Debug.WriteLine(pdf.LastErrorText);
    return;
}

Debug.WriteLine("The PDF has been successfully cryptographically signed.");

// The appearance of the signature appears in Adobe Acrobat as shown here: