A Developer's Guide to Digitally Signing PDFs with C#

X509Certificate2 객체 사용

최대한의 제어를 위해 인증서 파일에서 X509Certificate2 객체를 생성할 수 있습니다. IronPDF는 X509Certificate2 표준을 완벽하게 준수하여 강력하고 안전한 디지털 서명 구현 방법을 제공합니다. 인증서 객체를 생성할 때, 기본 암호화 API에서 요구하는 대로 X509KeyStorageFlags를 Exportable로 설정해야 합니다. 코드 저장소에서 디지털 서명에 대한 실제 예제를 확인해 보세요.

Install-Package IronPdf

using IronPdf;
using IronPdf.Signing;
using System.Security.Cryptography.X509Certificates;

// Create a new PDF from an HTML string for demonstration.
var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf("<h1>Signed Document</h1><p>This document has been digitally signed.</p>");

// Load the certificate from a .pfx file with its password.
// The X509KeyStorageFlags.Exportable flag is crucial for allowing the private key to be used in the signing process.
var cert = new X509Certificate2("IronSoftware.pfx", "123456", X509KeyStorageFlags.Exportable);

// Create a PdfSignature object using the loaded certificate.
var signature = new PdfSignature(cert);

// Apply the signature to the PDF document.
pdf.Sign(signature);

// Save the securely signed PDF document.
pdf.SaveAs("Signed.pdf");

using IronPdf;
using IronPdf.Signing;
using System.Security.Cryptography.X509Certificates;

// Create a new PDF from an HTML string for demonstration.
var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf("<h1>Signed Document</h1><p>This document has been digitally signed.</p>");

// Load the certificate from a .pfx file with its password.
// The X509KeyStorageFlags.Exportable flag is crucial for allowing the private key to be used in the signing process.
var cert = new X509Certificate2("IronSoftware.pfx", "123456", X509KeyStorageFlags.Exportable);

// Create a PdfSignature object using the loaded certificate.
var signature = new PdfSignature(cert);

// Apply the signature to the PDF document.
pdf.Sign(signature);

// Save the securely signed PDF document.
pdf.SaveAs("Signed.pdf");

위 코드는 먼저 간단한 PDF 파일을 생성합니다. 그런 다음 .pfx 인증서 파일을 X509Certificate2 객체에 로드합니다. 디지털 신원을 나타내는 이 객체는 PdfSignature 생성자에 전달됩니다. 마지막으로, pdf.Sign 메서드는 문서를 저장하기 전에 이 서명을 문서에 적용합니다. For more information on the X509Certificate2 class, you can refer to the official Microsoft documentation.

디지털 서명에 세부 정보 추가하기

디지털 서명에는 인증서 외에도 더 많은 내용이 포함될 수 있습니다. 서명에 대한 맥락을 제공하기 위해 풍부한 메타데이터를 삽입할 수 있습니다. 여기에는 서명 장소, 서명 사유, 연락처 정보, 그리고 신뢰할 수 있는 기관에서 발급한 보안 타임스탬프가 포함됩니다. 문서의 추가 속성에 대한 메타데이터를 설정하고 편집할 수도 있습니다.

이러한 세부 정보를 추가하면 문서의 감사 추적 기능이 향상되고 검증자에게 유용한 정보를 제공합니다. IronPDF는 최신 SHA256 및 SHA512 해시 알고리즘을 사용하는 타임스탬핑 서버도 지원합니다.

using IronPdf;
using IronPdf.Signing;
using IronSoftware.Drawing;
using System;

// Load an existing PDF document to be signed.
var pdf = PdfDocument.FromFile("invoice.pdf");

// Create a PdfSignature object directly from the certificate file and password.
var signature = new PdfSignature("IronSoftware.pfx", "123456");

