Sign PDF

Printing a document just to sign it, then scanning or photographing it to send back, wastes time and paper and usually produces a crooked, grey copy. For most everyday paperwork, such as rental and lease agreements, job offers, school permission slips, invoices, delivery notes and consent forms, a clean image of your signature placed on the PDF is all that's needed. You can do it in a minute from a laptop or phone.

The signed PDF looks the same as a document you signed on paper and scanned, only sharper.

Draw it with a mouse, trackpad, finger or stylus. On a phone or tablet, drawing with a finger gives the most natural result; on a laptop, a trackpad works better than you might expect if you sign slowly. Type your name and choose a handwriting-style font, which gives a neat, consistent signature. Or upload a photo of your signature on white paper; the white background is removed automatically so only the ink shows.

Tip for uploads: sign with a dark pen on plain white paper, photograph it in good light, and crop the photo close to the signature before adding it.

Whichever method you use, the same signature can be placed on several documents in one session, so signing a stack of forms goes quickly.

After creating your signature, drag the box on the page preview to the signature line and resize it so it fits. Choose which page to sign: the last page, where signatures usually go, the first page, every page, which is common for initialling each page of a contract, or a specific page number. You can also add today's date next to the signature.

In many countries, including the United States under the ESIGN Act and the European Union under eIDAS, an electronic signature such as a signature image on a PDF is legally recognised for most everyday agreements, provided both parties agree to sign electronically. Some documents are exceptions, for example wills, certain property transfers, court filings and documents that need a notary or a qualified certificate-based signature.

This tool adds a picture of your signature to the page; it doesn't add a cryptographic certificate that proves the file hasn't changed. If the recipient asks for a certified digital signature, use the service they specify. When in doubt, ask them what they accept.

Download the signed copy and keep it with your records. Need to send several signed documents as one file? Combine them with Merge PDF. If the signed PDF is too big for an email, shrink it with the PDF compressor.