Una volta per stampare un PDF la procedura era obbligata: si doveva prima stampare per apporre la propria firma manualmente. Oggi invece con semplicissime app o programmi possiamo firmare e inoltrare direttamente un qualsiasi documento senza dover stampare, scannerizzare e inviare. In questo articolo vi illustriamo i migliori programmi e le migliori app per la firma digitale non prima d’avervi spiegato cosa sia esattamente questa famosa “firma digitale”.
Cos’è la firma digitale?
La firma digitale è semplicemente l’equivalente informatico di una firma autografa apposta su un documento di qualsiasi genere e grado d’importanza ed è soggetta alle seguenti caratteristiche:
- autenticità ovvero la firma digitale garantisce l’identità di colui o colei che la sottoscrive;
- integrità ovvero assicura che il documento, dopo essere stato firmato, non sia stato manomesso o modificato;
- non ripudio ovvero che la firma digitale conferisce piena validità legale al documento quindi tale documento non può essere disconosciuto dal sottoscrittore.
Più semplicemente parlando, la firma digitale è uno strumento che permette di firmare i documenti elettronici ovvero quei documenti contenuti in un PC, in un tablet o nello smartphone; sono quei documenti che non vengono stampati e successivamente modificati, compilati e firmati a mano con la penna bensì sono i documenti che vengono modificati, compilati e firmati operando direttamente sullo schermo del vostro dispositivo.
To be able to use digital signatures, you need to purchase the appropriate kits, which can also be found online, activate them and use special software that allows you to validate the documents thanks to the certificates contained in the kit.
Programs for signing a PDF
Signing a PDF is easy and fast, just use one of the programs that allow you to edit this type of file. Let’s see together what these programs are and how to add a signature to a PDF.
Adobe Acrobat Reader DC
Adobe Acrobat Reader DC is one of the most used and famous software in the technological world. It is free, translated into Italian, secure, reliable and compatible with both macOS and Windows. With Adobe Acrobat Reader DC you can print, digitally sign, annotate and share all PDF files and it is the only viewer capable of opening any type of content, from simple letters to forms to multimedia content.
This program contains a tool called “fill in and sign” (no legal value), extremely intuitive, which automatically recognizes the fields to be filled in the PDF and, thanks to Adobe Sign technology, makes the operation of signing the document in question very fast and easy. In practice, in a fillable form you can type the answers, you can flag in the presence of open questions or drop-down lists, you can put short notes in the margin and finally affix the digital signature. Once you’ve added all the information you want to communicate, simply save the document and send it to others or share it as you see fit.
With Adobe Acrobat Reader DC, you can digitally sign your signature by typing or drawing your signature before saving and sending the document. What’s new about Adobe Acrobat Reader is that it is now also connected to the Adobe Document Cloud services that will allow you to work with PDFs from any device, anywhere. It is very easy to download to your computer by connecting to the official website and clicking on the Install Now/Download button and following the instructions that the various windows show you step by step.
FastStone Photo Resizer for Windows
The name of this little program could be misleading since we are talking about digital signatures. In fact, FastStone Photo Resizer is a free program that not only allows you to resize digital photos, edit them, apply a variety of effects and lighting effects but also gives you the ability to watermark your images with your choice of a trademark, logo, text or your own digital signature. To add a digital signature, simply select the Text tab in the window that opens, check the Add Text box, type in what you want, in this case your signature, adjust the formatting and finish by clicking Ok.
It is extremely easy to use, supports all major graphic file formats and is also available in a Portable version but only for Windows operating systems. To use FastStone Photo Resizer, simply connect to its download page and click on the portable tab to simply download the no-install version of the program.
DigiSigner (Online)
DigiSigner is not exactly a program but it is worth mentioning as it is an online service that allows you to digitally sign PDFs and also allows you to encrypt documents with a digital or visual signature using images on your PC. DigiSigner is basically a PDF viewer that allows you to open and inspect the document you are going to sign and using the mouse you can affix the signature anywhere in the document in question.