// Add detailed metadata to the signature for a comprehensive audit trail.
// These properties enhance the signature's credibility and provide context
signature.SignatureDate = DateTime.Now;
signature.SigningContact = "legal@ironsoftware.com";
signature.SigningLocation = "Chicago, USA";
signature.SigningReason = "Contractual Agreement";

// Add a secure timestamp from a trusted Time Stamp Authority (TSA).
// This provides cryptographic proof of the signing time.
signature.TimeStampUrl = new Uri("[http://timestamp.digicert.com](http://timestamp.digicert.com)");
signature.TimestampHashAlgorithm = TimestampHashAlgorithms.SHA256;

// Apply a visual appearance to the signature. (More on this in the next section)
signature.SignatureImage = new PdfSignatureImage("assets/visual-signature.png", 0, new Rectangle(350, 750, 200, 100));

// Sign the PDF document with the configured signature object.
pdf.Sign(signature);

// Save the final, signed PDF document.
pdf.SaveAs("DetailedSignature.pdf");

using IronPdf;
using IronPdf.Signing;
using IronSoftware.Drawing;
using System;

// Load an existing PDF document to be signed.
var pdf = PdfDocument.FromFile("invoice.pdf");

// Create a PdfSignature object directly from the certificate file and password.
var signature = new PdfSignature("IronSoftware.pfx", "123456");

// Add detailed metadata to the signature for a comprehensive audit trail.
// These properties enhance the signature's credibility and provide context
signature.SignatureDate = DateTime.Now;
signature.SigningContact = "legal@ironsoftware.com";
signature.SigningLocation = "Chicago, USA";
signature.SigningReason = "Contractual Agreement";

// Add a secure timestamp from a trusted Time Stamp Authority (TSA).
// This provides cryptographic proof of the signing time.
signature.TimeStampUrl = new Uri("[http://timestamp.digicert.com](http://timestamp.digicert.com)");
signature.TimestampHashAlgorithm = TimestampHashAlgorithms.SHA256;

// Apply a visual appearance to the signature. (More on this in the next section)
signature.SignatureImage = new PdfSignatureImage("assets/visual-signature.png", 0, new Rectangle(350, 750, 200, 100));

// Sign the PDF document with the configured signature object.
pdf.Sign(signature);

// Save the final, signed PDF document.
pdf.SaveAs("DetailedSignature.pdf");

일부 PDF 뷰어에서는 서명 인증서가 시스템의 신뢰 저장소에 없는 경우 경고 아이콘이 표시될 수 있습니다. 녹색 체크 표시를 받으려면 해당 인증서를 사용자의 신뢰할 수 있는 ID 목록에 추가해야 합니다.

Saving and Signing a Specific PDF Revision

PDFs can store a history of changes, much like a version control system. This is known as incremental saving. When you sign a PDF, the signature applies to a specific revision of the document. This is crucial for workflows where a document goes through multiple stages of approval. Learn more about managing PDF revision history in our detailed guide.

In the following example, we load a PDF, make edits, and then sign the current revision while allowing only form-filling as a future change. We use SaveAsRevision to commit the current state to the document's history before saving the file.

using IronPdf.Signing;

// Load a PDF file with change tracking enabled.
// This enables incremental save functionality for revision management
var pdf = PdfDocument.FromFile("annual_census.pdf", ChangeTrackingModes.EnableChangeTracking);

// Placeholder for edits: You might add text, fill forms, or add annotations here.
// For example: pdf.Annotations.Add(new TextAnnotation(...));
// Or: pdf.Form["fieldName"].Value = "New Value";

// Sign the current state of the document using SignWithFile for convenience.
// We set permissions to allow further signatures and form filling.
pdf.SignWithFile(
    "assets/IronSignature.p12", 
    "password", 
    SignaturePermissions.AdditionalSignaturesAndFormFillingAllowed);

// Save the current state as a distinct revision within the PDF's history.
// This creates a snapshot that can be referenced later
PdfDocument pdfWithRevision = pdf.SaveAsRevision();

