How to sign a PDF

Sign a PDF with Quick PDF

1. Open Quick PDF and sign in Go to quickpdfapp.com in Safari, Chrome, Edge or any modern browser and sign in with Google or with your email and password.
2. Open the PDF you need to sign Choose the PDF from your device: the Files app or Downloads on a phone, or a folder such as Downloads on a computer. The file opens in the editor on your device; it is not uploaded.
3. Tap Sign in the toolbar Pick how to create your signature: draw it with your finger, mouse or stylus, type your name and choose one of six script fonts, or upload a photo of your signature on paper.
4. Choose ink and save it for later Select black, blue or dark red ink. Turn on Save for next time if you sign documents often, so your signature is ready on this device the next time.
5. Place and resize the signature Tap the signature line on the page. Drag the signature into position and use the corner handles to make it fit the space without covering printed text.
6. Add the date and your printed name Use Add text to type the date and your name next to the signature if the form asks for them.
7. Download or share the signed PDF Tap Download to save the signed copy, or Share to send it straight to Mail, Messages, WhatsApp or Drive through your device's share sheet.

Open Sign PDF

Three ways to create your signature (and which looks best)

Quick PDF's Sign tool gives you three options. All three put an image of your signature on the page; the difference is how natural it looks and how much effort it takes.

• Draw: the closest to a real pen signature. On a phone, turn the phone sideways for a wider drawing area and sign slowly with one finger. On a laptop a trackpad works, but a mouse or stylus is easier to control.
• Type: type your name and pick a script font: Allura, Dancing Script, Great Vibes, Homemade Apple, Mrs Saint Delafield or Sacramento. It always looks neat and is quick when you sign many documents.
• Upload: sign a sheet of white paper with a dark pen, take a clear photo in good light, and upload it. This gives you your real handwritten signature on every document.

For contracts and leases, many people prefer Draw or Upload because the result looks like their usual signature. Typed signatures are common for routine forms. Want a reusable signature you are happy with? See how to create an electronic signature.

Signing a PDF on a phone vs a computer

The steps are the same everywhere because Quick PDF runs in the browser, but a few details differ:

Device guides with more detail: sign a PDF on iPhone and sign a PDF on Android.

Other ways to sign a PDF

You have built-in options too, and they are fine for a quick signature:

• iPhone and iPad Markup (in the Files and Mail apps) lets you add a drawn signature.
• Mac Preview has a signature tool that can capture a signature with the trackpad or the camera.
• Microsoft Edge on Windows can draw on a PDF, which works for a basic signature.

Where Quick PDF fits better: you get the same tools on every device, typed script fonts and uploaded signatures, plus everything else a form usually needs in one place, such as filling form fields, adding text and dates, and fixing typos with Edit text. Your file is opened and processed in your browser and stays on your device.

Common problems when signing a PDF

The signature is too big or covers text

Tap the signature and drag a corner handle inward. Keep the bottom of the signature just above the line, the way you would sign on paper.

My uploaded signature has a gray background

Photograph it on bright white paper in daylight, fill the frame with the signature, and use a dark pen. Shadows and dim light show up as a gray box around the ink.

The drawn signature looks shaky

Sign larger and slower than you think you need to, then shrink it on the page. Small, fast strokes look jagged once resized.

The form has a signature box I cannot click

Some PDFs include a special signature field meant for certificate-based digital signing tools. You can still place your signature image right on top of it with Sign. If the requester needs a certificate-based signature, ask them which tool they expect you to use.

The person says they cannot see my signature

Make sure you sent the signed copy you downloaded, not the original file from your email. Open the downloaded file once to check before sending.

Is a signature added this way legally valid?

This is general information, not legal advice. In the United States, electronic signatures are generally valid for most business and personal documents under the federal ESIGN Act and the UETA, which most states have adopted. That covers everyday paperwork such as leases, contracts, permission slips and many forms.

Some documents are exceptions. Wills, certain court papers and documents that must be notarized often need a different method, and some companies have their own rules. If you are unsure, check with whoever asked you to sign.

Also know what Quick PDF's signature is: an electronic signature image placed on the page. It is not a certificate-based digital signature, it does not create an audit trail, and it cannot send a document to other people for signing. If you need those things, read electronic vs digital signatures.

Tips for a clean, professional result

• Zoom in before placing the signature so you can line it up exactly with the signature line.
• Use blue ink if the recipient wants to tell the signed copy apart from a printout; use black for a formal look.
• Initial every page if the document asks for it: create a second, smaller signature with just your initials.
• After signing, consider using Flatten form when you download a fillable form, so your answers cannot be changed. See how to flatten a PDF.
• Keep a copy of the signed PDF for your own records.

Questions people ask