Adobe Document Cloud FAQs

Adobe Document Cloud is a complete portfolio of secure digital document solutions that speeds business and drives better customer experiences by making manual, paper-based processes 100% digital. It includes Acrobat DC and Adobe Sign along with web and mobile apps that work standalone or integrate into your existing document processes, productivity apps, and enterprise systems. Watch the video.

Adobe Document Cloud includes:

Adobe Acrobat DC

Adobe Acrobat DC is the latest version of PDF software after Acrobat XI. It’s the complete PDF solution for working anywhere. It works with Document Cloud services to give you a consistent online profile and personal document hub so you can create, edit, sign, send, and track PDF documents wherever you are—across desktop, mobile, and the web.

Adobe Sign

Adobe Sign is a cloud-based e-signature service that lets you replace paper and ink signature processes with fully automated electronic signature workflows. With it, you can easily send, sign, track, and manage signature processes using a browser or mobile device. And you can use turnkey integrations and APIs to include e-signature workflows in your enterprise apps and systems of record.

Mobile and web apps

Take your tools with you as you move between desktop, the web, and mobile devices—and pick up that form or document where you left off. Document Cloud online services work in the background to put the tools you need at your fingertips—wherever you go. With the Adobe Acrobat Reader mobile app, you can create, edit, comment, and sign PDFs directly on your mobile phone or tablet. And with Adobe Document Cloud web apps, you can work with PDFs and manage e-signature processes from a browser on any computer.

Eighty percent of businesses still struggle with paper-based processes that are slow, error-prone, and fragmented. Those slow processes impact not only critical internal business operations, but – in a digital, mobile-first world – they undermine customer engagement and organizations’ ability to compete. Adobe Document Cloud helps individuals and organizations get business done faster, by moving work from paper-to-digital and improving document processes to drive revenue faster, reduce errors and risk, and improve productivity. Read the IDC white paper - Addressing the Document Disconnect.

Desktop products:

• Adobe Acrobat DC Pro
• Adobe Acrobat DC Standard
• Adobe Acrobat Reader DC

Mobile apps:

• Adobe Acrobat Reader for Android, iOS, or Windows Phone
• Adobe Fill & Sign for Android or iOS
• Adobe Sign for Android or iOS

Web apps:

• Adobe Sign
• Adobe PDF Pack
• Adobe Document Cloud (free storage)

Adobe Sign is the new name both Adobe EchoSign and its successor, Adobe Document Cloud eSign services. For existing customers, nothing has changed other than the name. You can still log in, process signatures, and manage your deployment exactly as you have in the past. If you’ve customized the experience with your own branding, nothing will change there either.

Adobe’s market leadership is grounded in the digital transformation of content, from optimizing assets with Adobe Marketing Cloud to reinventing the business of creativity with Adobe Creative Cloud. Adobe is extending that leadership to documents and fixing the broken process of working with them.

Adobe Document Cloud helps business professionals get critical work done with documents faster and with fewer errors, increased security, and greater efficiency. With the ability to work anywhere on important documents, Acrobat DC with Document Cloud services provides a stunningly simple user experience that works consistently across desktop, mobile, and the web—including touch-enabled devices.

Here are just a few things business professionals can do with Acrobat DC and Document Cloud:

• Work anywhere. Create, edit, comment, and sign with the new Acrobat Reader DC mobile app.
• Edit anything. Instantly edit PDFs and scanned documents as naturally as any other file with revolutionary new imaging technology.
• Replace ink signatures. Send, track, manage, and store signed documents with a built-in e-signature service.
• Protect important documents. Prevent others from copying or editing sensitive information in PDFs.
• Eliminate overnight envelopes. Send, track, and confirm delivery of documents electronically.

Learn more in the Acrobat DC FAQ.

Adobe Document Cloud services work with Acrobat DC desktop, web, and mobile apps to help you stay connected—and stay productive—wherever you are.

With a perpetual license of Acrobat DC, you can sign up for free Adobe Document Cloud services to:

• Store and access files in Adobe Document Cloud with 5 GB of free storage.
• Fill forms faster with instant access to your personal autofill collection across desktop, web, and iOS devices.
• Easily send and share large files with others.

With a subscription to Acrobat Standard DC or Adobe Acrobat Pro DC, you get the free services above, plus you can:

• Convert documents and images to PDF files.
• Combine multiple files into a single PDF (desktop and web only).
• Turn PDFs into editable Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, or RTF files.
• Use your mobile device camera to take a picture of a paper document and convert it to PDF.
• Send, track, manage, and store signed documents with a built-in e-signature service.
• Send, track, and confirm delivery of documents electronically instead of using fax or overnight services (tracking not available on mobile).
• Edit PDFs from your iPad (Acrobat Pro DC only).
• Organize pages from your iOS or Android device (Acrobat Pro DC only).
• Store and access files in Adobe Document Cloud with 20 GB of storage.

Learn more in the Acrobat DC FAQ.

The Acrobat Reader mobile app lets you work with free Document Cloud services and unlocks premium services when you purchase a subscription plan. Learn more in the Acrobat Reader mobile app FAQ.

Acrobat Reader DC is free and continues to offer the industry’s most reliable experience for viewing and interacting with PDFs. And now, if you sign up for free Adobe Document Cloud services, you can:

• Store and access files in Adobe Document Cloud with 5 GB of free storage.
• Work with the Fill & Sign tool to fill forms faster with instant access to your personal autofill collection across desktop, web, and iPad devices.
• Easily send and share large files with others.

Learn more in the Acrobat Reader DC FAQ.

No. Acrobat DC desktop software can be used all by itself, without taking advantage of Adobe Document Cloud services, if desired. Read the Acrobat DC FAQ to learn more.

