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CCD Studios Digital Signatures

Welcome to the CCD Studios Digital Trust Center. This page explains how we protect the authenticity of documents generated through our software and how you can verify that a file you’ve received is genuine.

What Our Digital Signatures Mean

When a document is digitally signed by CCD Studios (Chris Curd Design Ltd):

  • It has been officially sealed by our system after submission.
  • The contents of the document have not been changed since it was signed.
  • The signature was created using a secure cryptographic certificate issued by CCD Studios.
  • Anyone can verify the signature’s validity using Adobe Acrobat Reader or another PDF signature tool.

A valid signature guarantees that:

The document you’re viewing is exactly as it was when it was created and sealed by CCD Studios.

Official Certificate Fingerprint

You can download our public certificate and compare its fingerprint.

Certificate Download SHA-256 Fingerprint
CCD Root CA Download 4AA5439433B6F3E2916B8DDFD2976E3A6ACAD3B5E4CE5864F1D2368C4D422689

Installing the Root Certificate

Because CCD Studios manages its own private Certificate Authority, your computer or PDF viewer might initially show a warning saying the "Issuer is unknown." This is normal.

To fix this and see the green "Valid" checkmark, you simply need to install our Root Certificate once.

For Adobe Acrobat Users

Adobe Acrobat has its own list of trusted certificates, separate from Windows.

  1. Download the CCD Root CA file.
  2. Open Adobe Acrobat (Reader or Pro).
  3. Go to Menu (or Edit) > Preferences (Shortcut: Ctrl+K).
  4. Select Signatures from the left-hand menu.
  5. Under Identities & Trusted Certificates, click the More... button.
  6. Select Trusted Certificates on the left.
  7. Click Import at the top.
  8. Click Browse and select the ccd_root_ca.crt file you downloaded.
  9. Select the certificate from the list in the top window.
  10. Click the Trust button (or "Edit Trust").
  11. Check the box: Use this certificate as a trusted root.
  12. Check the box: Certified documents.
  13. Click OK, then Import to finish.

For Windows Users

  1. Download the CCD Root CA file.
  2. Open the file and click Install Certificate.
  3. Select Current User and click Next.
  4. Choose "Place all certificates in the following store".
  5. Click Browse and select Trusted Root Certification Authorities.
  6. Click OK, then Next, and finally Finish.
  7. Click Yes if asked to confirm the installation.

Once installed, any document signed by CCD Studios will appear as fully trusted.

How to Verify a Signed Document

Follow these steps to confirm the authenticity of any CCD-signed PDF:

  1. Open the document in Adobe Acrobat Reader (Other PDF viewers may not show digital signature details correctly.)

  2. Open the signature panel Click the small ribbon or pen icon to view signature information.

  3. Check the signature status

    • The status should show “Signed and all signatures are valid.”
    • If it says “Document has been altered” or “Unknown issuer,” please contact us.

  4. Confirm the signer The signature should display one of the following names:

    • CCD Studios (Chris Curd Design Ltd)
    • CCD Digital Signatures

  5. Verify the certificate chain Ensure the certificate traces back to the CCD Root CA.

  6. (Optional) Compare the fingerprint You can confirm authenticity by checking the certificate fingerprint:

    • In Adobe Reader, open the signature → Show Certificate → Details → Thumbprint.
    • Compare it with the fingerprint published below.

Why This Matters

Our digital signature process ensures that every application and contract generated through CCD Studios is:

  • Authentic – created by CCD Studios systems
  • Unchanged – tamper-proof after signing
  • Traceable – signed with a verifiable certificate issued by our own Root Authority

This gives our clients the same level of assurance offered by commercial signing providers like DocuSign, but fully integrated within our platform.

Need Help?

If you're unable to validate a signature or believe a document may have been altered, please contact:

support@ccdstudios.com Monday–Friday, 9:00–17:30 (UK time)

CCD Studios Digital Trust Center – operated by Chris Curd Design Ltd (Company No. 06234576, registered in England and Wales).