Free Sign PDF

Draw, type or upload your signature, place it on any page of a PDF and download the signed file.

What kind of signature is this, exactly?

Before you sign anything, it helps to know what a picture of your signature on a PDF is and is not. In plain words there are three levels of electronic signature:

A simple electronic signature. Any mark that shows you meant to sign, such as a typed name or an image of your handwriting. This is what this tool makes.
An advanced signature. Tied to you in a way that can be checked, and able to show whether the document changed afterwards.
A qualified or certified signature. Uses a certificate from a trusted provider and carries the most legal weight.

Many everyday documents, such as delivery notes, school permission slips, internal approvals and plenty of rental or service forms, accept a simple signature. Some do not. Rules differ by country and by document, so when in doubt, ask whoever sent it to you what they accept.

Signing in four steps

Drop your PDF and create the signature: draw it, type it, or upload a photo of your handwriting.
Go to the right page and drag the signature to the line.
Set the size and choose whether it goes on this page, the last page or every page.
Download the signed PDF.

Preparing a signature that looks real

The most natural result comes from uploading a photo of your real signature, and a little care makes a big difference. Sign with a dark pen, black or dark blue, on plain white paper with no lines. Photograph it in daylight from directly above so the paper looks white, not grey and not yellow, and crop close. When you upload it, keep the option that makes the white paper transparent. That leaves only the ink, so it sits cleanly on the signature line without a visible rectangle around it.

If you do not have a pen and paper handy, drawing on a touch screen works well. On a laptop trackpad it tends to look shaky, and in that case typing your name in a handwriting style gives a tidier, if less personal, result.

Placing it properly

Put the signature on the line, slightly above it, and not over printed words. A signature that covers text can make the document look altered.
A width of about a quarter of the page usually fits a normal signature line. Make it bigger for a wide line and smaller for a small box.
If the document asks for initials on every page, make an initials image with the same method and use the Every page option.
Zoom in on the preview and check the position before you download. It is much easier to fix now than after you have emailed the file.

When more than one person must sign

Sign your part, download the PDF and send that file to the next person. They add their own signature to the file you sent. Keep the unsigned original, and name the copies in order, such as contract-signed-by-me.pdf, so the versions are clear. If the document needs to be locked after the last signature so nothing can be changed, a certificate-based signing service is the right tool, not an image.

Looking after signed documents and your signature image

Keep the unsigned original, the signed copy and the signature image in separate, clearly named places. Do not leave a photo of your signature in a shared folder or on a computer other people use, because it can be copied and pasted into other documents. Delete it from borrowed devices once you are finished. When you email a signed contract, consider sending it as a PDF rather than an editable file, and keep a copy of the sent message, which records when and to whom you sent it.

Signing on a phone

It works well on a phone if you follow a few habits. Turn the phone sideways when you draw a signature, so you have more room. Pinch to zoom in on the page and place the signature carefully, because a thumb is bigger than a mouse pointer. Use the width slider to size it against the signature line, then zoom in on the preview to confirm it. When the file is ready, save it to your files app and attach it from there, rather than from the browser’s download list, so you can be sure you are sending the signed version.

When not to rely on a picture signature

Do not assume it is enough for documents with serious legal or financial consequences, such as property transfers or anything that asks for a notary or a certified signature. Check the requirements first. Pages that are stored rotated are skipped, because the position would be wrong, so straighten them with Rotate PDF before signing.