Eighty percent of businesses still struggle with paper-based processes that are slow, error-prone, and fragmented. Workers spend countless hours hunting down approvals and ink signatures—and then print, scan, fax or mail documents to get the job done. The resulting delays frustrate customers, business partners and employees alike—and ultimately reflect poorly on the company’s brand.  Adobe Sign helps business transform paper processes, making 100% digital workflows a reality with trusted and legal e-signatures. With Adobe Sign, workers and organizations can:

• Get signatures in minutes, not days – Workers can easily request signatures from others, sign documents, and then track and manage the entire process electronically using a web browser or mobile app.
• Work anywhere, on any device – Signers click on a link to sign documents from any location, at any time of day, using a browser or mobile device. No account sign-ups or downloads are required.
• Add to your systems and processes – Integrate Adobe Sign into the systems and applications you’re already using today. Nothing changes except the speed of your workflows, and ease of gathering signatures.
• Ensure legal and security compliance – Adobe Sign delivers the highest levels of security, availability, and legal compliance. We are the world’s trusted leader in secure digital documents and standout digital experiences.

Learn more in the Adobe Sign FAQ.

Yes. Adobe Sign mobile app is a free app for Android or iOS devices that works as a mobile companion to the Adobe Sign web application. Adobe Sign for mobile lets you conduct complete business transactions on the go. With it, you can send, sign, track, and manage signed documents from your iOS or Android device. It’s also the ideal tool for collecting e-signatures in person from a client or customer. On iOS devices, you can even sign documents offline. Adobe Sign mobile app syncs automatically when you’re back online.

Adobe Sign integrate seamlessly with a wide variety of business software and systems.

• Turnkey integrations are available for leading business systems, including Salesforce, Apttus, Ariba, Workforce, Microsoft SharePoint, and many more.
• Adobe Sign can be added to your company’s business applications or websites using a comprehensive set of REST or SOAP-based APIs. Visit the Developer Center.
  
• Adobe Sign works with popular business applications, including Box, Dropbox, Google Drive, Adobe Connect, and Adobe Experience Manager Forms.

Adobe Acrobat DC is available for purchase from the Adobe store or via Adobe Authorized Resellers.

Adobe Sign can be purchased in the following ways:

Adobe Sign core plans:

• Individual - Get signatures and track responses in real time.
• Business - Customize and optimize for your business.
• Enterprise - Build e-signatures into your business systems.

Popular Adobe subscription plans:

The Adobe Sign individual plan is included in the following. Look for the tool named "Send for Signature" to use Adobe Sign capabilities inside these applications.

• Adobe Acrobat Pro DC
  
• Adobe Acrobat Standard DC
• Adobe PDF Pack
• Adobe Creative Cloud memberships that includes Acrobat DC

Adobe Document Cloud plans:

The following volume purchase plans are available direct from Adobe and let you manage named users via the Adobe Enterprise Dashboard.

• Adobe Document Cloud for business - includes Acrobat Pro DC and the Adobe Sign business plan
• Adobe Document Cloud for enterprise - includes Acrobat Pro DC and the Adobe Sign enterprise plan

Contact Adobe Enterprise sales.

Sign up for free Adobe Document Cloud services. When you log in to Acrobat Reader DC or Acrobat DC with your Adobe ID, Document Cloud services will appear in your app.

Yes. Acrobat Pro DC with Document Cloud services is available through Adobe Creative Cloud, which provides access to the latest versions of Creative applications on a membership basis. With your membership, you’ll get 20 GB of storage in Adobe Document Cloud, which is in addition to your Creative Cloud storage.

Acrobat Pro DC with Document Cloud services is included with these plans for individuals: Creative Cloud for individuals All Apps; Creative Cloud for teams All Apps; and Creative Cloud for Students and Teachers All Apps.

Adobe Document Cloud for enterprise—which includes Acrobat Pro DC with services—is included with these plans for organizations: Creative Cloud for enterprise All Apps; and Creative Cloud for Schools and Universities All Apps. Creative Cloud All Apps plans do not include enterprise-class Adobe Sign, which is sold separately.

Yes, there is a trial version of Acrobat Pro DC is available for download for Windows or Mac.

Yes, there is a trial version of Adobe Sign is available and works in your web browser.

Subscriptions purchased through the Adobe store and canceled in the first 14 days are fully refundable. After 14 days, cancellation policies will apply.

To cancel a prepaid or paid-monthly annual subscription, please contact Customer Support. To cancel a month-to-month membership, visit your Manage Account page or contact Customer Support.

When your subscription comes to an end, you will lose access to paid desktop features and paid online services. Your 20 GB storage quota will be reduced to 5 GB. Any documents sent for signature will be retained and will remain accessible.

Yes. At Adobe, security practices are deeply ingrained into our internal culture, software development, as well as service operations processes. Whether related to identity management, data confidentiality, or document integrity, Adobe Document Cloud employs leading edge security practices to protect your documents, data, and personal identifiable information to the highest degree possible. For additional information about our company security practices, the Adobe Secure Product Lifecycle, or Adobe Document Cloud solution security, see the Adobe Security pages on adobe.com.

Yes. Electronic signatures are legally binding in nearly every industrialized nation, and even less developed countries are beginning to enact e-signature laws. In 2000, the United States passed the ESIGN Act making e-signatures legal for virtually all uses. In 1999, the European Union passed an electronic signature directive that member states used as the foundation for country-specific laws. And the European Union regulation on electronic identification and trust services (eIDAS) is set to take effect in July 2016, creating a single, standardized regulation for all 28 member states. Other countries have enacted similar laws as well. To learn more, read the Global Guide to Electronic Signature Law.