Protect & sign
Sign PDF
Sign a PDF by typing, drawing or uploading your signature, then add initials, dates and text. It is a visible signature, the kind you would otherwise make with a pen.
Runs on your device: nothing is uploaded unless you choose it
Drag and drop here
PDFOne PDF up to 50 MB
What Sign PDF does
Sign PDF places an image of your signature on the page, much as ink sits on paper. Create it by typing your name in a handwriting style, drawing with a mouse or finger, or uploading a photo. Then click the page to place it, and add Initials, Text, Date or Checkmark fields where needed.
This is different from a certificate-based digital signature, which uses a cryptographic certificate issued to you to prove who signed and whether the file changed afterward. A visible signature does neither. It is what most people mean when they ask you to sign and return a lease or a quote, but if the other party asks for a digital or qualified signature, you need a certificate-based signing service.
Signing happens on your device. When you select Review & download, your browser draws the signature and fields onto the pages and builds the signed file, so the PDF is not uploaded. If your browser cannot finish the job, it offers to sign on our server instead and does nothing until you answer.
Is this the right tool?
Good for
- Signing and returning a lease, offer letter, consent form or quote without printing it.
- Initialing every page of an agreement by placing your initials once and copying them.
- Adding a photo of your handwritten signature with the paper background removed.
Not the right tool for
- Documents that require a certificate-based digital signature, such as some government, court or regulated filings.Guide: visible and certificate-based signatures
- Filling in a long form with many existing fields.Edit PDF
- Keeping other people from opening the signed file.Protect PDF
How to sign a PDF
Open the document
Choose the PDF you need to sign, up to 50 MB.
Create your signature
Under Your signing tools select Create signature. Type your name and pick the Classic, Handwritten or Formal style, or use Draw, or Upload a PNG or JPG.
Place it and add details
Select Use signature and click the page where it belongs; drag to move, use the handles to resize. Add Initials, Text, Date or Checkmark fields the same way.
Review and download
Select Review & download, page through the final preview, then select Download PDF.
Worked example
Signing and returning a lease
Say your landlord emails an 8-page lease and asks you to initial each page and sign the last one.
Select Create initials, type them, select Use initials and click the bottom corner of page 1. With the initials selected, choose Copy to other pages and pick All other pages.
On the last page, select Create signature and use Draw to sign with your finger or mouse. Place it on the signature line and add a Date field beside it, which starts with today's date. Select Review & download and send the signed copy back.
Tips for a better result
- For an uploaded photo of your signature, turn on Remove white background so the paper does not cover the line you are signing on.
- Turn on Remember this signature on this device only on a computer or phone that is yours.
- Select a placed field and use the arrow keys to nudge it into line.
Sign PDF: questions and answers
Will the recipient accept a signature made here?
For everyday paperwork such as leases, quotes and permission forms, a visible signature is normally what is being asked for. Some organizations and some kinds of document require a certificate-based or witnessed signature. If the instructions mention digital certificates, a named e-signing provider or a notary, ask the recipient before you sign.
Can someone lift my signature off the signed PDF?
The signature is drawn into the page itself, not left as a movable field, so it cannot be dragged off in an ordinary PDF viewer. It is still an image, though, and someone with editing software could copy it, just as they could from a scanned paper document.
How do I sign a PDF on my phone?
Open this page in your phone's browser, choose the PDF and select Create signature. The Draw tab lets you sign with a fingertip. Tap the page to place the signature, pinch to zoom for accuracy, then select Review & download.
Can two people sign the same PDF?
Yes, one after the other. The first person signs, downloads the file and sends it on. The second person opens that signed copy here and adds their own signature.