System and method for validating a hard-copy document against an electronic version

The disclosure recites methods for verifying that the authenticity of a hard copy document by verifying that a digital signature printed on that document matches the signature on the original electronic document. The method includes converting a physical manifestation of a digital signature affixed to the hard copy document to an electronic digital signature, validating the electronic digital signature via a public key to authenticate the hard-copy document, and comparing a message digest of the original electronic document to a message digest coded in the digital signature. It also includes documents having multiple digital signatures embedded using a variety of techniques, converting those printed digital signatures into electronic forms, and validating each electronic digital signature independently and against each other.