Sign PDF
Draw or type your signature and place it on the PDF, without uploading the file.
Sign a PDF in a minute: draw your signature with the mouse, your finger or a stylus, type your name in handwriting or use a photo of your signature on paper, and place it on whichever page and spot you need. The document is not uploaded to any server: it is signed in your browser and you download the signed PDF, free and with no sign-up.
How to sign a PDF
- Choose the PDF you want to sign. The editor opens with the signature panel.
- Draw your signature in the box, type your name or choose a photo of your signature, then press “Use this signature”.
- Drag the signature into place and adjust its size. To add it to another page too, press Signature and “Use previous signature”.
- Press “Download PDF” to save the signed document.
Is this signature legally valid?
What you add here is a simple electronic signature: an image of your signature inside the document, as if you had signed it by hand and scanned it. In the European Union (eIDAS regulation), the United Kingdom and the United States (ESIGN Act), a signature cannot be rejected merely because it is electronic, and it is enough for many everyday matters:
- Private contracts, quotes and orders.
- Authorisations, timesheets, receipts and delivery notes.
- Documents you are asked to return “signed” by email.
What it doesn't do is identify you in a verifiable way: it doesn't prove who signed, nor does it stop the document being changed afterwards.
When you need a digital certificate
For dealings with government bodies, some bank contracts or documents that require an advanced or qualified signature, a drawn signature won't do. You need to sign with a digital certificate issued in your country (for example, the one on a national electronic ID card), using the software or online service your authority recommends, or with a certificate-based signing service.
If you are not sure which one you need, ask whoever sent you the document: if “sign it and send it back” is all they want, this signature is enough.
Your signature stays with you
The signature is drawn and placed inside your browser: neither the PDF nor your signature is sent to any server or stored anywhere. When you close the page, they are gone. The only thing we receive when you download is an anonymous usage notice, without the file.
Tips for a neat result
- Sign using the whole box and then shrink the signature on the page: the stroke comes out cleaner.
- If you sign with your finger on a phone, turn it sideways for more room.
- If you use a photo of your signature, take it in good light on white paper, without shadows: the background is removed automatically, leaving only the signature.
- As well as signing, you can add today’s date with the Mark tool, type your name with the Text tool, or edit the PDF to fill in the rest of the document.
Limitations
- If the PDF already had a certificate-based digital signature, adding yours makes that signature invalid. In that case, sign with a certificate as well.
- Password-protected PDFs, or PDFs that don't allow changes, cannot be opened.
- Up to 100 MB and 500 pages.
Frequently asked questions
Is a drawn signature on a PDF legally binding?
In most cases, yes. It is a simple electronic signature, which the EU, the UK and the US accept as evidence. It works for private contracts, authorisations or receipts, but not for procedures that require a certificate-based signature.
Can I use it to sign documents for the tax office or other public bodies?
Usually not. Government bodies tend to require a signature with a digital certificate or an electronic ID. Check the instructions of the body concerned, which will tell you which software or online service to use.
Is my signature stored anywhere?
No. The signature is created and placed in your browser, and neither it nor the PDF is sent to any server. It disappears when you close the page; if you sign again another day, you will need to draw it again.
Can I sign a PDF on my phone?
Yes. Open this page in your phone's browser, choose the PDF and sign with your finger inside the box. Holding the phone sideways gives you more room for the signature.
Can I put my signature on several pages?
Yes. Once you have created the signature, press Signature again and place it on each page that needs it, for example to initial every page of a contract.