# Digital Signature Examples

> Examples of signing PDF documents with TX Text Control .NET for Windows Forms: whole documents, signature fields, test certificates and trusted timestamps.

- **Product:** TX Text Control .NET for Windows Forms
- **Section:** Documentation
- **Kind:** Topic
- **Path:** TX Text Control .NET for Windows Forms > Examples > Digital Signature Examples
- **725 words**
- **Web URL:** https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-dotnet-winforms/examples/digital-signatures/
- **LLMs URL:** https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-dotnet-winforms/examples/digital-signatures/llms.txt
- **LLMs-Full URL:** https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-dotnet-winforms/examples/digital-signatures/llms-full.txt

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Signing a PDF document with TX Text Control happens when the document is saved: [SaveSettings.DigitalSignature](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-dotnet-winforms/reference/txtextcontrol/savesettings/digitalsignature-property/llms-full.txt) signs the whole document, and [SaveSettings.SignatureFields](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-dotnet-winforms/reference/txtextcontrol/savesettings/signaturefields-property/llms-full.txt) signs individual signature fields. Because the calls are the same in every .NET product of TX Text Control, the examples below come from console applications and blog articles; there is no Windows Forms sample on GitHub. [Digitally Sign a PDF](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-dotnet-winforms/getting-started/pdf/sign/llms-full.txt) shows the same steps in a Windows Forms application.

### Sample Project

| Example | What it shows | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Signing in a console application | A whole document and a [SignatureField](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-dotnet-winforms/reference/txtextcontrol/signaturefield/llms-full.txt) with a [SignatureImage](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-dotnet-winforms/reference/txtextcontrol/signatureimage/llms-full.txt) signed with the certificate of a PFX file, as described in [Digitally Signing Adobe PDF Documents](https://www.textcontrol.com/blog/2022/09/15/digitally-signing-adobe-pdf-documents/). A console application for TX Text Control .NET Server: .NET 8, version 33.0, C# | [TextControl.Core.CommandLine.Signing](https://github.com/TextControl/TextControl.Core.CommandLine.Signing) |

To use its code in a Windows Forms project, reference `TXTextControl.TextControl.WinForms.SDK` instead of the package of TX Text Control .NET Server, and save from the `TextControl` of your form or from a `ServerTextControl`.

### Blog Articles With Code

These articles use `ServerTextControl` and the class [DigitalSignature](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-dotnet-winforms/reference/txtextcontrol/digitalsignature/llms-full.txt), which are part of TX Text Control .NET for Windows Forms as well:

| Example | What it shows | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Document or signature fields | The difference between signing a whole PDF document and signing its signature fields | [Understanding the Differences: Signing a PDF Document vs. Signing Signature Fields in a PDF in C#](https://www.textcontrol.com/blog/2024/10/08/signing-a-pdf-document-vs-signing-signature-fields-in-a-pdf-in-csharp/) |
| Test certificates | A self-signed certificate created on Windows and used to sign PDF documents | [How to Create Self-Signed Certificates on Windows to Sign PDFs in .NET C#](https://www.textcontrol.com/blog/2025/02/28/how-to-create-self-signed-certificates-on-windows-to-sign-pdfs-in-net-c-sharp/) |
| Trusted timestamps | Signatures that carry a timestamp from a timestamp server | [Building Long-Term Trust with Digital Signatures and Timestamps in C# .NET](https://www.textcontrol.com/blog/2026/08/04/building-long-term-trust-with-digital-signatures-and-timestamps-in-c-sharp-dot-net/) |
| Signed PDF/A documents | PDF/A documents signed with a self-signed certificate | [Digitally Sign PDF/A Documents with Self-Signed Certificates](https://www.textcontrol.com/blog/2020/06/30/digitally-sign-pdfa-documents-with-self-signed-certificates/) |

### Next Steps

- [Digital Signatures](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-dotnet-winforms/digital-signatures/llms-full.txt): signatures, certificates, signature fields and timestamps, explained.
- [Digitally Sign a PDF](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-dotnet-winforms/getting-started/pdf/sign/llms-full.txt): sign a first document from a form.
- [PDF Examples](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-dotnet-winforms/examples/pdf/llms-full.txt): create and process PDF documents.

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## Nearby

- **Previous:** [PDF Examples](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-dotnet-winforms/examples/pdf/llms-full.txt)
- **Next:** [What's New](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-dotnet-winforms/whats-new/llms-full.txt)