Sign a PDF without printing it
Quick answer
Open your PDF in the signer, draw or type your signature, click where it goes on the page, and download the signed file.
- 1Open your PDF.
- 2Draw or type your signature.
- 3Click where it goes on the page.
- 4Set the size and download.
Free, no sign-up, and your file is read on your own device rather than uploaded.
Signing a PDF here replaces the print-sign-scan routine: instead of printing a document to physically sign it and scanning it back in, you draw or type a signature directly onto the PDF and place it exactly where it needs to go.
It is worth being clear about what this is. It places a picture of a signature onto the page - the same result as signing a printout and scanning it, just without the printer. It is not a certificate-based digital signature and does not itself prove who applied it, which matters for anything that legally requires a verified digital signature rather than a visual one.
Step by step
Make your signature
Draw it with a mouse, trackpad or finger, or type your name in a signature-style font.
Sign PDFClick where it goes
Place it exactly on the signature line or wherever it belongs on the page.
Sign PDF
Tips
- Drawing with a finger on a phone or tablet screen generally looks more like a real signature than a mouse; typing is faster if appearance matters less than simply having a signature in place.
- If the document also needs page numbers, a watermark, or to be smaller for sending, do those before or after signing in the same visit - each PDF tool picks up the file as it currently stands.
- Zoom in before placing the signature on a form with a small or precise signature line, so it lands exactly where it should.
Common problems
You need a legally binding digital signature, not just a visual one.
This tool places a signature image, which is not a certificate-based digital signature. For documents that specifically require one (some contracts, regulated filings), you need a dedicated digital-signature service rather than a visual signer.
The signature looks too large or small once placed.
Resize it after placing - it can be adjusted to fit the signature line or space precisely before you download.
You need to sign in more than one place, or more than one person needs to sign.
Place your signature wherever it is needed on the same document before downloading. For multiple signers, each person would sign a copy in turn, since there is no built-in routing between signers here.
Frequently asked questions
- Is this a legally binding digital signature?
- No - it places a picture of a signature onto the page, the same outcome as signing a printout and scanning it. It doesn't carry certificate-based verification of who signed it, which some legal and regulated documents specifically require.
- Can I draw my signature or do I have to type it?
- Both are supported - draw with a mouse, trackpad or finger, or type your name in a signature-style font, whichever you prefer.
- Can I sign on my phone?
- Yes - drawing a signature with a finger on a touchscreen works well, and often looks more natural than a mouse-drawn one.
- Where exactly does the signature get placed?
- Wherever you click on the page - you position it precisely, then resize it to fit the space or signature line.
- Is my PDF uploaded to a server?
- No. Everything - viewing, signing, placing - happens on your own device.
- Can I undo a signature placement?
- Yes - Undo, Redo and Reset let you move between recent steps before you download the final file.
Doing several things to this PDF?
"Editing a PDF" is usually one of five different jobs. Open the file once and you can do all of them in sequence - reorder the pages, mark it, number it, sign it and shrink it - then download once at the end.
How to edit a PDF without AcrobatRelated PDF tools
- Watermark PDFStamp text across the pages, at the size and angle you choose.
- Add Page NumbersNumber the pages, starting wherever you need.
- Compress PDFShrink a PDF by recompressing its images, leaving the text untouched.
Related articles
- Edit & Sign
How to stamp DRAFT or CONFIDENTIAL across a PDF
Upload your PDF, type the watermark text, set its size, angle and opacity, choose which pages, then download.
- Edit & Sign
How to number the pages of a PDF
Upload your PDF, pick a number format and position, set where numbering starts, then download.
- Guides & Use Cases
PDF tools for contracts and invoices
Create the invoice itself with the Invoice Generator, sign a contract with Sign PDF, mark a document CONFIDENTIAL with Watermark PDF, and combine supporting receipts or annexes with Merge PDF.
- Edit & Sign
How to fill out a PDF form online for free
Upload the form to a PDF form filler. If it has real fillable fields, you get one input per field - type into text boxes, tick checkboxes, and pick options from dropdowns and radio buttons - then download the completed PDF.