How to sign a PDF without printing it (Windows, Mac, iPhone)

Printing a contract, signing it with a pen, scanning it and emailing it back takes ten minutes and a printer you may not have. On every modern device you can sign the PDF directly — with a signature drawn on the screen, typed, or taken from a photo of your real one.

On a Mac: Preview

1. Open the PDF in Preview and click the Markup button (the pen tip).
2. Click the Sign button and create a signature with the trackpad, the camera, or your iPhone.
3. Click the signature to place it, drag it into position, then save.

On an iPhone or iPad

1. Open the PDF in the Files app (or from Mail) and tap the Markup icon.
2. Tap +, then Add Signature, and sign with your finger.
3. Drag the signature into place and tap Done.

On Windows

Windows has no dedicated signing feature. Microsoft Edge can open a PDF and lets you Draw on it with the mouse — workable, but a mouse signature rarely looks good. Adobe Acrobat Reader's free Fill & Sign tool works too, if you are happy to install it.

In any browser, without uploading the document

A browser-based signer works the same on Windows, Mac, Linux and Chromebooks: draw your signature, type your name in a handwriting font or use a photo of your signature, then drag it — and the date — onto the right page. The document is handled inside your browser, so the contract never reaches anyone's server.

Tips for a clean result

• Sign on white paper with a dark pen and photograph it in daylight if you want your real signature.
• Add your initials to every page when the other party asks for it.
• Keep the signed copy: send a PDF, not a screenshot.

Electronic signature vs. digital signature

What you add with these tools is an electronic signature: an image of your signature on the page. A digital signature is different — a cryptographic certificate that proves who signed and that nothing changed afterwards. Banks, notaries and some public services require the latter; for most everyday agreements, the former is accepted.