It is increasingly common to receive PDF documents that you have to return signed, but that doesn't mean you have to print, sign and scan them again. Today we will see how to sign PDF digitally, with the mouse or tablet.
We will first see how to sign a PDF with Adobe Reader DC, the most popular PDF document reader. Later we will see how to do it through a web page, without having to install anything on the PC.
How to sign a PDF document
How to sign PDF document with Adobe Acrobat Reader
Although the most advanced PDF editing features are reserved for Adobe Acrobat Pro, the free version, Adobe Acrobat Reader, allows you to sign PDF documents. To insert signature on PDF with Adobe Acrobat, open it and click on the tab Instruments.
Within the Tools tab you will find a good number of utilities for editing PDF documents. The signature function is located within compile and sign, sharing the limelight with filling out forms.
Adobe Reader can save your signatures for easier reuse later, but if this is your first time signing a document, you'll need to create your new signature first. To do this, press Company and then choose Add signature.
In Adobe Reader you can sign on PDF with text, write your signature with the keyboard, draw lines with the mouse or digitize the tablet or use an image of your signature that you have on your PC. To sign with the mouse, click Draw and then draw your signature. When you are satisfied with the result, press Apply.
After hitting Apply, the mouse cursor will change to your signature, so you can place your signature in place of the document you choose. To pin the signature to a specific point, click the mouse.
The signature is already in place and all you have to do is save the signed PDF document. To do this, use the menu File - Save or press the key combination Control + S. In case I advise you to save the signed document with another name and not to overwrite the original PDF.
Sign PDF gfree on the Smallpdf site
If you don't have Adobe Acrobat Reader and aren't interested in installing it, the good news is that you don't need to install any additional applications to digitally sign PDFs. Instead, visit the Smallpdf website and click Select the file.
The Smallpdf site allows you to sign PDFs for free in three ways: by drawing your signature, by uploading an image with your signature or by using the camera. The first way, drawing, is the simplest, because all you have to do is draw your signature with the mouse or with the digital tablet. To start writing, click the box.
Then proceed to draw your signature on the screen. The system softens the strokes you make slightly and the result is somewhat realistic, as if you had drawn it on paper. There is obviously no eraser, so if you make a mistake your only alternative is to hit Clear and start over. When you are satisfied with the result, press Save.
At that point the document will be shown to you again. You have to choose where to place the signature. To do this, click Place signature and choose your signature from the drop-down list. This submenu exists because it is possible to create more than one signature to be included in the same document.
Finally, you have to place your signature exactly where you want it to be added. You have the controls to change its size and scale if needed, although the default size is suitable for most occasions.
When you have the signature positioned exactly where you want, press the button APPLY at the bottom of the window. This will generate the resulting document, which normally shouldn't take more than a couple of seconds to generate.
The resulting document is not downloaded to your PC by itself, but you need to click Download files now to start the download. It will then be downloaded using your web browser and will generally be approximately the same size as the original document.
Open the document with your favorite PDF reader (if you don't have one, both Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge can open PDFs) e verify that the signature has been added and is displayed correctly.
Read also: How to sign Word document
Further Reading:
- How to sign a document on iPhone
- 5 ways to edit PDF online
- How to create a digital signature
- 4 ways to convert PDF to Word
- How to sign documents in Microsoft Teams
