Sign a PDF without printing it
Updated October 29, 2026
Print, sign, scan, send: the four steps that turn a two-minute task into a trip to the office. Most documents that ask for a signature are happy with an image of it placed on the page, which you can do in the browser in under a minute.
This guide shows how, and explains the difference between a drawn signature and a certificate-based digital signature so you pick the right one.
Draw, place, download
Open the sign PDF tool and drop the document. Draw your signature on the pad with the mouse, a pen or your finger; on a phone, turn it sideways for a wider pad. You can also pick a photo of your signature, ideally a PNG with a transparent background.
Go to the page, press "Place", drag the signature to the line and pull the corner to size it. Add it on every page that needs one, then download. The signature and the PDF never leave your device.
What a drawn signature is worth
Legally it is the same as signing a printout and scanning it: an image of your handwritten signature in the document. Rental agreements, consent forms, invoices, HR paperwork and most contracts between people who know each other accept it every day.
It is not a qualified electronic signature. A qualified signature (eIDAS in the EU) is bound to a certificate issued to you and proves that the file was not changed afterwards; banks, notaries and some public bodies require it. For those you need a certificate and dedicated software.
Tidy the document first
If the form arrived as several files or with pages in the wrong order, run it through the organize tool first, then sign. Adding a date next to the signature is a good habit: write it on the pad as a second "signature" and place it beside the first.
Tips
- Keep a transparent PNG of your signature: cropping a photo of it with the crop tool takes a minute.
- Blue ink reads as "signed by hand" on a black-and-white document.
- Flatten nothing: the signature is embedded as an image, which every viewer shows.
Questions
- Can the recipient remove or move the signature?
- With a PDF editor, yes, as they could with a scanned signature. A qualified digital signature is the only one that detects changes.
- Does it work on an iPhone?
- Yes, in Safari. Draw with your finger; the pad is pressure-free and smooths the stroke.
- Is my signature stored anywhere?
- No. It exists only on the page while you use it and is gone after reload.