Case 1: the container holds a PDF
This is the usual situation.
- Open the container at asiceviewer.com.
- The PDF appears in the preview.
- Press Download next to the file name.
The saved PDF is byte-for-byte the file that was signed. No conversion took place, so nothing can shift in the layout.
Case 2: the container holds a Word or other document
A DOCX inside a container can be previewed in the viewer and downloaded as DOCX. To get a PDF from it:
- open the downloaded DOCX in a word processor and choose Save as PDF, or
- use the ASiC-E Viewer app for Android, which exports a document to an A4 PDF and prints the signer and signing time in the header.
Case 3: several documents
Use Download all (ZIP) to save every document, then convert the ones that are not PDF. A container with a contract and three annexes gives four files.
What happens to the signature
| Container (.asice) | Extracted PDF | |
|---|---|---|
| Contains the document | Yes | Yes |
| Contains the signatures | Yes | No |
| Proves who signed | Yes | No |
| Opens in any PDF reader | No | Yes |
The PDF is a reading copy. If someone needs proof, they need the container. A common and sensible practice is to send both: the .asice as the original and the PDF "for convenience".
Why not sign the PDF directly?
There is a signature format that lives inside a PDF, called PAdES, and DigiDoc4 can validate such files. Estonian signing tools, however, create ASiC-E containers by default, because a container can hold any file type and several files at once. If your counterpart insists on a signed PDF, that is a question of how the document is signed in the first place, not of conversion afterwards.
Avoid upload converters
Sites offering "ASiCE to PDF converter" generally upload your container, pull out the PDF and hand it back. You can do the same locally in seconds without sending a contract to a third party. More scenarios are in convert ASiC-E to PDF.
Frequently asked questions
Can an ASiC-E file be converted to PDF with the signatures kept?
No. The signatures belong to the container. A PDF taken out of it is an unsigned copy, though the app can print signer details into the header as information.
The container has no PDF inside. What now?
Download the document in its own format and save it as PDF from the program that opens it, or export it with the Android app.