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Xojo Plugin

PDF Signature Page Location

See more PDF Signatures Examples

This example demonstrates how to specify the location of a PDF signature on a page.

Note: This example requires Chilkat v9.5.0.85 or greater.

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Xojo Plugin
Dim success As Boolean
success = False

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

Dim pdf As New Chilkat.Pdf

//  Load a PDF to be signed.
//  The "hello.pdf" is available at https://chilkatsoft.com/hello.pdf
success = pdf.LoadFile("qa_data/pdf/hello.pdf")
If (success = False) Then
    System.DebugLog(pdf.LastErrorText)
    Return
End If

//  Options for signing are specified in JSON.
Dim json As New Chilkat.JsonObject

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

//  When cryptographically signing a PDF, the signature's appearance can be placed on a specific
//  page in the PDF document, and at a specified location on the page.
//  The 1st page of the PDF document is page number 1 (we don't use 0-based numbering for PDF page numbers).
//  The PDF object has a NumPages property, so we can use it to sign on the last page of the PDF.
success = json.UpdateInt("page",pdf.NumPages)

//  appearance.y and appearance.x JSON properties control the x,y location of the signature.
//  The "appearance.y" can be "top" or "bottom".
//  The "appearance.x" can be "left", "middle", or "right".
//  It is also possible to specify exact PDF location in user space coordinates, which is discussed below.
success = json.UpdateString("appearance.y","bottom")
success = json.UpdateString("appearance.x","middle")

//  In this example, the fontScale (in combination with the number of appearance text lines and the length of the longest text line),
//  automatically determine the width/height of the signature text box. Any included graphic (JPG image or built-in SVG) is automatically
//  scaled to fit. It is alternatively possible to specify the desired width/height of the signature rectangle.  In that case
//  you would NOT specify a fontScale because Chilkat would automatically chose a font scale to fit the text to the desired rectangle.
//  This example demonstrates how to specify the exact width/height of the PDF signature text box.
success = json.UpdateString("appearance.fontScale","9.0")

success = json.UpdateString("appearance.text[0]","Digitally signed by: cert_cn")
success = json.UpdateString("appearance.text[1]","current_dt")
success = json.UpdateString("appearance.image","document-accepted")
success = json.UpdateString("appearance.imagePlacement","left")
success = json.UpdateString("appearance.imageOpacity","100")

//  Load the signing certificate. (Use your own certificate.)
Dim cert As New Chilkat.Cert
success = cert.LoadPfxFile("qa_data/pfx/myPdfSigningCert.pfx","pfx_password")
If (success = False) Then
    System.DebugLog(cert.LastErrorText)
    Return
End If

//  Tell the pdf object to use the certificate for signing.
success = pdf.SetSigningCert(cert)
If (success = False) Then
    System.DebugLog(pdf.LastErrorText)
    Return
End If

success = pdf.SignPdf(json,"qa_output/hello_signed.pdf")
If (success = False) Then
    System.DebugLog(pdf.LastErrorText)
    Return
End If

System.DebugLog("The PDF has been successfully cryptographically signed.")

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

//  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
//  *** Scroll down for information about specifying the PDF signature x,y location in user space coordinates.
//  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

//  image

//  The x,y coordinates of a PDF page are in "user space", called "points", and there are 72 pointes per inch.
//  A PDF page (8.5" x 11") is 612 points wide and 792 points high.
//  The bottom left is at 0,0.    The top right is at 612,792.
//  
//  To specify the location of a signature rectangle, the "appearance.y" is the y coordinate of the top of the signature rectangle,
//  and the "appearance.x" is the x coordinate of the left of the signature rectangle.
//  Therefore, to position the signature rectangle at the exact top/left of the page, we do this:

success = json.UpdateString("appearance.y","792")
success = json.UpdateString("appearance.x","0")

success = json.UpdateString("appearance.text[0]","Digitally signed again by: cert_cn")
success = json.UpdateString("appearance.text[1]","current_dt")
success = json.UpdateString("appearance.image","document-accepted")
success = json.UpdateString("appearance.imagePlacement","right")

Dim pdf2 As New Chilkat.Pdf
success = pdf2.LoadFile("qa_output/hello_signed.pdf")
success = pdf2.SetSigningCert(cert)

success = pdf2.SignPdf(json,"qa_output/hello_signed2.pdf")
If (success = False) Then
    System.DebugLog(pdf2.LastErrorText)
    Return
End If

System.DebugLog("The PDF has been successfully cryptographically signed again.")

//  Here we have the PDF with the signature just added at the exact top/left.
//  image