How to Add a Signature to a PDF
Most of our lives are stored on devices: from our own personal admin to important documents about employment and housing. It’s largely simplified our daily routines - and figuring out how to insert a signature in a PDF will only add to that process. In fact, Adobe Acrobat and the Fill & Sign tool make it easy. Whether on your PC or your smartphone, discover how to add a signature to a PDF document with ease.
What you’ll learn.
From signing that much-anticipated contract at work or putting your name down for a place of your own, digital signatures are extremely important these days. Knowing how to add your signature in a PDF file is invaluable.
Thanks to our guide, you’ll learn:
- How to add a signature to a PDF.
- How to add a signature to a PDF on an iPhone.
- Frequently asked questions.
How to add a signature to a PDF.
With Adobe Acrobat or Adobe Acrobat Reader, you can easily use the Fill & Sign tool to complete and send your forms or documents electronically. These simple steps will help you understand how to add a signature to a PDF on a Windows computer.
- Open the PDF document in Acrobat.
- Click Fill & Sign on the left-hand side or click E-Sign at the top
- The specific functions will be displayed in the toolbar. Use these to add checks, crosses, signatures, and initials.
- Hover the mouse over the desired form field to manually sign or add your text. To sign, a fountain pen icon will appear when you hover over the field. Here, you can choose to type, draw, or insert an image of your signature.
- To insert a text box for signatures or dates, hover until you see the Add Text icon, and click to place the text box. Here you can start typing.
- To change the colour of the text, click the circle icon and choose your desired colour.
- To change the size of the font, click the small A icon to make it smaller, or large A icon to make it bigger.
- To delete the text box, click the garbage can icon.
- For more options (signature, initials, crossmark or checkmark) click the ellipsis icon.
- To move the text box, hover over until you see the drag handle and move the field as required.
How to add a signature to a PDF on an iPhone.
Looking to sign a document on the go? Follow our guide on using the Adobe Acrobat app to figure out how to add your signature to a PDF on your iPhone.
- Open your PDF document using the iPhone Adobe Acrobat app.
- Click on the blue pen icon in the bottom right corner.
- When the options appear, click the Fill & Sign option.
- From here, you can click on the field that you want to sign and choose your desired functionality (type, symbol, draw etc).
- If you wish to type your signature, the keyboard will appear once you click on your desired field. From here, you can type, amend font size, or switch to the draw functionality.
- If you prefer to draw your signature, click the fountain pen icon. You can either draw it freehand with your finger, insert an existing image of your signature, or take a photo of your signature using your camera.
Frequently asked questions.
How do I create a digital signature?
Creating a digital signature is easy and straightforward. When you draw your signature using Fill & Sign on Adobe Acrobat, you can choose to save it to your Adobe Online Profile for future use. Otherwise, you can take a photo of your signature and save it as an image.
Can I type my name as a signature?
Typing your name on a digital document, such as a PDF, can count as a signature. Using Adobe Acrobat, typing is a valid functionality for adding your signature. However, certain legal documents may require a digital version of your handwritten signature. Be sure to check before you choose your desired functionality.
Why can’t I add a digital signature to my PDF?
Not all PDF files will allow you to use Fill & Sign. Check the security features of your PDF to make sure that you can add a signature. If you can’t, you may need to contact the author of the PDF document to send you an unlocked version for you to complete.