How to prepare your PDFs for batch signing.

The principle

Fdo. signs every PDF in the batch with the same configuration: position, size, anchor. If the PDFs are consistent — same template, same signature area — they sign cleanly without any per-file tweaking. If they are irregular — last page different in each, signature box jumping around — you'll be using the review tab to fix them by hand.

Pick the anchoring mode first

There are two ways to place the signature:

Fixed position

Specific coordinates on the page. Easy when every PDF shares the same rigid template and the signature always lands, for example, 70 mm from the left edge and 40 mm from the bottom, on the last page.

Text anchor

A recognisable text — "Signed:", "The Director", "Received" — that appears in each PDF near where the signature goes. Fdo. locates that text and places the signature on top. Works even when the last page varies between PDFs.

Which one you use depends on the kind of document. For payslips or certificates generated by the same software, fixed position. For variable-length filings or Word-generated PDFs, text anchor.

If you use text anchoring

1. Pick a unique text. "Signed:" usually appears once per document. "Mr." or "Hereby" can appear several times — avoid them as anchors.
2. Put the text where the signature goes. Right above or right below it, not on a different page. Fdo. places the signature relative to that string.
3. Keep the typeface consistent. If "Signed:" is bold 12pt in one PDF and italic 10pt in another, the resulting position may shift a few pixels. The review tab helps catch this.
4. Reserve space. Leave enough margin below the anchor text for the signature image — at least 20 mm tall and 60 mm wide.

If you use fixed position

1. Design the template with a signature box. An empty rectangular zone (no text, no line) where the signature goes. For example, on the last page, bottom left, 60×25 mm.
2. Keep the last page. Even if the document has variable length, the signature spot is still the last page — Fdo. places the signature on the last page by default.
3. Always convert with the same tool. Word → PDF and Pages → PDF produce the same content but with slightly different coordinates. If you mix, the coordinates may not match up.

Consistent conversion from Word, Excel or other software

When you export to PDF from Word, Word rounds page size and margins based on the document's settings. If your template is well-built, a hundred PDFs come out identical in structure. Recommendations:

• Lock the page size. A4 portrait is normal. If some PDFs are A3 or landscape, separate the batch — Fdo. signs with the same configuration but the position is applied to whatever page size the document has.
• Lock the margins. If the template recalculates them, the last page may shift content and throw off your anchor.
• Embed fonts. In Word: File → Options → Save → "Embed fonts in the file". Ensures the anchor text renders the same in every viewer.
• Avoid dynamic fields in the signature area. A "Page X of Y" whose width changes with the digits can push the signature.

File names

Fdo. preserves the original filename when signing. Design the names with the next step in mind:

• Tax ID or client number first if you'll sort by client: 12345678A_certificate-2026.pdf.
• No accents or spaces if the PDFs are headed into a legacy system or downloaded in bulk over FTP.
• Date in ISO format (2026-04-27) in the name if chronological sorting matters.

After signing, the downloaded PDFs keep exactly the same names, so any document management system expecting 12345678A_certificate-2026.pdf receives that same file, now signed.

Restrictions to avoid when exporting

Some restrictions are added on export and then block signing:

• Owner encryption with modification permissions denied. If your software adds it by default, turn it off or regenerate without that option.
• Existing digital signatures. If the PDF is already digitally signed (with a certificate), adding an image invalidates the prior signature. If you need both, sign with the image first and apply the certificate afterwards.
• Active PDF forms (XFA). Some software exports complex forms that Fdo. does not handle well. For batch signing, export without an interactive form.

Summary for the template designer

• Rigid template, same page size, same margins.
• Unique anchor text ("Signed:", "The Director", "Received") in every document, on the last page.
• Reserved space below the anchor, at least 60×20 mm.
• PDF conversion with the same tool and embedded fonts.
• No encryption, no prior digital signatures, no XFA forms.
• Consistent filenames with a unique identifier.