How to Sign a PDF Online Without Printing It

Printing a document, signing it with a pen and scanning it back is slow and makes a blurry, oversized file. You can sign a PDF directly in your browser in under a minute.

How to sign a PDF online

1. Open the sign PDF tool and upload your document.
2. Create your signature: draw it with your mouse or finger, type your name in a handwriting-style font, or upload a photo of your signature.
3. Click where it should go, then drag and resize it to fit the signature line.
4. Add today's date or your name if needed with add text to PDF.
5. Download the signed PDF.

The document is processed in your browser, so contracts and personal documents aren't uploaded anywhere.

Getting a neat signature

• Drawing on a phone works better than a mouse. Use your finger or a stylus.
• Uploading a photo gives the most natural result: sign with a dark pen on white paper, photograph it in good light, and crop tightly.
• Place the signature slightly overlapping the line, as you would on paper.

Is an electronic signature legally valid?

In many countries, yes, for most everyday documents. Laws such as the EU's eIDAS regulation, the US ESIGN Act, Pakistan's Electronic Transactions Ordinance 2002 and India's Information Technology Act 2000 recognise electronic signatures, with stricter rules for certain documents.

What matters is that you intended to sign and that the signature can be linked to you. Some documents, such as wills, property transfers and some government forms, may require a wet ink signature, a witness or a certified digital signature. When in doubt, ask the person or organisation receiving the document.

Electronic signature vs digital signature

• An electronic signature is an image or mark showing you agreed, which is what this tool creates.
• A digital signature uses a cryptographic certificate to prove who signed and that the file hasn't changed since. It's required for some official and legal filings.

Signing multiple pages

Some contracts need initials on every page and a full signature at the end. Add your signature once, then place copies on each page before downloading.

After signing

• Open the downloaded file to check the signature is in the right place on every page.
• If you need to combine the signed contract with other documents, use merge PDF.
• Keep a copy of the signed version for your records.