Signing a PDF on your phone or computer

Three ways to make the signature

• Draw it. The most natural on a phone or tablet: sign with your finger or a stylus. On a computer, open the larger pad — a bigger area gives a steadier line than a small box. The pen records your strokes, so you can still change the ink colour and line weight afterwards.
• Type it. Type your name and it is set in a handwriting-style font. Quick and always legible; good for initials and approvals.
• Upload it. Sign a white sheet with a dark pen, take a well-lit photo, and upload it. The paper around the ink is removed so the signature sits on the page rather than in a white box.

Placing it so it looks signed by hand

1. Go to the page first. In Sign PDF the signature appears in the middle of the page you are looking at as soon as you stop drawing, so scroll to the signature line before you sign.
2. Drag it onto the line. Let the bottom of the signature sit just on or slightly over the line, as a pen would.
3. Size it like a real one. A handwritten signature is usually 4–6 cm wide. Use the size control or the corner handle; a signature that fills half the page looks pasted in.
4. Choose the ink. Dark blue is the traditional colour for an original signature and shows at a glance that it is not a photocopy; black is fine for most forms.
5. Every page? Contracts often need initials on each page: “On every page” puts a copy in the same place on all of them. Each one is listed and can be undone on its own.

Is a drawn signature legally valid?

In many countries an electronic signature — including a drawn one on a PDF — is accepted for everyday agreements: in the European Union under the eIDAS regulation, in the United States under the ESIGN Act. What matters is that you meant to sign and that the other party can rely on it.

Some documents need more: a qualified or certified signature that is tied to your identity and records who signed and when (notarised deeds, some government filings, regulated industries). A picture of a signature does not provide that; use a dedicated e-signature service for those. When unsure, ask the person who asked for the signature which kind they accept. This is general information, not legal advice.

After signing

Open the signed file once to check that the signature is on the right page and line. If the document has form fields, fill them in first with Fill PDF Form and sign last; Flatten PDF then fixes the answers and the signature so they cannot be moved. Need to email it and the file is too large? Compress PDF reduces it without touching the signature’s position. Signing happens in your browser: the document is not uploaded anywhere.