13097: e-Sign - Signature Pad Troubleshooting

You can use a signature pad to e-sign and rubber stamp documents, however, not all signature pads are compatible with Drake Tax. For a list of recommended signature pads, see Related Links below.

Some common issues and resolutions are listed below. If you continue to experience difficulty with using your signature pad, please contact Drake Support at 828.524.8020 for more assistance. 

1. If Drake Tax does not seem to recognize your signature pad, review the setup information in the Related Links below to ensure that no setup items were omitted.
2. On Setup > Printing > E-Signature setup, verify that the Use LCD box is not checked unless your signature pad has an LCD screen to view the signature as you sign.
3. Depending on the model of your signature pad, you may need to use a com port to communicate instead of USB. In this case, select Use com port on the E-Signature setup window and enter the number of the com port used by the signature pad. When using a signature pad in Hosting on Right Networks, the com port option is required. For more information, see Related Links below.
4. When setting up the preparer’s signature, you may get an error message about the .NET framework. You must have Microsoft .NET Framework 4.7 or later installed for the signature pad to function correctly. See Related Links below.
5. If you receive the following digital signature identity error message when attempting to e-sign a document from Drake Documents, close the document and click the Sign icon. Choose the document to sign from this list. Documents cannot be e-signed in Adobe Reader.

6. If you cannot print a document from the e-sign window, close the e-sign window and then do the following in Adobe Acrobat or Adobe Reader: 
   1. Open Adobe. 
   2. Click Edit. 
   3. Select Preferences.
   4. On the General tab, select Security (Enhanced). 
   5. Uncheck Enable Protected Mode at startup. 
   6. Click OK. 
   7. Close Adobe.