Sign a PDF (Draw, Type or Upload a Signature)

Sign documents without printing and scanning

Printing a contract, signing it with a pen, scanning it and emailing it back is slow – and if you are on a phone, often impossible. This sign PDF tool lets you add a signature directly to the document in your browser. The result is a normal PDF with your signature placed on the page, ready to email or upload.

Three ways to create a signature

Draw. Use your mouse, trackpad, finger or stylus to sign in the box. On a phone or tablet, drawing with a finger usually looks the most natural. Use Clear to try again.

Type. Enter your name in Your name and choose one of three handwriting fonts – Great Vibes, Homemade Apple or Sacramento. Typed signatures look tidy and are consistent every time.

Upload. Use an image of your real signature. For best results, first remove the paper background with Signature to Transparent PNG, so only the ink appears on the document.

Pick the ink colour with the colour picker. Dark blue is a popular choice because it makes it obvious on a printed copy that the signature was applied rather than photocopied.

Placing the signature

1. Choose the Page from the list. The last page is shown first.
2. Press Place signature on this page. The signature appears on the page.
3. Drag it into position over the signature line, and drag the corner dot to resize it.
4. Tick Add today’s date under the signature if the document asks for a date.
5. To sign or initial more pages, switch the page and place the signature again.
6. Press Download signed PDF.

Always open the signed PDF and check it before sending – the tool reminds you of this when it finishes.

Is an e-signature legally binding?

For most everyday agreements – tenancy forms, freelance contracts, consent forms, delivery notes – a simple electronic signature like this is widely accepted. In the United States the ESIGN Act and UETA give electronic signatures legal effect; in the EU, the eIDAS regulation says an electronic signature cannot be denied legal effect just because it is electronic; the UK and many other countries take a similar approach.

Some documents need more: notarised documents, wills, some property and court documents, and certain regulated industries may require a qualified electronic signature, witnesses or wet ink. If you are unsure, ask the person or organisation receiving the document. This tool does not add a cryptographic digital certificate; it places a visible signature.

Tips for professional-looking signatures

• Size it like a real signature – about as tall as two lines of text.
• Sit it on the line. Zoom in on your screen while positioning on a phone.
• Initial every page if a contract asks for it: place a smaller typed signature with your initials on each page.
• Flatten and protect. After signing, you can add a password with Protect PDF before emailing. Choose Block editing to discourage changes.
• Combine documents – sign each one, then join them with Merge PDF if the recipient wants a single file.

Common problems

• “Create your signature first” – draw, type or upload a signature before pressing Place signature on this page.
• The PDF is password-protected – unlock it first with Unlock PDF using its password.
• The signature looks blurry when zoomed – draw it larger in the box, or upload a higher-resolution image.
• The document needs typed answers too – fill in its form fields in your PDF reader, then sign here.

Your signature stays private

Your document, your signature and your name are processed entirely in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or stored, and the signature is not saved anywhere unless you download it. That makes this safer than signing services that keep copies of documents on their servers.