How to sign a PDF without printing it
Updated 16 October 2026
Printing a document, signing it with a pen and scanning it again takes time and gives a crooked, grey result. You can add your signature to the PDF directly instead.
Sign a PDF in four steps
- Open Sign PDF and open your PDF.
- Select Create your signature and choose how:
- Draw it with a mouse, a finger or a pen,
- Type your name and get a handwritten-style signature, or
- Upload a photo or scan of your signature on white paper. Tick Make the white paper background transparent so it sits cleanly on the page. You can choose black or blue ink.
- Click where the signature should go. Drag it to move it, and drag a corner to resize it. To sign several pages, choose Signature in the toolbar again and click on the next page.
- Select Save as new PDF and download the signed copy.
Add the date and your name
Most documents want a date and a printed name next to the signature. Choose Text in the toolbar, click on the page and type. If the PDF has form fields, you can fill them in the same editor; Fill PDF form opens it ready for that.
Your signature is not stored
The signature you create exists only in the open page: it is not saved, not uploaded, and gone when you close or reload the page. The PDF is processed on your device.
Is a picture of a signature legally valid?
A signature added this way is a picture of your handwriting, like a signed scan. That is accepted for a great many everyday documents, such as letters, forms and simple agreements. It is not a certified digital signature: it carries no cryptographic proof of who signed or that the document was not changed afterwards. Some documents need such a signature by law or by the other side’s rules, for example certain contracts with public authorities. If you are unsure, ask whoever requested the signature which kind they accept.