// Save the final PDF with its full revision history to a new file.
pdfWithRevision.SaveAs("annual_census_signed.pdf");

using IronPdf.Signing;

// Load a PDF file with change tracking enabled.
// This enables incremental save functionality for revision management
var pdf = PdfDocument.FromFile("annual_census.pdf", ChangeTrackingModes.EnableChangeTracking);

// Placeholder for edits: You might add text, fill forms, or add annotations here.
// For example: pdf.Annotations.Add(new TextAnnotation(...));
// Or: pdf.Form["fieldName"].Value = "New Value";

// Sign the current state of the document using SignWithFile for convenience.
// We set permissions to allow further signatures and form filling.
pdf.SignWithFile(
    "assets/IronSignature.p12", 
    "password", 
    SignaturePermissions.AdditionalSignaturesAndFormFillingAllowed);

// Save the current state as a distinct revision within the PDF's history.
// This creates a snapshot that can be referenced later
PdfDocument pdfWithRevision = pdf.SaveAsRevision();

// Save the final PDF with its full revision history to a new file.
pdfWithRevision.SaveAs("annual_census_signed.pdf");

Understanding incremental saves is key to advanced PDF workflows. While a simple viewer might only show the latest version, a tool like Adobe Acrobat can reveal the entire revision history, showing who signed which version and what changes were made between signatures. IronPDF gives you full programmatic control over this process.

For businesses managing complex document workflows that require high security and compliance, a comprehensive solution may be needed. Iron Software offers Iron Suite, which includes IronPDF for signing and manipulation, plus other libraries for a wide range of document processing tasks, available for a single one-time payment.

How Can I Manage and Verify Signatures Across Revisions?

A PDF document can have multiple signatures applied across its various revisions. IronPDF provides tools to manage this history effectively.

• Roll Back to a Previous Revision: You can revert a document to an earlier state using the GetRevision method. This will discard all changes and signatures made after that revision.
• Verify All Signatures: The VerifySignatures method checks the validity of all signatures across all revisions of the document. It returns true only if every signature is valid and no unauthorized changes have been made.
• Remove Signatures: The RemoveSignatures method will strip all digital signatures from every revision of the document, creating a clean, unsigned version.

// Load a PDF with a complex signature history.
var pdf = PdfDocument.FromFile("multi_signed_report.pdf");

// Verify all signatures across all revisions.
// This ensures document integrity throughout its entire history
bool allSignaturesValid = pdf.VerifySignatures();
Console.WriteLine($"All signatures are valid: {allSignaturesValid}");

// Roll back to the first revision (index 0).
// Useful for reviewing the original document state
if (pdf.RevisionCount > 1)
{
    PdfDocument firstRevision = pdf.GetRevision(0);
    firstRevision.SaveAs("report_first_revision.pdf");
}

// Create a completely unsigned version of the document.
// This removes all digital signatures while preserving content
pdf.RemoveSignatures();
pdf.SaveAs("report_unsigned.pdf");

// Load a PDF with a complex signature history.
var pdf = PdfDocument.FromFile("multi_signed_report.pdf");

// Verify all signatures across all revisions.
// This ensures document integrity throughout its entire history
bool allSignaturesValid = pdf.VerifySignatures();
Console.WriteLine($"All signatures are valid: {allSignaturesValid}");

// Roll back to the first revision (index 0).
// Useful for reviewing the original document state
if (pdf.RevisionCount > 1)
{
    PdfDocument firstRevision = pdf.GetRevision(0);
    firstRevision.SaveAs("report_first_revision.pdf");
}

// Create a completely unsigned version of the document.
// This removes all digital signatures while preserving content
pdf.RemoveSignatures();
pdf.SaveAs("report_unsigned.pdf");

What Does the Stamped PDF Result Look Like?

After running the code, the signature image is stamped onto the document, creating a visually signed invoice.

The final PDF with the handwritten signature image stamped in the bottom-right corner.