A true digital signature ensures that the document is not altered after the document is signed. This is done by creating a hash of the document, encrypting it using a private key provided by a signing authority, and embedding that in a certificate that is then attached to the document.
When opening the signed document (in Adobe reader for example), the hash in the certificate is validated using a public key provided by the signing authority. If the document hash matches the certificate hash, then the document has not been altered!