Electronic signatures on certificates¶

In short: Upload a signature image in certificate settings and tick Automatically sign all Section 18A certificates to sign every certificate organisation-wide, or upload a signature on a user's profile to sign the certificates that user issues. A global signatory overrides per-user signatures. Existing certificates need a Re-generate PDF File to pick up the signature.

Overview¶

ActiveDonor can print an electronic signature image on every Section 18A certificate automatically, so you don't have to print, sign and re-scan each one. You can set this up at two levels: a global signatory that signs all certificates for the whole organisation, or a per-user signature that signs the certificates a particular user issues.

How ActiveDonor decides which signature to print¶

ActiveDonor chooses the signature using this order:

Global signatory (organisation-wide). If a global signature image is uploaded in certificate settings and "Automatically sign all Section 18A certificates" is on, that signature prints on every certificate.
Per-user signature. If there's no global signing, but the user who issued the certificate has uploaded their own signature and turned on their own auto-sign, that user's signature prints.
No signature. If neither applies, the certificate is generated without a signature (a "not signed" reminder appears).

So a global signatory overrides individual users. Use the global signatory when one authorised person signs for the whole organisation; use per-user signatures when different staff sign their own certificates.

Setting up the global signatory¶

In certificate settings, under Global Signatory:

Step 1: Enter the signatory details¶

Enter the Signatory Title (for example "Treasurer") and Signatory Name that should appear under the signature.

Step 2: Upload the signature image¶

Upload a Signature image. For best results the image should be 650 x 250px, on a transparent or white background.

Step 3: Turn on auto-signing¶

Tick "Automatically sign all Section 18A certificates with the uploaded signature?" to apply it to every certificate.

Step 4: Save¶

Save the certificate settings. (The settings note that this sets the default signatory for all Section 18A certificates and uses the uploaded signature as the signatory.)

Setting up a per-user signature¶

A user can upload their own signature on their own profile (Edit user) and turn on auto-sign there. From then on, certificates that user issues are signed with their signature — unless a global signatory is set, which takes priority. The "not signed" reminder on a certificate links to "upload an electronic signature for automatic signatures", which opens the user's profile.

Applying a signature to existing certificates¶

Turning on signing only affects certificates generated afterwards. To add the signature to a certificate that already exists, open it and click Re-generate PDF File (refresh) so a new signed PDF is produced — see Refreshing a certificate and removing SAMPLE text.

The "no-signature" template¶

If your organisation uses the no-signature certificate template, certificates are generated with a blank signature space (no image) so you can sign each printed copy by hand. Choose your template in certificate settings (see Certificate settings).

Signing by hand instead¶

If you prefer to sign physically:

Download the certificate PDF.
Print and sign it (or sign it digitally in a PDF tool).
Upload the signed copy back onto the certificate so the signed version is the one stored and emailed — see Uploading your own certificate PDF.

Common issues & solutions¶

What you see	What it means	How to fix it
The signature didn't appear on a certificate.	It was generated before signing was turned on.	Open it and click Re-generate PDF File.
The wrong person's signature appears.	A global signatory overrides per-user signatures.	Turn off the global signing, or set the global signatory to the correct person.
The signature looks stretched or cut off.	The image proportions are off.	Re-upload it at roughly 650 x 250px.
"This certificate has not been signed."	No global or per-user auto-sign applies.	Set up a signature and refresh the certificate, or sign and upload the PDF by hand.

FAQ¶

Can one signature sign every certificate automatically? Yes — set a Global Signatory in certificate settings and tick "Automatically sign all Section 18A certificates".

Can different staff sign their own certificates? Yes — each user uploads a signature on their profile and turns on auto-sign. A global signatory, if set, takes priority over this.

I turned on signing but old certificates aren't signed. Signing only applies to new certificates. Open existing ones and click Re-generate PDF File.

What size should the signature image be? About 650 x 250px, ideally on a transparent or white background.

Uploading your own certificate PDF
Refreshing a certificate and removing SAMPLE text
Certificate settings
Emailing certificates to donors
Issuing a single Section 18A certificate