The old way to sign a PDF is absurd in hindsight: print the page, sign it with a pen, scan it back in, and hope it's straight. All to add a few strokes of ink to a digital document that never needed to touch paper.
You can sign a PDF electronically in a minute, for free, without a printer or scanner — and without uploading a sensitive document to a stranger's server. Here's how.
Sign a PDF in your browser
Open your document in the free PDF Editor. Everything happens locally, so the file never leaves your device — which matters when you're signing contracts, agreements or forms.
PDF EditorAdd text, images and drawings to a PDF.Two ways to add your signature
Draw it. Pick the Draw tool and sign directly on the page with your mouse, trackpad or finger — the closest thing to signing with a pen.
Add an image of it. Sign a piece of paper once, photograph it (or use a transparent PNG), and use the Image tool to drop it onto the document. Resize and position it over the signature line, and reuse it whenever you need to sign.
Fill in the rest of the form first
Most documents you sign also need dates, names or checkboxes. Use the Add text tool to type into the blanks, and if a field already has the wrong text, the Edit text tool lets you click and correct it. Then add your signature and download the finished PDF.
- Open the PDF in the editor.
- Fill in any text fields with the Add text tool.
- Draw your signature, or add an image of it, and position it.
- Download the signed PDF.
A note on legality
A drawn or image signature is an electronic signature, and for everyday agreements that's widely accepted. For high-stakes legal documents that require a *certified digital signature* (with a cryptographic certificate tied to your identity), you'll want a dedicated e-signature service. For the vast majority of forms, contracts and permission slips, adding your signature and sending it back is exactly what's expected.
Signing a scanned document? A scan is an image, so there are no form fields — just draw or place your signature on top, then download.