Sign a PDF yourself
Open the PDF, choose Sign → Add signature, create your signature (type, draw or upload) and select Save and sign, then click where it goes. Download with Done → Download. This adds a visual signature; to collect other people's signatures with evidence, request signatures instead.
Updated 2 min read Counts toward edited-document downloads
Step 1: Open the PDF
Upload it from the dashboard or the Sign PDF tool. You can do everything up to the download without an account.
Step 2: Open the Sign menu
In Edit & fill mode, choose Sign in the toolbar (or press S), then Add signature. Add initials works the same way.
Step 3: Create your signature
In Create your signature, type your name and pick a handwriting style and Black or Blue ink. Under Other ways to add it you can Draw with a mouse, pen or finger, Upload an image (PNG or JPG; the white background is removed), Capture with webcam, or Add via QR code to draw it on your phone.
Step 4: Save it for next time
With an account, tick Save for next time. Next time it's under Sign → Saved signatures.
Step 5: Place it
Select Save and sign, then click where your signature should go. Drag the handles to size it to the line.
Step 6: Add the date
Use the Date tool to stamp the date next to the line.
Step 7: Download
Choose Done → Download. Pick Flatten if you want the signature drawn into the page so no reader treats it as a movable object.
What this kind of signature is
Signing with the Sign tool adds a visual electronic signature to the page, like signing a printout. The downloaded file doesn't include an audit trail, a certificate of completion or a digital seal. When you need evidence of who signed and when, add yourself as a recipient in a signature request: every signer then signs with their own device key and the finished PDF is sealed and time-stamped.
Downloading needs a free account and counts as one edited-document download (3 a month on Free, unlimited on Pro and Business).
| Feature | No account | Free | Pro | Business |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edited-document downloads | — | 3 | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Is a typed signature as good as a drawn one?
Laws such as the US ESIGN Act focus on intent to sign rather than how the mark looks. Some organizations still ask for a drawn signature, so follow their instructions. See e-signature legality for country rules.
My uploaded signature has a gray box around it.
The photo's background isn't white. Sign on plain white paper in good light, crop close to the ink and try again; Remove white background is on by default.
The PDF was already digitally signed by someone else. Can I add mine?
You can, but changing the file makes PDF readers flag their signature as altered. Sign before they do, or use one signature request for everyone.
Tools in this article
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- Request signatures from other peopleOpen the document and switch to Invite to sign. Add each recipient's name, email and role, choose In order or All at once, place each person's fields, then choose Send, check the title, message, reminders and expiry, and select Send.
- Are PDFBetter e-signatures legally valid?Electronic signatures are generally accepted for most business documents in many countries, but some documents need more. Signature requests give every signer their own device key and a sealed, time-stamped PDF with the evidence built in. Whether that's enough depends on the law that applies to your document.
- What signers see, and how to sign or declineSigners open Review and sign in the email, agree to use electronic records, fill the fields in their color and select Finish (approvers select Approve). No account or app is needed. They can also choose Decline or I'd rather use paper, which closes the request.
- Quick start: fill and sign your first PDF in 5 minutesOpen the PDF, click each field and type (Tab moves to the next), click Sign → Add signature, place it, then Done → Download. Without an account you can do everything except the download, which asks you to create a free account first.