The signing portal says I should flatten the PDF of my 12-page contract before I sign, but I have no idea if that locks the text or removes the signature fields. What does flatten actually mean here?
Honestly, flattening is annoying because it sounds destructive. In simple terms, it bakes form fields and annotations into the page, so visible text is locked and signature fields lose their fillable behavior. In most viewers, if you can still click into boxes, they were not flattened. If the portal wants this before signing, I would ask why, since normally you flatten afterward for a locked copy.
Flattening merges everything into one static layer, so yes, it kills the fillable fields, including signature fields. If the portal expects you to sign digitally, flattening first would break that. Usually you flatten after signing, to lock it in. I’d ask the portal’s support what they actually mean before doing anything.
Flattening turns form fields and annotations into fixed page content, so the signature boxes may stop being fillable. Make a copy first and only flatten after signing unless the portal specifically tells you otherwise; don’t assume flattening is the same as password protection.
Flattening usually turns interactive form fields, comments, and layers into ordinary page content, so the fields may no longer be editable afterward. I would save a copy first, fill in anything required, then flatten only if the signing portal specifically asks for it. Avoid flattening the only copy, honestly, because it is hard to undo.
@cameron2002 is totally spot on about this! I send out vendor contracts all week, and if you flatten them too early, the signature boxes just disapear like a printed page. Did you get it sorted out with the signing portal?