How do I sign a PDF without printing and scanning it?

You don't need a printer to sign a PDF. Open the file in a signing tool, create your signature by drawing it with your finger, typing your name or uploading a photo of it on paper, drop it where the signature line is, and save. On our Sign PDF tool the whole thing takes a couple of minutes on a phone, and the PDF stays on your device.

What you end up with is a picture of your signature on the page. That is fine for a lot of everyday paperwork, but it is not a digital signature certificate (DSC) or an Aadhaar eSign, so read the section on when it's accepted before you rely on it.

Signing a PDF step by step

1. Open the Sign PDF tool and add your PDF. One file up to 100 MB.
2. Create your signature: draw it with a finger, stylus or mouse (there's a Clear button if the first attempt wobbles), type your name in one of four handwriting styles, or upload a photo or scan of it on paper as a JPG, PNG, WebP or HEIC. For a photo, the paper background is removed automatically so only the ink is left.
3. Choose black or blue ink. Make initials the same way if the document needs them.
4. Pick Signature, then tap or click the spot on the page where it should go.
5. Drag it into place and drag the corner to resize. On a computer, the arrow keys nudge it, and Shift makes bigger steps.
6. Add the date (dd/mm/yyyy, with a Today button), a line of text such as your name or place, or a check mark if the form has boxes.
7. Download signed.pdf, open it and check every page before you send it.

Your signature is kept only in memory while the page is open. It isn't saved or uploaded, and it is gone when you close the tab.

Which way of making a signature looks best?

For the photo route, sign on plain white paper with a dark pen, in daylight, with the phone held flat above it so there's no shadow. Crop close to the ink. A clean, well-lit photo gives a much better result after the background is removed than a dim one taken at an angle.

If a job portal or exam form wants a separate signature image within a size limit, that's a different task. Our Signature Resizer handles that.

Signing a multi-page agreement

Rental agreements, offer letters and vendor contracts often want initials on every page and a full signature on the last. You don't need to place each copy by hand. Place your initials once, select them, and copy them to all pages. Then place your signature and copy it to the last page only. Check the position on a few pages, because a footer that moves between pages may need a small adjustment.

When a signed PDF is accepted, and when it isn't

This is the part people skip, and it's the part that matters.

A signature added this way is an image placed on the page. It doesn't verify who signed, doesn't add a timestamp and doesn't leave an audit trail. Under India's Information Technology Act, 2000, an "electronic signature" means authentication using a technique listed in the Act's Second Schedule, which includes the digital signature. A DSC from a licensed Certifying Authority and Aadhaar-based eSign fall in that framework. A picture of your signature is neither.

In practice:

• Many organisations accept a signed PDF for things like offer letters, internal HR forms, simple declarations or a landlord's rent receipt. That acceptance is their policy, so ask whoever sent you the document how they want it signed.
• Some portals ask specifically for a DSC or Aadhaar eSign. If that's what's asked, an image signature won't meet it. The income tax e-filing portal, for example, lists Aadhaar OTP, EVC and a DSC on a USB token among its e-verification methods.
• Some documents can't be signed electronically at all. The IT Act's First Schedule excludes certain documents, including wills and trusts. Check the requirements for your document, and ask a lawyer if it matters.

Our explainer on digital signature vs electronic signature in India goes through the differences in more detail.

If the PDF is a form

If the document has boxes you can click and type into, fill those first. Placing text on top of a form field doesn't fill the field, and the typed answer underneath may show through or be lost later.

1. Fill the fields in Fill PDF Form and download the filled copy.
2. Open that copy in Sign PDF and add your signature and date.

Our guide on filling a PDF form without Adobe covers forms that won't fill.

If you want to stop anyone changing the filled answers afterwards, flatten the form with Flatten PDF before signing. See what flattening a PDF means for what it does and doesn't protect.

Problems you might run into

The PDF is refused

Password-protected PDFs can't be signed in the browser and are refused with a message. If you know the password, save an unlocked copy first; our guide on removing a password from a PDF explains how.

A warning says the PDF already has a digital signature

Some documents arrive already signed with a DSC, for example by a company's authorised signatory. A digital signature is checked against the exact contents of the file, so adding anything afterwards makes it show as invalid or changed. If that signature matters, don't add yours here. Ask the sender how they want you to sign.

My uploaded signature has a grey box around it

The photo probably had uneven lighting. Retake it in daylight on whiter paper, or switch to drawing it on screen.

Hindi text looks different from the rest

Dates and text in Latin letters are added as real text. Text in other scripts, such as Hindi, is added as an image so it shows correctly. It looks right but can't be selected.

The signature is too big or sits on the line

Zoom in on the preview and nudge it with the arrow keys. A signature sitting slightly above the line, like it would on paper, looks more natural than one squeezed onto it.

Questions people ask

Can I sign a PDF on my phone?

Yes. Open the tool in your phone's browser, draw with your finger or upload a photo of your signature, tap to place it and drag the corner to resize.

Is a typed signature the same as a signed one?

Visually it's a styled version of your name. Whether it counts as your signature for a particular document is up to whoever asked you to sign, so check with them.

Can I ask someone else to sign the same PDF?

Not through this tool, which signs your own copy only. Send them the signed PDF and they can add their signature the same way, or use whatever system the other party prefers.

Will signing reduce the quality of my document?

No. The original pages aren't re-rendered. Text stays selectable, and links, bookmarks and form fields are kept.

Sources

• PRS Legislative Research: The Information Technology Act, 2000 (text with amendments), sections 2(1)(ta), 3, 3A and 5
• Controller of Certifying Authorities: eSign
• Income Tax Department: How to e-Verify your return
• Leegality: Amendment to Schedule I of the IT Act (explainer on the 2022 changes to the First Schedule)