How to sign a PDF
Printing a document in order to sign it, then scanning it back, is the slowest possible way to add three seconds of ink to a page. Signing on screen takes less time than finding the printer.
Open the PDF, pick the signature tool, draw your signature with a finger or a mouse — or type it and choose a handwriting style — then drop it where it belongs and download. The file is signed in your browser and never uploaded.
Sign a PDF for freeStep by step
- Open the document
Drop the PDF into the tool. It opens immediately, with no account to create first.
- Create your signature
Draw it, type it, or import a picture of one you already have. It is kept for next time, on your device only.
- Place it on the page
Click where it should go, then drag to move it and drag a corner to resize it. Add your initials to the other pages if the document asks for them.
- Download the signed PDF
The signature is baked into the page. What you send on is an ordinary PDF that opens anywhere.
Is a drawn signature valid?
In most countries a drawn or scanned signature counts as a simple electronic signature, and it is accepted for everyday agreements: a quote, a rental inventory, a school form, a delivery note.
What it does not do is prove who signed. Where identity really matters — a mortgage, a company deed, a court filing — a qualified electronic signature from a certified provider is what is asked for. The rules differ from country to country, so check what applies where you are.
Initials on every page
Some contracts ask for initials at the foot of each page. Rather than placing them one by one, add them once and apply them to the whole document.
They land in the bottom corner, where a paraph belongs, instead of in the middle of the text.
Signing without uploading the contract
A contract you are about to sign is exactly the file you would rather not leave on someone else's server, and most free signing sites are exactly that.
Here the PDF is opened, drawn on and saved by your browser. Nothing is transmitted, so there is nothing to delete afterwards.
Frequently asked questions
Can I sign a PDF on my phone?
Yes, and it is the easiest way to draw a signature — a finger on glass beats a mouse every time. Open the tool in your mobile browser and sign directly on the page.
Can two people sign the same PDF?
Yes. Sign it, download it, and send the signed file on. The next person opens that file and adds their signature the same way.
Does signing lock the document?
No. A drawn signature is part of the page, like ink on paper, and the page can still be changed afterwards. A document that cannot be altered needs a certificate-based signature instead.