AM Printing a document, signing it with a pen and scanning it back takes ten minutes and gives you a fuzzy copy. This tool lets you sign a PDF directly: draw your signature, type it in a script font or upload a picture of it, place it on the page, add the date and your initials, and download the signed file.
It runs in your browser, so the document and your signature are not uploaded, and the result has no watermark.
How to sign a PDF
- Drag the PDF into the box at the top of this page, or click it to choose the file.
- Create your signature. Draw it with a mouse, trackpad or finger, type your name and choose one of the script fonts, or upload an image of your handwritten signature.
- Click the page where the signature belongs. Drag it into position and use the corner handle to resize it so it sits on the signature line.
- Add the date and your initials where the document asks for them. Many contracts want initials on every page.
- Scroll through the whole document to make sure every signature line and initial box is filled.
- Download the signed PDF and send it back.
Draw, type or upload
| Method | How it looks | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Draw | Your own handwriting, slightly less smooth with a mouse | Signing on a phone or tablet with a finger or stylus |
| Type | Your name in a script font | Quick signing on a computer, consistent every time |
| Upload | An exact copy of your pen signature | Matching the signature on your other documents |
For the upload option, sign a sheet of white paper with a dark pen, photograph it in good light and crop tightly around the signature. A PNG with a transparent background looks cleanest on the page. If your photo is in another format, the image converter can turn it into PNG.
Is an electronic signature legally binding?
For many documents, yes. In the United States, the ESIGN Act says a signature or contract in interstate commerce cannot be denied legal effect just because it is electronic, and most states have adopted the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act (UETA) with the same principle. In the European Union, the eIDAS Regulation recognizes the simple electronic signature and says it cannot be refused as evidence solely because it is electronic.
That recognition does not cover everything. US federal law excludes, among others, wills and testamentary trusts, family law matters such as adoption and divorce, court orders and notices, and certain notices such as foreclosure, eviction and utility shut-off notices. Documents that must be notarized or witnessed usually need a separate process, and in the EU, a qualified electronic signature is the type that has the same legal effect as a handwritten one. The other party can also insist on a particular signing method.
Warning: This is general information, not legal advice. If a document is high value or you are unsure whether an electronic signature is accepted for it, ask the other party or a lawyer before you sign.
Simple electronic signature vs digital signature
This tool places a visible image of your signature on the page. That is a simple electronic signature. It is not a certificate-based digital signature, the kind that embeds a cryptographic certificate, shows a validation panel in Adobe Acrobat and flags any change made to the file after signing. If a government agency, bank or contract specifically asks for a digital signature or a qualified signature, use a signing service that issues certificates.
Tips for signing documents
- Read the final version. Sign only the copy you actually agreed to. If the other side sends a revised draft, sign the new file, not the old one.
- Keep a record. Save the signed PDF and send it by email so both sides have a dated copy. That trail helps show who signed and when.
- Fill in the blanks first. If the document has fields for your name, address or company, complete them with the PDF editor before signing, then sign last.
- Add pages if you need to. If the document is missing a signature page, create one and combine the files with Merge PDF.
- Size it like a pen signature. A signature that fills half the page looks odd and can cover printed text. Make it about as tall as two lines of text and keep it sitting on the line, the way a pen signature would.
- Keep the file small. Signed scans can be large. Compress PDF in Standard mode shrinks the file while keeping the text selectable.
Privacy and limits
Signing happens entirely in your browser. The document and your signature stay on your own device and are never uploaded to a server, and the tool keeps working offline once the page has loaded. That matters for a signature: you do not want a copy of it stored on someone else's server.
It is free with no daily limit, needs no sign-up and adds no watermark. Very large files, in the hundreds of megabytes, depend on your device's memory.
Password-protected (encrypted) PDFs must first be opened with their password in another app and saved as an unprotected copy, if you have permission. This tool does not remove passwords or restrictions.