The old way of signing a document went like this: print it, sign it with a pen, scan it back in, and email it. Three extra steps and a printer you probably don't have nearby. Electronic signing skips all of that. You draw your signature once, drop it onto the PDF, and download the signed file. This guide shows you how — and how to keep your signature private.
What is an electronic signature?
An electronic signature is simply your signature added to a document digitally, instead of with a physical pen. For everyday agreements — permission slips, simple contracts, forms — a drawn electronic signature is widely accepted and saves enormous time.
Note: For high-stakes legal documents, some situations require a certified digital signature from a regulated provider. For the vast majority of everyday paperwork, a drawn signature is perfectly fine.
How to sign a PDF (step by step)
- Open the Sign PDF tool and upload your document — it appears on screen in a viewer so you can see every page.
- Draw your signature in the signing box using your mouse, trackpad, or finger. Pick an ink colour (black, blue, red or green) if you like.
- Optionally save it so you can reuse it next time — you can keep up to 10 saved signatures.
- Click anywhere on the page to drop your signature, then drag to move it or drag the corner to resize. Place as many as you need, on any page.
- Download your signed PDF.
Add text too, not just a signature
Often you don't just need a signature — you need to fill in a date, a name, or a short note. The Sign PDF tool has a Text box mode alongside signature mode. Type your text, choose the font, size, colour, and bold or italic, then click the page to drop it exactly where it belongs. Text boxes move and resize just like signatures, and you can mix several signatures and text boxes on the same document.
See the whole document while you sign
Because your PDF is shown in a built-in viewer, you're never signing blind. Flip between pages, zoom in to check the fine print, and place your signature precisely where it's needed. What you see on screen is exactly what ends up in the downloaded file.
Reuse your signature, privately
Drawing your signature perfectly every time is annoying. That's why the tool can save it — but here's the important part: your saved signature stays in your own browser, on your own device. It isn't uploaded to a server and isn't shared. The next time you visit, you can pick your saved signature with one click instead of drawing it again.
Privacy first: Because your signature lives only in your browser's local storage, no one else can access it. Clear your browser data and it's gone — it was never anywhere else.
Tips for a good-looking signature
- Use a touchscreen if you have one. Signing with a finger or stylus looks more natural than a mouse.
- Sign at a comfortable size and let the tool scale it to fit.
- The background is transparent, so your signature sits cleanly on the document without a white box around it.
- Save your best attempt so you never have to get it just right again.
Frequently asked questions
In short
Signing a PDF electronically saves you the whole print-sign-scan ordeal. Draw your signature once, save it privately in your browser, place it on the page, and download a signed document in under a minute — no printer required.