How to sign a PDF without printing it

Two things people call a signature

A visual signature is an image of your handwriting, or a typed name in a script-style font, placed on the page where a pen signature would go. It looks like a signature and is what most everyday forms, letters and internal approvals ask for.

A cryptographic digital signature is different: it is produced with a certificate, binds the signer's identity to the document, and lets software detect whether the file was changed afterwards. It is issued and verified through a certificate authority or a signing service, and it is not just a picture on the page.

What our tool does, and what it does not

Sign PDF lets you create a signature by drawing with a mouse or finger, by typing your name in a script-style font, or by uploading an image. You then place it on any page, resize and move it, and optionally add the date and text fields. The result is a new PDF with the signature image placed on the page.

It is a visual signature only. It is not a certified or cryptographic digital signature, and it does not identify the signer to third parties. Everything runs in your browser, so the document is not uploaded.

Will it be accepted? It depends

Whether a visual signature is legally accepted depends on the country and the type of document. Many everyday agreements and internal forms are commonly handled with simple electronic signatures, while some documents, such as certain property, family or notarial matters, may need a specific form, witnesses, a qualified electronic signature or a handwritten original.

We cannot give legal advice. If the document matters, ask the person or organization requesting it what they accept, and check the rules that apply where you are. A quick email to the recipient before you sign is cheaper than having the document rejected later.

How to sign a PDF step by step

These steps work for a contract, a permission slip, a quotation or any PDF you need to sign.

• Open Sign PDF and select your file. Files up to 200 MB and 2,000 pages are accepted.
• Create your signature: draw it, type your name and choose the script style, or upload an image, ideally a PNG with a transparent background.
• Go to the page that needs the signature and place it on the signature line. Drag to move it and use the corner handles to resize it.
• Add the date or a short text field beside it if the document asks for one.
• Save and download the signed PDF, then open it and scroll through the pages to check that the signature sits where it should.

Making a signature that looks right

For a drawn signature, use a trackpad or touchscreen only if you can control it; a phone held in landscape usually gives smoother lines than a mouse. If you prefer your real handwriting, sign in dark ink on plain white paper, photograph it in even light, crop tightly and remove the background so it can be placed over the page without a white box.

Keep the signature roughly the size of a real one. Oversized signatures look odd and can overlap the text beneath. Leave the printed name and role under the line, because a signature image is hard to read on its own.

Forms first, then signature

If the PDF is a form with fields, fill it in first with Fill PDF Form, which detects real form fields such as text boxes and checkboxes. Then sign the completed file, so the signature is not disturbed by later changes.

To make the entered values permanent and stop them from being edited, use Flatten PDF, which turns form fields into fixed page content. Note that a file that already carries a cryptographic signature will not keep that signature after flattening, and changing a certified document can invalidate its signature. Sign your copy last.

Handling your signature safely

A signature image can be copied by anyone who receives the file, so consider whether you want it on documents you send widely. Send it only to the people who need it, and keep a copy of what you signed.

By default, our tool keeps your signature only for the current browser session. There is an option to remember it on this device, which stores it in the browser. Do not use that on a shared or public computer.