Allow "Forced" Signatures Over Existing Annotations in PDF Files for Better Handling of Bank-Related Forms
Description:
Our digital signature client currently does not allow placing new signatures over existing annotations in PDF files. While this restriction helps maintain the integrity and legibility of the annotations and signatures, it creates challenges in handling certain types of documents, particularly bank-related forms.
Bank-related forms often have predefined annotations where users are expected to place their signatures. Our current restriction prevents users from signing in these areas, thereby limiting the usability of our client for handling these forms. This issue becomes even more critical considering that other popular software, such as Adobe, can handle these scenarios effectively.
When attempting to place a signature over an existing annotation, the client presents the following error: "No se puede firmar: el campo de firma está solapándose sobre otra firma o anotación existente." (English: "You cannot sign: the signature field is overlapping on another signature or annotation existence.")
Proposed Solution:
To enhance our client's compatibility with bank-related forms and to match the capabilities of competitors like Adobe, we propose adding a feature that allows users to "force" a signature over an existing annotation. When a user attempts to sign over an existing annotation, they should be presented with a warning message such as: "You are about to place a signature over an existing annotation. This may interfere with the legibility and integrity of the existing content. Proceed?"
The user should then have the option to either cancel the operation or proceed with the "forced" signature. This feature should be optional and the current default behavior should be maintained for users who do not wish to "force" a signature.
Acceptance Criteria:
- When a user attempts to place a signature over an existing annotation, they should be presented with a warning message.
- The user should have the option to cancel the operation or proceed with the "forced" signature.
- If the user chooses to proceed, the system should allow the placement of the new signature over the existing annotation.
- The default behavior (preventing signature overlap) should still be maintained for users who do not choose to "force" a signature.
Impact:
This enhancement will make our digital signature client more versatile, particularly for users handling bank-related forms. It will also bring our client's capabilities closer to those of popular software like Adobe, thereby improving competitiveness and increasing user satisfaction.
I could be happy to provide example files and real-life interactions with users with Adobe where this situation has emerged (with great frustration to myself!)