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Home → Using LincDoc 3.1+ → Configuring System Settings → Viewing Signature Details (Signature Log)

23.4. Viewing Signature Details (Signature Log)

You can view detailed signature information using the signature log option available from the system button. This option allows you to upload a signed document (PDF file).

Once uploaded, the Signature Info dialog box displays the document's signature details, including the name of the signer, the date of the signature, the signer's system information, an image of the signature, and related stamp details.

Note: Uploaded PDFs are not saved to your system's hard drive. Instead, they are loaded into your system's memory, and are automatically removed when the Signature Info dialog box is closed. The PDF is never written to disk, it is only in memory until the time the dialog is dismissed.

Proceed to one of the sections below for more information:

• About Signatures and Stamps
• About Signature Hash Codes
• About Displayed Content
• Accessing the Signature Info Dialog Box

About Signatures and Stamps

The Signature Info dialog box displays information for both signatures and stamps. In order to better understand the displayed information, you need to understand the meaning of both of these terms:

• signature. Refers to the actual signer's name and its graphical representation. Also represents information that applies generally to all fields in which the signature is used. This information can include the signer's name, IP address, the current date/time, and an image of the signature itself.
• stamp. Represents the place on the document where the signature is applied, and includes information such as the document ID, field name, current date/time, and the document's pre-hash and post-hash codes. A signature's stamp acts as an electronic record that captures details essential to demonstrate the authenticity of a given signature. It is designed to capture the information/meaning/essence of someone (the term actually originates from historical use when actual stamps and inkpads or wax seals were used). A single stamp is always applied to one field on one PDF document.

  Important: The term stamp can also be used to describe the default, user stamp that can be assigned via the Preferences dialog box. Typically, this feature is known by its full name: signature stamp.

When a user signs a document, the signature may be applied to multiple fields across multiple documents. Therefore, it can be said that a single signature may be stamped multiple times on multiple documents, and each "signature" object can have one or more "stamp" objects associated with it.

About Signature Hash Codes

The hash codes associated with signatures are digital fingerprints of the document after the signature was applied. They act as a security feature, and can be used to determine if the document has been tampered with or altered. For example, if someone emailed you a PDF, and you know the hash algorithm that has been used, you could compute the PDF's fingerprint. This fingerprint could then be compared to the fingerprint of the signature stamp. If the fingerprints are not identical, the PDFs are not the same, even if they appear identical.

For more information, refer to the following website:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cryptographic_hash_function

About Displayed Content

In general, the information displayed in the Signature Info dialog box is for viewing purposes only. The displayed information cannot be altered or edited in any way.

Note: If more than one signature exists in a document, all signatures are shown. The example at the beginning of this topic shows only a single signature.

This dialog box allows you to view the following information:

• An image of the signature as it appears in the PDF (if available)
• The Signer entry represents the name of the LincDoc user who signed the document (as specified by the Signer name field setting) and the date/time when the signature was applied.
• The ID of the signature (a unique identifier generated for every signature so that it can be properly stored in a database).
• The IP address of the system on which the signature was applied.
• The LincDoc provider and user name (LincDoc login ID) of the logged in user at the time the signature was acquired.
• Related stamp information including: 
  • The name of the eForm/Document Package to which signature was applied.
  • The name of the eForm/Document Package field that contains the signature.
  • The ID of the document (a unique identifier generated for the PDF document so that it can be properly stored in a database).
  • The Stamp ID (a unique identifier generated for the stamp so that it can be properly stored in a database).
  • The fingerprint, which is a hash of the signed PDF (described above). You can click the link to view the signed hash.

In the following example, two individuals (Mrs. Johnson and Mr. Bauer) needed to sign a medical insurance form at the doctor's office. After they both signed, the resulting details (one signature details section with two individual stamps) are displayed on the Signature Info dialog box.

Accessing the Signature Info Dialog Box

The Signature Info dialog box can be accessed from any of the following locations:

• The Document Viewer
• The batch signing Signed dialog box
• (Administrators only) The signature log option available from the system button

 If you are accessing the dialog box from the system button, you will need to specify a document (PDF file) to use (as described below).

Note: When using the other two methods listed above (via the Document Viewer and the Signed dialog box), the signed document has been pre-selected, so the Signature Info dialog box immediately appears.

1. Verify that the document whose signature you want to view is accessible on your local computer. If necessary, you can download it from your repository.

   Important: The PDF file must always be uploaded and viewed using the same system that originally generated it, since the signature stamp data is actually stored in the LincDoc database, not in the PDF itself.

2. From the system button, click the signature log option.
   The Upload PDF dialog box appears.
   
3. Click upload.
   The Open dialog box appears.
4. Navigate to the location of the document whose signature information you want to view, and click the file to select it.
5. Click Open.
   The Signature Info dialog box appears, showing you the document's signature details.
6. Review the signature information, as desired.
7. When you are done reviewing the information, close the Signature Info dialog box.

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