Many events ask participants to sign a waiver when they register. RACE RESULT 14 can capture the signature in the registration form and print it on a copy of the event's own waiver, so every participant has a signed waiver saved as a PDF. This article explains how to set this up using a certificate, and how to send the signed waiver with the registration confirmation email.

The signed waiver is built from four pieces. A certificate uses a PDF or image of the waiver as its background. A Signature field in the registration form stores the participant's signature as an image, and a second field stores the date the waiver was signed. The certificate then prints the signature and the date on top of the waiver, and the email template attaches the certificate as a PDF.

The examples below use an event with a Single Registration and a Group Registration form, and an email template for each form.

Step 1: Prepare the Waiver

Start with the event's waiver as a PDF or an image, for example a PDF exported from a word processor. A PDF is recommended, since the text stays sharp at any size. The page size should match the certificate, in this example US Letter.

Leave blank lines where the participant's details should go. The example waiver has lines for the participant's name, date of birth, signature, and the date signed. Allow enough space above the signature line for the signature image.

Step 2: Create the Certificate

Go to Certificates and click Create New Certificate. In this example the certificate is named Waiver. Click the Page Settings icon on the right side of the editor to set the page size to match the waiver.

Click the Insert Image icon. This opens the Pictures window, where files for the event are stored. Click Upload Picture and select the waiver PDF, then click the uploaded file to place it on the certificate.

With the image selected, press Ctrl+Q to stretch it to the full width of the page and Ctrl+E to stretch it to the full height. The position at the bottom of the editor should show a Left and Top of 0 and the same Width and Height as the page. Tick Locked so that the background cannot be moved by accident when the other elements are placed on top of it, then save the certificate.

Step 3: Create the Additional Fields

Two Additional Fields store the waiver data for each participant. Go to Basic Settings > Participants Data > Additional Fields and add two Text Fields.

Signature stores the participant's signature. When a participant signs in the registration form, the signature is saved as an image and the field stores the URL to that image.

RegDate stores the date the waiver was signed. The field is filled in automatically when the registration is saved, in Step 5.

Placing both fields in the same group, here Waiver, shows them together on the participant's page.

Step 4: Add the Signature to the Registration Form

Open the registration form and go to Registration Form. Add an Input Field for the Signature field, and set Mandatory to Yes so that participants cannot register without signing. In the example, the field is placed in a box called Waiver, with a Text element above it that tells participants what they are agreeing to.

Click the More details icon at the end of the Signature line and set the Special Function to Signature. This turns the input field into a signature pad.

Participants can now sign in the registration form using a mouse, or a finger on a touch screen. The icon in the corner of the signature pad clears it so they can sign again.

In a Group Registration form, add the Signature field inside the box that repeats for each participant, and set Common Field to No. This way each participant in the group signs their own waiver.

Repeat this step for each registration form that should collect a signature.

Step 5: Save the Date Signed

Open the registration form and go to After Save Actions. Under Save Value, select the RegDate field and enter the following expression. The date is saved when the registration is completed, in the date format used in the expression.

date("mm/dd/yyyy")

The Send Email action below it sends the confirmation email, which is where the signed waiver will be attached in Step 7. Repeat this step for each registration form.

Step 6: Add the Signature and Date to the Certificate

Go back to the Waiver certificate. Elements added now are placed on top of the background.

Click the Insert Data Dependent Image icon and enter Signature as the field. A data dependent image shows a different picture for each participant, using the URL stored in the field. Move and resize the element so that it fits the space above the signature line. The signature keeps its proportions inside the element.

Click the Insert Data Field icon and enter RegDate as the field. Place it on the Date Signed line, and set the font, size, and alignment using the toolbar.

Other details can be added the same way. The example also has Data Fields for the participant's name and date of birth, using these expressions.

[FirstName] & " " & [LastName]
date("mm/dd/yyyy";[DateOfBirth])

Save the certificate. The signed waiver for any participant can now be viewed in the Certificates tab of the participant's page.

Step 7: Attach the Signed Waiver to the Confirmation Email

Go to Email/SMS and open the email template that is sent after registration. Under Attachments, select Certificate as the Type and the Waiver certificate, and enter a name for the attachment. The certificate is attached to the email as a PDF.

The attachment name can include data fields, so each participant's file has its own name. Start the name with # and add the fields in square brackets.

#Waiver_[Lastname]_[Bib].pdf

An email template for group registrations has an additional Registration column. Set it to All so that the email includes a signed waiver for every participant in the group, not only the first.

Testing the Signed Waiver

Open the registration form in Test Mode, using the link under General Settings in the registration form. The form must be Active for Test Mode to open. Complete a registration with a signature, using your own email address. Check that the participant's Signature field contains a URL and RegDate contains the date, then open the attachment in the confirmation email to check that the name, signature, and date are printed in the right places.

Troubleshooting

If the certificate shows the background but no signature, check that the Signature field contains a URL for the participant and that the Data Dependent Image element uses the field name exactly as it was created.

If the signature pad does not appear in the registration form, check that the Special Function of the Signature input field is set to Signature, and that the element is an Input Field, not a Non-Editable Input Field.

If RegDate is empty, check that the Save Value action is set up in the registration form the participant used. Participants added before the action was set up, or added in another way, do not have a date. The date can be added to these participants using Participants > Adapt Data.

If the signature or text does not line up with the waiver's lines, check that the background image is stretched to the full page and locked, and that the certificate's page size matches the waiver.

If the attachment is missing from the confirmation email, check that the certificate is added to the email template that is selected in the registration form's After Save Actions.