This guide shows how to add a signature to a PDF without printing it, signing the paper and scanning it back in. You make the signature once, by drawing it, typing your name or using a photo of the one you write by hand. Then you put it on the page and save.
The steps use OpenPdfEdit. It is free, it needs no account, and it does the work on your own computer, so the document is not uploaded anywhere. There is a summary of what the tool can do on the sign a PDF page.
How to add a signature to a PDF: the short answer
Open the PDF, switch to Annotate and choose Signature. Choose New signature and make one with Draw, Type or Image. Tap the page where the signature belongs, then save.
Before you start
- Open openpdfedit.com/app and choose Open PDF…. The desktop app and the browser extension work the same way.
- Switch to Annotate at the top of the window.
- Choose Signature. The first time, the Signatures panel opens, because there is no saved signature yet.
- Choose New signature. The dialog that opens has three tabs: Draw, Type and Image.
Use whichever of the three suits you. You only do this part once.
Option 1: draw your signature
- Stay on the Draw tab.
- Write your signature in the box with a mouse, a trackpad, a finger or a pen. The faint line is only a guide and is not saved.
- If it did not come out well, choose Clear and write it again.
- Give it a name if you like, then choose Save signature.
The drawing is cropped to the ink, so it does not matter where in the box you wrote or how small.
Option 2: type your name
- Open the Type tab.
- Type your name.
- Pick one of the three handwriting styles: Dancing Script, Great Vibes or Caveat. Each one shows your name as it will look.
- Choose Save signature.
The name is saved as a shape and not as text in a font, so it looks the same in every PDF reader.
Option 3: use a picture of your signature
- Sign a sheet of white paper and take a photo of it, or scan it. Save it as a PNG or a JPEG.
- Open the Image tab and choose Choose an image….
- Leave Remove the white background ticked, and move the Threshold slider until the paper has gone from the preview and the ink is still there.
- Choose Save signature.
The picture is cropped to the ink, and the removed background stays transparent. On the page the signature sits on its line without a pale rectangle around it.
Place the signature on the page
Pick your signature in the Signatures panel. The panel closes and the signature is ready to place.
- Tap the page where the signature should go. It is placed at a standard size, centred on the spot you tapped.
- Or drag a box to choose the size yourself. The signature is fitted inside the box at its own proportions, so it is never stretched.
A drawn or typed signature is placed in the ink colour chosen in the panel. A picture keeps its own colours. To use a different saved signature, choose Signature again.
If it is in the wrong place or the wrong size
The position and the size are both set at the moment you place the signature: where you tap, or how far you drag. If it landed in the wrong spot, undo and place it again. The signature is already saved, so a second try takes a moment.
Save the document
Save the PDF when the signature is where you want it. In Chrome and Edge the web app can save over the file you opened. Other browsers save a copy. The desktop app saves over the original.
The signature itself stays in the Signatures panel on your device. The next time you need to add signature to PDF pages, skip straight to placing it.
Should you flatten it afterwards?
The signature is stored as a separate object on top of the page. Anyone who opens the file in a PDF editor can select that object and delete it. If the signature has to stay where it is, flatten the document, which makes it part of the page. The steps are in how to flatten a PDF. Keep an unflattened copy if you might need to change something later.
What this kind of signature is, and is not
What you have added is a visible mark, the same as signing a printout. It is not a digital signature made with a certificate: nothing in the file ties it to your identity or shows whether the document changed afterwards. OpenPdfEdit does not make that kind of signature. If you are not sure which one you have been asked for, read electronic signature vs digital signature.
FAQ
Can I add a signature without printing the document?
Yes. That is the point of this guide on how to add a signature to a PDF: the signature is drawn, typed or loaded from a picture, and placed on the page on screen.
Can I sign a PDF for free?
Yes. Making and placing signatures is free and works without signing in. Nothing is stamped on the page besides your signature.
How do I sign a PDF without Adobe Acrobat?
Any PDF editor that can place a signature will do. The steps above use OpenPdfEdit in a browser tab, with nothing to install.
How do I insert a signature in a PDF form?
Fill in the form first, then place the signature on the signature line in the same way. There is more about forms on the page about how to fill PDF forms.
Is my signature uploaded?
No. A saved signature is kept on your own device, and the document is signed on your own computer.