Sign a PDF without printing: draw, type, or add an image

Many forms only need a signature at the bottom of a page. Instead of printing, signing, and scanning, you can place the signature directly on the PDF in your browser. This guide shows three ways to create it and what to check before you send the file.

Three ways to create a signature

Open Sign PDF and add the document. Under Signature, choose Draw, Type a name, or Signature image. Draw with a finger on a phone or with a mouse on a computer, and Clear drawing gives you an empty box again. A typed name is set in the Great Vibes or Lobster handwriting font.

A photo of your real signature looks most natural. Sign with a dark pen on white paper and photograph it in good light. Remove the white background keeps only the strokes, and the threshold for dark strokes decides how much of the thin lines stays. You can save the same clean signature as a transparent PNG with the Signature maker and reuse it later.

Place the signature on the right page

Use the page number or the Previous page and Next page buttons to reach the signing spot. Click the page preview and the signature appears there. Then drag it right above the signature line and set its size from 10 to 70 percent. You choose the colour, and dark blue is the default because on paper it looks like a ballpoint pen.

If the document needs a signature on every sheet, turn on On every page. The signature then sits in the same spot on each page, so check that it never covers any text.

What this signature is, and what it is not

This is a visual signature: an image of your signature on the document, like signing paper and scanning it. A qualified electronic signature needs a certificate from an authorised issuer and dedicated software. Before you send it, check whether the recipient accepts a signed scan or asks for that kind of signature.

Check the document before sending

Open the downloaded PDF and look at every page that carries the signature. It must not cross the date, a name, or a field the other party fills in. If the document is still on paper, photograph it and turn it into a flat PDF with the Document scanner. For several files in one message, read the guide to merging PDF documents too. The document is processed in your browser, as described on the privacy page.