How to Sign a PDF Online in Under a Minute

The old routine was print, sign, scan, email. It takes ten minutes and needs a printer you probably don’t have. Signing the PDF directly takes less than a minute and gives you a cleaner result.

Step by step

1. Open Sign PDF and select your document.
2. Create your signature. You have three options:
   • Type: enter your name and pick one of the handwriting styles.
   • Draw: sign with your mouse, trackpad or finger on a touchscreen.
   • Upload: use a photo of your signature on paper. The white background is removed automatically.
3. Your signature appears on the page. Drag it where it belongs and resize it with the corner handle.
4. Need it on several pages? Use Duplicate, or drag another copy from the side panel onto any page.
5. Add Initials or today’s Date the same way.
6. Click Sign PDF. The signed document downloads straight away.

Tips for a professional-looking signature

• Upload gives the most authentic result. Sign on plain white paper with a dark pen, photograph it in daylight and upload it.
• Pick blue ink for originals. Many people use blue so a signed original is easy to tell apart from a black-and-white photocopy.
• Keep it proportional. A signature is usually about as tall as two lines of text. Oversized signatures look odd when printed.
• Initial every page of multi-page agreements if the other party asks. Place one set of initials, then duplicate it to the other pages.

Is an online signature legally valid?

In many countries a simple electronic signature like this is accepted for everyday agreements: offer letters, rental renewals, consent forms, delivery confirmations and internal approvals. Laws such as the ESIGN Act in the United States, eIDAS in the European Union and the Information Technology Act, 2000 in India give legal recognition to electronic signatures.

There are important exceptions, though. Some documents need a specific type of signature or a wet-ink original. In India, for example, wills, powers of attorney and contracts for the sale of immovable property are outside the general rules for electronic records. We explain the difference between simple and certificate-based signatures in Electronic vs Digital Signatures.

This article is general information, not legal advice. For high-value or regulated documents, check what the receiving party requires.

Is my document private?

Your signature is created in your browser. The PDF and signature are processed in a temporary workspace and deleted as soon as the signed file is ready. Nothing is stored on our servers.

Frequently asked questions

Can I sign a password-protected PDF? Unlock it first with Unlock PDF, then sign it.

Can I sign on my phone? Yes. Drawing your signature with a finger on a phone screen works very well.

Can I move or remove a signature after placing it? Yes, until you click Sign PDF. Select a signature to move, resize, duplicate or delete it.