SigningHub enables you to add basic form components (i.e. Name, Email, Job title, Company, Text Field, Text Area, Date, Radio Button, Check box, and Add Text) in a document to acquire additional information from a recipient.

These fields are normally associated with a specific recipient in a document approval workflow, and can also be made mandatory for a particular recipient to fill-in before signing. When supplied, such information becomes the permanent part of a signed PDF document. 

Adding form components is subject to your assigned enterprise user role. If you are willing to use this provision, ask your Enterprise Admin to enable the respective fields in your Role>Document Settings.

SigningHub embeds fonts, graphics, annotations, and other necessary content within a PDF file to make your documents fully compliant with the PDF/A-1b standard. This content embedding is required by ISO 19005-1, and is usually associated with a document's visual appearance. However a processed PDF through SigningHub may show non compliance with the PDF/A-1b standard, when a Date field or a transparent PNG image is rendered in it.

Add a form component


After you have:


  1. Select the document from the left side of document viewer screen, on which form components are required. Click  (encircled with the blue colour on image) if you want to  manage the added documents.
  2. Select the recipient from the right side of document viewer screen, to whom you want to assign the form fields. Click  (encircled with the blue colour on image) if you want to manage the added recipients.

     
  3. Click the "Name", "Email", "Job title", "Company", "Text Field", "Text Area", "Date", "Radio Button", "Check box", and/ or "Add Text" options, one by one and drop it on the document as required. A blank text field will be added for each option (form field) in the document. See the "Form Field - Details" table below for the components' description. 
    When you add any form fields in a document for yourself, the fields will be auto filled with the available data in system. However, this is only applicable when the workflow type is either "Serial", "Parallel", or "Custom".

Form Field - Details

Type

Description

Name

It is a text field that is used to get a recipient's name in your document. SigningHub automatically picks the assigned recipient's name from their profile and populates in this field in editable mode, when they process your shared document. If marked mandatory, SigningHub will enforce the recipient to fill in this field before processing.

Email

It is a text field that is used to get a recipient's email in your document. SigningHub automatically picks the assigned recipient's email from their profile and populates in this field in editable mode, when they process your shared document. If marked mandatory, SigningHub will enforce the recipient to fill in this field before processing.

Job Title

It is a text field that is used to get a recipient's job title in your document. SigningHub automatically picks the assigned recipient's job title from their profile and populates in this field in editable mode, when they process your shared document. If marked mandatory, SigningHub will enforce the recipient to fill in this field before processing.

Company

It is a text field that is used to get a recipient's company name in your document. SigningHub automatically picks the assigned recipient's company name from their profile and populates in this field in editable mode, when they process your shared document. If marked mandatory, SigningHub will enforce the recipient to fill in this field before processing.

Text Field

It is a text field that is used to get any single line information from a recipient in your document. This field is shown blank to the assigned recipient, when they process your shared document. If marked mandatory, SigningHub will enforce the recipient to fill in this field before processing.

Text Area

It is a text area that is used to get some additional description (multi-line) from a recipient in your document. This field is shown blank to the assigned recipient, when they process your shared document. If marked mandatory, SigningHub will enforce the recipient to fill in this field before processing. 

Date

It is a date field that is used to get any particular date from a recipient in your document. By default SigningHub displays current date in this field to the assigned recipient, which they can edit while processing your shared document. If marked mandatory, SigningHub will enforce the recipient to fill in this field before processing.  

Radio Button

A radio button is used in situations where a recipient can only select one option from a list of options in your document.  If marked mandatory, SigningHub will enforce the assigned recipient to select one option before processing.

Checkbox 

A checkbox is used in situations where a recipient can select multiple options from a list of options. They can also be used when you want a recipient to accept/ agree to any statement in your document.  If marked mandatory, SigningHub will enforce the assigned recipient to select the checkbox before processing.

