How to sign a PDF without printing it

Printing a document, signing it and scanning it back is slow and produces a blurry copy. Most devices can now add a signature directly to a PDF. Here are the options for each, and how to make the result look professional.

In any browser: PDF365 Sign PDF

1. Open Sign PDF and choose the document.
2. Create your signature: draw it with a mouse, trackpad or finger; type your name in a handwriting style; or upload a photo of your signature on paper.
3. Drag the signature onto the signature line and resize it with the corner handle. Add the date with one click if the form asks for it.
4. Save the signed PDF and send it back.

Everything happens in your browser. Your document and your signature are not uploaded or stored.

On a Mac: Preview

1. Open the PDF in Preview and click the Markup button (the pen tip icon) in the toolbar.
2. Click the Sign button and create a signature with the trackpad, your camera (hold a signature on white paper up to it) or your iPhone.
3. Choose the signature to place it, then drag and resize it.

Preview remembers your signature for next time, which is convenient on your own computer but worth bearing in mind on a shared one.

On an iPhone or iPad

1. Open the PDF in the Files app or from a Mail attachment.
2. Tap the Markup button (pen tip), then the plus button, and choose Add Signature.
3. Sign with your finger, tap Done, then position the signature on the page.

On Windows

Windows has no dedicated signing feature. The PDF viewer in Microsoft Edge lets you draw on a document, which works in a pinch but looks rough with a mouse. Adobe Acrobat Reader’s free Fill & Sign feature can add a typed or drawn signature. A browser tool such as Sign PDF lets you upload a scan of your real signature instead.

On Android

Android doesn’t include a system-wide way to sign PDFs. Open a browser-based signing tool in Chrome, or use a PDF app that offers signing. Signing with your finger is easiest with the phone turned sideways, which gives you a larger drawing area.

Making your signature look right

• Use a real signature for formal documents. Sign on plain white paper with a dark pen, photograph it in good light, and upload it. Sign PDF removes the white background so it sits cleanly on the page.
• Get the size right. A signature is usually about as tall as two lines of text.
• Choose dark blue or black ink. Both print well; blue makes it obvious the document was signed rather than photocopied.
• Add the date if there’s a box for it, and initials on each page if the document asks.
• Flatten before sending. Flattening fixes the signature and any form answers into the page so they can’t be moved by accident.

Is a signature added this way legally valid?

For many everyday documents in the UK, an electronic signature such as a typed name or an image of your signature is generally accepted. Some documents, such as deeds and wills, have extra requirements like a witness. A visual signature also doesn’t prove who signed or detect later changes; certificate-based digital signatures do. Our guide to electronic and digital signatures explains the difference. This is general information, not legal advice.

Keep your signature safe

An image of your signature is worth protecting. Don’t leave copies in shared folders, and prefer tools that don’t store it. PDF365 keeps your signature only in the open browser tab and discards it when you leave the page.