The digital signatures produced by DigiSigner are compatible with Adobe Reader so they can be verified in Adobe Reader and vice versa. This online service supports time-stamped signatures and supports all types of certified standard key repositories. It is therefore a perfect tool for viewing and digitally signing invoices, communications of various types and business contracts in PDF format. Here too, the digital signature has no legal value
Nitro Reader and Nitro Reader Pro
Nitro Reader is a program that offers extensive functionality to create or edit PDFs allowing you to change their structure, text and images; its peculiarity is the presence of a very intuitive Ribbon-style user interface. In addition to allowing you to digitally sign documents, it also supports scanning of the handwritten signature via the webcam in order to reproduce the documents to be signed on screen. It is compatible with any browser but supports Windows only.
There is also a Pro version, or Professional version which, of course, offering a higher number of performance, is paid.
Microsoft Word
Microsoft Word needs no introduction as it is the most widely used and famous word processing program in the world. Ricchissimo di funzioni conosciute a tutti, anche a coloro per i quali il mondo dei software è un dedalo dal quale difficilmente si districano, ha in realtà alcune funzioni meno note anche ai più esperti: tra esse ce n’è una che è appunto la funzione che consente di applicare la firma digitale ai documenti generati con il programma stesso. Microsoft Word permette inoltre di proteggere i documenti DOC/DOCX da modifiche di terzi usando una firma elettronica.
Fill & Sign
Fill & Sign è l’app gioiello gratuita di casa Adobe per compilare e firmare in digitale i documenti in formato PDF lavorando direttamente sul vostro smartphone senza bisogno di stamparli. È anche possibile scattare la foto di un documento cartaceo e compilarlo direttamente una volta acquisito dal vostro dispositivo, firmarlo ed inviarlo direttamente dallo smartphone o dal tablet. I vantaggi di Adobe Fill & Sign sono degni di nota: potete compilare firmare ed inviare in qualsiasi momento ed ovunque vi troviate; non avete bisogno di stampante o fax; potete archiviare tutti i moduli nella sezione apposita dell’app.
La procedura d’uso è semplicissima e molto intuitiva:
- fotografa un documento o apri un file ricevuto via mail o condiviso, inserisci il testo o flagga le caselle. Grazie alla possibilità della compilazione personalizzata l’app è velocissima, precisa e sicura;
- con il dito o con uno stilo create la vostra firma, firmate, salvate ed inviate!
Utilizzabile sia per Android che per iOS.
Sign Easy
Sign Easy è tra le app più facili e veloci da usare per apporre la firma digitale. È un’applicazione con funzionalità basilari approvata anche da piccole e medie imprese per la sua precisione ed affidabilità. Sign Easy allows you to compile, sign and send any document format such as PDF, Word, Excel, Text, Pages, JPG and PNG and is perfect for submitting digitally signed documents such as purchase orders, invoices, job offers, financial contracts, leases, tax forms and real estate contracts. Sign Easy is a full-featured, streamlined, functional, secure and reliable app with just one small flaw: after a short trial period you’ll need to pay for an annual subscription.
Sign Now
It’s the #1 award-winning app for and by large corporations; it lets you create custom signatures with an easy-to-use interface and affix them to PDFs as well as many other types of documents quickly and easily. It allows you to edit, fill in, annotate, reduce, change font and font color or background at will. Sign Now is a gem of an app that received a score of 9.56 out of 10! Absolutely secure and reliable it is an indispensable tool, a MUST HAVE for those who need to always sign any document they need to send. You can download it for free but to use it you need to proceed with in-app purchases and it offers various price options starting from €. 2.99.
Creating a digital signature can seem like a complicated process especially for those who are not very familiar with technology. Fortunately, the kits for sale are extremely detailed in their explanations and activation processes. Installing the program to support the kit is very simple because it relies on the installation wizard so the only burden that you will face is only to click on Next and Finish slavishly following the directions that the screen of our beloved PC or our even more beloved and irreplaceable smartphone will show us.