Add Text

This option will enable you to add some additional text in your PDF document before sharing it with recipients. Specify the text in the field as required and click . Once saved, the text cannot be deleted from the document.
                                                  
  1. You can drag and drop the added fields anywhere in the document by using your mouse. The grid lines will assist you in better alignment of fields accordingly. Resize the field with respect to its height and width or use the bottom right corner to resize it diagonally as required. Now take the cursor to the field, and click  to view and edit its details. See the "Form Field - Dimensions" table below for the fields description. 

    SigningHub will remember the field size and all its set properties (i.e. Font type, font size, mandatory, length, etc.) for new fields of the same group accordingly when added on the same documents package. This implies the size and properties set for a Name field will be available for all the Name fields, the size and properties set for an Email field will be available for all the Email fields, and so on.
     

     

  2. Repeat the above steps to add multiple form fields.


Delete a form field

Take the cursor to the form component in the document to delete, and click  appearing on it. The field will be removed from the document.


Form Field - Dimensions

Properties

Description

Details Tab

Assigned to

Property to show the recipient name to whom this field has been assigned. You can re-assign the field to any other configured recipient of the workflow.

Field Name

Its an auto-generated (unique) field name that is used when you need to fill in this form field through the API calls. You can change the name as required, but make sure the uniqueness of a field name is not compromised, i.e. two or more fields in a document cannot have the same field name. This field is only available as far as the status of a document is Draft.

Font Type

Property to select the font type (i.e. Courier or Helvetica) in which this field is required to be filled in by the recipient. The system will remember the selected font for the new form fields as well.

Field Type

This property will only appear against a text field. It is used to define the input type (i.e. Text or Numeric) that is required to be filled in by the recipient.

Font Size

Property to select the font size in which this field is required to be filled in by the recipient. The system will remember the selected font size for the new form fields as well.

Placeholder

Property to specify a caption to facilitate the recipient in comprehending this field. The specified placeholder will be displayed within this field to the recipient, e.g. you can display the "Official Email ID" text in an Email field, "Designation" in a Job Title field, etc. 

Allowed Length

Property to specify the maximum number of characters, the recipient can enter in this field. By default it is set to 1000 characters. However for Text Area, the default field length is 5000 characters.

Required

Tick it to mark this field as mandatory. When ticked, SigningHub will enforce the recipient to fill in the field before signing the document.

Date Format

This property is appeared in the settings when you add a date field in your document. Choose a format from the list in which date input is required from the recipient. SigningHub supports 21 international date formats and also a custom date format i.e. ddmmmyyyy (without space). 
By default the drop down will show the US date format to the US based users, and the UK date format to the users outside the US, according to the set Country in your profile. However you may change the default value as required. 
When you share a document, SigningHub will get the date value from the recipient according to the selected date field format.

Group Name

This property is appeared in the settings when you add a radio button in your document. Specify a group name to create a mutually exclusive set of controls. It is useful when only one selection is required from a list of available options. When you set this property, the recipient can select only one option (Radio button) in the specified group at a time.

Dimensions Tab

Dimensions

Use this tab to relatively set the on-screen and PDF coordinates/ position (Left, Top, Width & Height) of this form field. However you can also manually move the field to the desired position in a document through drag and drop, and these coordinates will be updated accordingly. These coordinates are only available as far as the status of a document is Draft.

Note: You can only edit the on-screen dimensions but not the PDF dimensions. The width and height of on-screen dimensions for check box or radio button are also not editable.

Save and Cancel buttons

Click the "Save" button to save the configurations, or click the "Cancel" button to close the dialog.


  1. A document recipient can be assigned multiple form fields.
  2. In case a form field is not assigned to any recipient, then all recipients in the workflow can enter text in that field before processing the document.
  3. When a document owner adds any form fields for themself in a DRAFT document, the fields will be auto filled with the available data in their profile. However this is not applicable for the "Individual" workflows. 
  4. When a document (with the assigned form fields) is opened in the PENDING mode for signing, the relevant data (i.e. Name, Email, Job, Company, etc) will be automatically populated in the form fields (editable) from the recipient's profile (i.e. Settings > Profile). The Date form field is always filled with the current date (i.e. Today's date) in editable mode.


See Also