How to sign a PDF online for free
Open Sign, draw your signature with a finger or mouse, tap the page where it goes, and press Place the signature.
SignFree. Nothing is uploaded.
How to do it
- Open Sign and add the PDF.
- Draw your signature in the box, or type your name instead.
- Tap the page where the signature goes.
- Drag it to move it, and drag its corner to resize it.
- Press Place the signature and save the signed PDF.
More than one place
Agreements often need a signature on every page. Go to the next page and tap again: the same signature goes down each time. To write the date or your name beside it, use Add text. For a form with real fields, fill it in first with Fill in a form.
Using your signature on paper
If you would rather use your real ink signature, sign a sheet of white paper, photograph it, and place the photo with Add image. A PNG with a see-through background sits cleanly on the page.
A drawn signature and a digital one
A drawn signature is a picture of your handwriting on the page. That is what most everyday forms, rental agreements and office paperwork expect. It does not prove who placed it. When a document must carry a certificate that a reader can check, such as with a Class 3 DSC, you need a digital signature instead.
A worked example
Your landlord emails a 5-page rent agreement to be signed on every page. Open Sign and add it. Draw your signature in the box, choose blue ink, and tap near the bottom right of page 1. Drag the signature into place and drag its corner to size it. Use the next-page arrow and tap once on each other page. Press Place the signature, add the date beside the last one with Add text, and send it back.
A signature that looks like yours
Draw slowly, and larger than you would on paper; the signature is trimmed and fitted to the page when you place it. A stylus, or a laptop’s touchpad, gives a smoother line than a mouse. If you sign often, keep a photo of your ink signature on white paper and place it with Add image: it looks exactly like your hand every time.
Typing your name instead gives a neat signature in a handwriting-style font your device already has. It suits forms that ask for a signature of any kind, but it looks less like your own hand, so an office that compares signatures may prefer the drawn one.
What is usually accepted
Private agreements, consent forms and most office paperwork commonly accept a drawn signature. Banks, courts and some government filings may insist on ink on paper, a certificate-based digital signature, or an eSign service of their own. When in doubt, ask the person who will receive the document before you sign it, rather than after it is refused.
Questions people ask
Is my signature saved anywhere?
No. It is drawn in your browser, placed on your PDF, and forgotten when you leave the page. Nothing is uploaded or stored.
Can I sign on my phone?
Yes. Draw with your finger; the page and the pad are made for touch.
Is a drawn signature legally valid?
Whether it is accepted depends on the document and who receives it. Many everyday documents accept one; some legal and government filings require a certificate-based digital signature.
Can I take a signature off after placing it?
Before saving, yes: select it and remove it. After saving it is part of the page, so start again from your original, which is never changed.
Can I sign a PDF that has a password?
Yes. Type the password in the box under the file and tap Unlock; the signed copy keeps the same password.
Does it work offline?
Yes, once the page has loaded. Signing never needed the internet in the first place.
Your file stays on your device. Foolscap does the work inside your browser, so nothing is uploaded and there is nothing for anyone to keep. How you can check