3 Ways to Electronically Sign PDFs

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Easy ways to sign PDFs on multiple devices and platforms without printing and scanning them

Written by Darlene Antonelli, MA

Last Updated: December 16, 2024 Fact Checked

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Electronic Signatures or Digital Signatures

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Using Adobe Fill & Sign on Mobile

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Using Adobe on a Computer

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Using Preview on Mac

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Video

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Tips

Do you want to add your signature to a document, but don't want to print it out, then sign it, then scan it again? Luckily, you can add your signature digitally! But let's be clear: This is not a digital signature, which is also called a certificate-based signature, and is encrypted for extra security. However, you can add your signature to documents with electronic signatures practically anywhere! You can do this using the Adobe Reader program on both Windows and Mac computers, or you can use a Mac computer's built-in Preview app. If you want to sign a PDF on an iPhone or Android, Adobe's Fill & Sign app is a good choice. This wikiHow article teaches you how to add an electronic signature to a PDF document.

How to Digitally Sign a PDF

If you're on a smartphone or tablet, open "Adobe Fill & Sign," then go to "Fill & Sign > Create" and add your signature to a PDF.
If you're using a Windows or Mac computer, open Adobe Reader or Acrobat, then go to "Tools > Fill & Sign > Sign" and add your signature.
While you can electronically add a signature to any PDF, a digital signature requires a certificate to meet standards of security and authenticity.

Section 1 of 4:

Electronic Signatures or Digital Signatures

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If you need to sign your name or initial a PDF document, you'll use an e-signature.^{[1]
X
Research source} Electronic signatures are merely images of your signature that you can affix to almost anything, including emails, memos, thank-you letters, and more. They are not unique keys like digital signatures.^{[2]
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This is so the signature is provided by the person who claims to sign it and cannot be forged or added by someone else. Digital signatures also guarantee that the document has not been modified and is not a forgery. Each digital signature is unique to a document like a fingerprint, so a digital signature on Document A is not the same as the digital signature on Document B.

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To learn how to use a digital signature certificate instead, check out How to Use Electronic Signatures on Online Contracts and Add a Digital Signature in Word.

Section 2 of 4:

Using Adobe Fill & Sign on Mobile

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1
Install Adobe Fill & Sign. Adobe Fill & Sign is a free mobile app for iPhone and Android. To install it, do the following:
- iPhone — Open the
  App Store, tap Search, tap the search bar, type in adobe fill and sign, tap Search, tap GET next to Adobe Fill & Sign, and enter your Apple ID or Touch ID when prompted.
- Android — Open the
  Google Play Store, tap the search bar, type in adobe fill and sign, tap Adobe Fill & Sign: Easy PDF Form Filler in the results, tap INSTALL, and tap ACCEPT if prompted.
Tap OPEN in the App Store or Google Play Store, or tap the purple Fill & Sign app icon on your Home Screen (iPhone) or in the App Drawer (Android).
It's at the top of the page. A menu will appear.
4
Tap File Browser. This is in the menu. Doing so opens your iPhone's Files app.
- On Android, tap From PDF File in this menu.
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Tap the Browse tab. It's in the bottom-right corner of the screen.
- Skip this step on Android.
Go to the folder in which the PDF you want to sign is stored, then tap your PDF to select it. Doing so will open the PDF in Adobe Fill & Sign.
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Tap the "Fill & Sign" icon. It's a pen-shaped icon at the bottom of the screen (iPhone) or at the top of the screen (Android). A menu will appear.
- You may first have to tap somewhere off of the tutorial window to close the tutorial.
This is in the menu. Doing so opens the signature field.
Tap and drag your finger across the signature field to sign your name.
It's in the top-right corner of the screen. Doing so saves your signature and applies it to the PDF.
Tap and drag your signature to the location in which you want to apply it.
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Share the document. If you want to send your signed PDF to someone, tap the "Share"
icon (iPhone) or the "Share" icon
(Android), then select a way to share the PDF (e.g., an email app) and fill out the message as needed.
- For example, if you wanted to send your PDF in an email, you would tap Share, tap your preferred email app, enter a recipient's email address, subject, and message, and tap Send.
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Tap Done. It's in the top-right corner of the screen. Doing so saves your PDF.
- On Android, you'll just tap the "Back" button in the top-left corner of the screen to save your signature.^{[3]
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  Research source}

Section 3 of 4:

Using Adobe Reader or Acrobat on Windows or Mac

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1
Install Adobe Reader or Acrobat if you haven't yet done so. If you don't have Adobe Acrobat or pay for its features, you can install the free PDF reader from Adobe by doing the following:
- Go to https://get.adobe.com/reader/ in your computer's web browser.
- Uncheck any of the software in the "Optional offer" column.
- Click Install now or Download.
- Double-click the downloaded setup file.
- Follow the installation prompts.
- If you have Adobe Acrobat, you can use that application instead and follow the same steps to add your signature.
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Open your PDF in Adobe Reader or Acrobat. To do so:
- Windows — Right-click the PDF you want to sign, select Open with, and click Adobe Acrobat Reader/Acrobat DC.
- Mac — Click the PDF you want to sign, click File, select Open With, and click Adobe Acrobat Reader/Acrobat DC.
It's at the top of the window.
This purple icon is near the top of the list of tools.^{[4]
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Research source}
You'll see this option on the upper-right side of the page. A drop-down menu will appear.
It's in the drop-down menu. Doing so opens a signature form.
Type in your name to create a stylized signature version of it.
It's at the bottom of the menu. Doing so saves your signature and reopens the PDF.
Find the place in which you want to print your signature, then click the place to stamp your signature there. You should see the signature appear on your PDF.^{[5]
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Press Ctrl+S (Windows) or ⌘ Command+S (Mac) to bring up the "Save As" window, then select a save location and change the name (if necessary) before clicking Save.

Section 4 of 4:

Using Preview on Mac

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1
Open your PDF in Preview. Preview is your Mac's default PDF viewer. You can open a PDF in Preview by doing the following:
- Click the PDF to select it.
- Click File in the menu bar.
- Select Open With in the File drop-down menu.
- Click Preview in the pop-out menu.
This icon looks like the tip of a pen inside a circle, and is located next to the search bar. A toolbar will appear near the top of the Preview window.
It's in the toolbar. Doing so prompts a drop-down menu.
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Click the Trackpad tab. This is at the top of the drop-down menu.
- If you're using an iMac, you'll instead select the Camera tab.
- If you have existing signatures, first click Create Signature at the bottom of the drop-down menu to make a new one (or select your signature and then skip the next two steps).
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Draw your signature. Using your finger on the trackpad, trace your signature as you want it to appear on the document. You should see the signature appear in the drop-down menu.
- If you're using the webcam on an iMac, you'll write your signature on a blank piece of paper and then take a picture of it using the camera.
It's at the bottom of the drop-down menu.
Click the "Signature"
icon, then click your signature. You can then drag it to the location in which you want to apply your signature.
Click File, then click Save to do so. Your PDF now contains your signature.

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Tips

If you want to add a digital signature, or certificate-based signature, with Acrobat or Reader, you'll need to get a digital ID. Many times, if you're signing a document from a government agency or a corporation, you'll be provided with a digital ID to use. If you aren't offered one, get in touch with that corporation or government agency for one, or buy one from Adobe. You can add your signature to the document using your certificate-based signature in the same way you add a normal signature.^{[6]
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Research source}

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You can also sign with MS Word or using an iPhone!

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You can also sign online for free. For example, if you're using a Chromebook, those applications won't work for you. There are services like DocuSign and HelloSign that work in a web browser so you can sign a limited number of PDFs for free!

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