Practical guide · 2 minutes
How to sign a PDF online for free
Computer, iPhone and Android · No printing
To sign a PDF document, you need neither a printer nor a scanner. With Parapheo, you can draw your signature with a mouse or your finger, import a handwritten signature, place it on the right page and download the signed file. In local mode, the PDF stays on your device.
Sign a PDF document in five steps
- Choose the PDF file. Click “Choose a file” or drag it into the drop area. It opens directly in your browser.
- Create your signature. Draw it with a mouse, trackpad, finger or stylus. You can also import a photo or a scan.
- Tap where you want to sign. A menu opens right there: signature, initials, stamp, date, date and time, or free text. Pick one and it is placed.
- Adjust its size and position. Drag the signature, then use its corner to resize it. Add the date, text, initials or a stamp if needed.
- Download the signed PDF. The exported file is a standard PDF, with no watermark, ready to attach to an email.
Draw or import a handwritten signature?
Drawing is fastest on a phone or tablet. On a computer, a signature image can give a more even result. Parapheo automatically removes the white background from a photo or scan; a setting lets you fine-tune the cut-out if the paper is grey or shaded. The guide add a handwritten signature to a PDF explains this method in detail.
Sign a PDF on a phone
It works the same way on mobile: open the PDF from the Files or Downloads app, draw with your finger, place the signature, then save the result. On iOS, see the steps specific to Safari and the Files app on iPhone.
Common mistakes
- Password-protected PDF: open it first with its password and save an unlocked copy.
- Signature too faint: use a sharp photo and increase the background removal threshold.
- Wrong page: remove the item or move it before exporting.
- Document meant for someone else: do not sign in their place; use the remote signature request feature.