Wacom hardware captures the signature; software decides what happens to it. There are three routes: sign a PDF straight away with a ready-made application, add signing to a workflow you already run through an API, or capture the signature inside your own application with an SDK. This page explains which route fits which situation, and what each one costs you in development effort. We are an Authorized Wacom Solution Provider and integrate all three in the UAE.
sign pro PDF — Sign Documents Without Development
sign pro PDF is Wacom’s own signing application. You open a PDF, place a signature field, and the signer signs on the connected pad or display. The handwritten signature is embedded in the document along with the biometric data behind it, so the signed PDF is self-contained and can be verified later. This is the fastest route from paper to digital signing, and it needs no development work at all.
Wacom Ink SDKs — Signing Inside Your Own Application
If signing has to happen inside your core system — a core banking platform, a hospital information system, a CRM, a government portal — then an SDK is the right answer. The signature is captured in your interface, and the biometric data travels with your record rather than sitting in a separate file.
Wacom STU-SDK
The STU SDK is the most basic of the Wacom SDKs and is designed to integrate Wacom’s STU signature pads into Windows applications. It requires the most development effort, but its low-level nature gives the developer freedom to build exactly the behaviour they need. It collects raw pen data and allows images to be loaded to the pad screen. The STU SDK does not require a licence key and is free of charge. It supports Windows and Linux.
Which Route Should You Take?
The decision is usually about where the signature needs to end up, and how much development capacity you have.
| Consideration | sign pro PDF App | sign pro PDF API | Ink SDK for Signature |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | Ready-to-use signing application | Signing service called from your workflow | Developer toolkit for your own application |
| Development effort | None — install and sign | Moderate — integration work | Highest — you build the signing screen |
| Where the signature lands | Inside the PDF | Inside the PDF, driven by your system | Wherever your application stores it |
| Biometric capture | Yes | Yes | Yes, with full access to the data |
| Licensing | Licensed per seat | Licensed | Licensed |
| Typical buyer | Branch, clinic or counter team | Operations or document-workflow owner | In-house or partner development team |
| Best suited to | Signing PDFs today with no IT project | Adding signing to an existing document flow | Signing embedded in a core business system |
sign pro PDF App
- What it is
- Ready-to-use signing application
- Development effort
- None — install and sign
- Where the signature lands
- Inside the PDF
- Biometric capture
- Yes
- Licensing
- Licensed per seat
- Typical buyer
- Branch, clinic or counter team
- Best suited to
- Signing PDFs today with no IT project
sign pro PDF API
- What it is
- Signing service called from your workflow
- Development effort
- Moderate — integration work
- Where the signature lands
- Inside the PDF, driven by your system
- Biometric capture
- Yes
- Licensing
- Licensed
- Typical buyer
- Operations or document-workflow owner
- Best suited to
- Adding signing to an existing document flow
Ink SDK for Signature
- What it is
- Developer toolkit for your own application
- Development effort
- Highest — you build the signing screen
- Where the signature lands
- Wherever your application stores it
- Biometric capture
- Yes, with full access to the data
- Licensing
- Licensed
- Typical buyer
- In-house or partner development team
- Best suited to
- Signing embedded in a core business system
Paperless Office and Mobile Signing
Two adjacent pieces often come up in the same conversation. Wacom Paperless Office addresses the wider document journey rather than the signature alone, and mobile signing covers the cases where the signer is not at a desk — a delivery, a site visit, a home appointment.
How To Get the SDKs
Wacom issues the signature SDKs on request rather than as a public download. Tell us which SDK you need — STU SDK, Ink SDK for signature, or Ink SDK for verification — and what platform you are building on. We submit the request, pass the access details to your development team, and stay involved through the integration. Wacom provides developer support for the signature SDKs, and we handle the licensing on your side.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need software at all, or is the pad enough?
The pad captures the signature but does not decide where it goes. Something has to receive it — either sign pro PDF, or your own application through an SDK. A pad on its own, with no software, cannot produce a signed document.
What is the difference between sign pro PDF App and the API?
The App is operated by a person: they open the document and run the signing. The API is called by a system: your workflow decides when a document needs signing and drives it. Same signing engine, different trigger.
Is the signature just an image of the handwriting?
No. Alongside the visible signature, Wacom captures the pressure, speed and timing of the signing action. That biometric layer is what allows a signature to be examined and verified later, and it is the main reason organisations choose signature hardware over a mouse-drawn or typed signature.
Which SDK do our developers need?
For capturing a legally meaningful signature with biometric data, the Ink SDK for signature. For comparing a signature against reference samples, the Ink SDK for verification. For general digital ink and note-taking, the Ink SDK for ink. For raw low-level control of an STU pad on Windows or Linux at no licence cost, the STU SDK. We scope this with your team before you commit.
Can signing work over Citrix or a virtual desktop?
Yes, and this is a common requirement in banking. Support depends on the specific pad and the virtualisation setup, so it needs confirming per model — several current pads offer native Citrix support. Tell us your environment and we will confirm the combination before you buy.
Will this work with our existing system?
In most cases yes, and the route depends on how much you want to change. Document-centric processes usually go through sign pro PDF API. Signing that must appear inside your own screens goes through an SDK. We scope the integration against your platform before recommending hardware, so the pad you buy matches the software path you take.
How much does Wacom signature software cost in the UAE?
Licensing depends on the route, the number of seats or devices, and whether you need development support. Ask us for a quote covering software, hardware and integration together — that is usually the number that matters, rather than the software alone.
Not sure which route fits your process? Tell us what you sign, which system it lives in, and whether you have development capacity — request a consultation and we will specify the software, the hardware and the integration, with UAE pricing.