signing electronic docs

[boffintech]

What's the best method of signing electronic docs? If I want to save a report in the lap top, convert to PDF, and email to client, how do I sign it?

 

[KENAT]

You can scan in your signature and have it as a jpeg or I think it may be possible to convert it to a true type font, seem to recal someone at my last place doing this.

Ken

 

[COEngineeer]

You can scan your signature or whatever you want (PE stamp maybe) and set it as custom stamp on PDF proffesional. Then you can use it anytime you want.

 

[Ashereng]

The poor man's method is to sign the paper copy of the page with the signature line, scan into pdf format, and insert in document in appropriate spot. There are free software such as PDF995 that will allow you to insert a page into a pdf file.

"Do not worry about your problems with mathematics, I assure you mine are far greater."
Albert Einstein
Have you read FAQ731-376 to make the best use of Eng-Tips Forums?

 

[COEngineeer]

ashereng.. i thought the purpose of pdf is to save paper . KILL THE TREES!!!!!

Really, you should try it out, go to tools, commenting, custom stamp.

If you want it really fancy, you need to make the stamp as GIF and set the white as transparent. That way you can use it even if the pdf background is not white.

 

[johnsmith2]

buy acrobat distiller, it has signature function, I use it for my pdf file.

 

[kontiki99]

What's the point? It has no value as a mark to authenticate the document in any way.

 

[dik]

I use a scanned *.jpg signature and just embed this in a word doc... I can then print/fax/pdf it with the signature... for electronic signing I just use encryption... not sure of the legal aspects... but, as long as I'm happy that the drawing has not been tampered with... it's probably as good as a verbal contract <G>.

Dik

 

[COEngineeer]

I read an article somewhere where you can generate authentic electronic stamp and signature on anything. So you can be in other city and send the pdf drawing to someone, and they can have a printed copy with your stamp and signature on it.

 

[KENAT]

kontiki, that was always my concern but most people don't seem to care.

Of course even hand signatures can be forged but you'd like to think it was more difficult.

 

[kontiki99]

I worked for one airline that developed an electronic authoring and routing system for paperless development of Engineering Orders.

You couldn't access the system without logging in. It used electronic signatures.

Authoring a document was really populating fields in a data base.

If you rendered and printed a document before it was approved, the printed pages had the words DRAFT on them.

There was no way to get a non Draft version of an EO out of the system until it was approved electronically. The signatures typed, entered by the system.

The FAA approved the system. There were some very good points and some very bad points.

I’m certain the people that put it together didn’t really understand the long term support issues when they developed it. It worked though.

 

[scotty7]

kontiki99,
What was the expected retention period of the documents. My company is looking at electronic docs control and would also have to placate the FAA with the methodology. One issue is how to retain the records for the service life of the airframe plus a bit for the legal beagles. Say 70 years or so.

 

[kontiki99]

I really don't know. I was a user and not involved in the development at all.

 

[swertel]

Typical statute of limitations is 10 years, but it may be specific by industry so you'll have to get some legal advice. Holding on to documents for 11 years is the standard in every aerospace/defense company I worked for. FYI: If there is a part that we made that is still installed on an airplane in service somewhere in the world, we still have all the documentation for it. We have some paperwork that goes back 40+ years! It means absolutely nothing to anyone in the company today, but we still have it!

--Scott

http://wertel.eng.pro