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How To Digitally Sign a PDF

A digital signature verifies the identity of the signer and ensures that the content of the PDF has not been altered or tampered with since it was signed.

Many users may encounter the problem of how to sign a PDF with digital signature in both personal and professional contexts.

This post will reveal the most efficient ways to insert a digital signature, as well as electronic signatures, into a PDF with a free PDF editor, Adobe Acrobat and Preview on Mac.

How to Add Digital Signature to PDF with a Free PDF Editor

PDFgear is a free PDF signer that allows you to add signature to PDF without Adobe Acrobat. It offers an easy way to create your customized electronic signature and import existing digital signatures to a PDF file.

Besides signing PDF documents, PDFgear also enables you to password protect a PDF on Windows and Mac, and easily remove security from a PDF file with a known password.

On condition that you have an existing image of your digital signature, you can use the free PDF signer, PDFgear, to digitally sign your PDF.

PDFgear – Free Sign PDF Documents

PDFgear is a free and secure tool for digitally signing PDFs on Windows, Mac, and iOS, with no data or privacy loss. It can be your top option to edit or sign PDFs.

Free Download

Step 1. Open a PDF with PDFgear

Download PDFgear, install and launch it on your device > Click Open File > Open the PDF file you need to sign.

You can set PDFgear as the default PDF viewer on your device and double-click it to open with PDFgear.

Open PDF with PDFgear

Step 2. Locate the Edit Tool in PDFgear

Click Edit in the upper ribbon > Choose the Signature tool > Hit Create Signature.

Click on Signature in PDFgear

Step 3. Create a Digital Signature on PDFgear

Here, you have three options to create and add a signature to a your PDF files.

🔺Add Picture: Insert your signature by uploading a picture, you can choose to remove the background of the image.

🔺Type Text: Click the Type option and input your name to create a signature. You have the flexibility to personalize the signature’s font from a collection of more than 100 styles.

🔺Write Signature: Use the mouse to sketch your name. You also have the option to adjust the font size.

In terms of digital signautre, we need to choose the Picture option to upload the image of the digital signature.

Upload a Digital Signature Picture in PDFgear

Upload a Digital Signature Picture in PDFgear

Step 4. Resize Digital Signature on PDFgear

Once you add the signature to the PDF, you can resize and reposition it as needed until it fits perfectly.

Click the signature you added, and you have three options for further editing of the signature:

📣Flatten: The signature will be fixed at this location and cannot be moved or changed.

📣Delete: Remove this signature. But it still saves in the signature library.

📣Place on Multiple Pages: Automatically copy and paste the signature to the other pages in this PDF.

You can delete and flatten the signatures in batch in the PDFgear.

Flatten the Signature in PDFgear

How to Sign a PDF Document Online for Free

If you do not want to download any software or application on your device, an online PDF signer is a primary choice. PDFgear Online Editor is a professional PDF-related process tool without subscription or watermark.

This online PDF signing tool enables you to sign a PDF on iPhone, iPad, Android, Windows, and Mac. You can access it from any browser to sign your documents easily. Furthermore, PDFgear supports filling in or creating a fillable PDF form online.

Sign on PDFs Online Now!

Step 1. Upload a PDF to PDFgear Online Editor

Access to PDFgear Online Editor and drop a PDF to the designed area to upload.

Select a PDF to Upload

Step 2. Three Options to Sign Digitally

Navigate to Add or Edit annotations, find the Signature button, and choose ADD SIGNATURE. Three options are available: type with the keyboard, draw with the mouse or upload a signature image.

Upload Signature Image to PDFgear Online

Upload Signature Image to PDFgear Online

How to Digitally Sign a PDF in Adobe Acrobat

Adobe Acrobat is a popular PDF editing tool that provides a wide range of solutions for PDFs, including the ability to create and easily insert a digital signature to a PDF.

To digitally sign a PDF in Adobe Acrobat, you need to use the Certificates tool to create a new digital ID or utilize a Digital ID from a file. However, if you have an image of your Certificate Signature, you can use the Fill & Sign tool to upload the signature image.

If you have paid for a member and created a digital signature in Adobe Acrobat, follow the detailed steps below to put the digital signature in PDF in Acrobat.

Step 1. Open a PDF with Adobe Acrobat

Select a PDF you want to digitally sign with, open it with Adobe Acrobat, go to Tools and find Certificates, hit Certificates and choose Digitally Sign.

Select Digitally Sign in Adobe Acrobat

Step 2. Digitally Sign a PDF in Adobe Acrobat

1. When you click Digitally Sign, you will be asked to draw an area where you would like the signature to appear.

2. Choose a Digital ID to sign in the popping up window, chick Continue to go to the next step.

Sign with a Digital ID

3. Set the signature appearance in the new pop-up, and then click Sign to add the digital signature to the PDF file.

Set Signature Appearance in Adobe Acrobat

Set Signature Appearance in Adobe Acrobat

Step 3. Save the Signed PDF Document

When you click Sign, a new window will appear where you can save the updated PDF file, name the file and click Save to continue. Then you can see the file is successfully digitally signed. You can hit the Save icon from the toolbar to save the signed PDF.

Digitally Sign PDF in Adobe Acrobat

Note:
If you have an existing digital signature in image format, you can import the images as a signature to the PDF with the Fill & Sign tool in Adobe Acrobat. The detailed steps are listed below:
Open a PDF with Adobe Acrobat, select Fill & Sign, choose Sign Yourself, click Add Signature, and select the image signature to apply to the PDF file.

How to Add a Signature to a PDF in Preview

The pre-installed Preview on macOS devices does not directly support adding a digital signature to a PDF file. But it is a great native tool for Mac users to view and annotate a PDF, and it allows users to sign a PDF on Mac with electronic signature.

Step 1. Open your file to be signed with Preview > Click the arrows on the upper-right to see more tools.

Open Your File with Preview

Step 2. Click the .Signature icon.

Click the Signature Icon on Preview

Step 3. Here pops out a window offering three ways of signing: through trackpad, camera, or iPad. You can pick the one that is available for you.

Create Your Signature in Preview

Step 4. When you are done with signing, you are ready to create your digital signature. You can relocate it anywhere in your file.

Relocate Signature in Preview

FAQs

How to esign a PDF document for free?

PDFgear, a free alternative to Adobe Acrobat, can let you electronically sign a PDF at no cost. You can downlod PDFgear and follow the detailed steps to esign your PDF file.

How to set up a digital signature?

You can create a digital signature in Adobe Acrobat. Here are the brief steps to follow：

Open a PDF in Adobe Acrobat, go to Tools and get Certificates, hit Digitally Sign and draw an area to locate the signature.

Select Configure New Digital ID to Select a Type of Digital ID, then you can follow the instructions to make the digital signature.

What tool can I use to sign a PDF for free?

Adobe Acrobat Reader’s free version won’t allow you to add a signature. There are many PDF signers available and we highly recommend PDFgear, as it is compatible with Windows and Mac, and it is completely free to install and use.

How do I sign a PDF on my Phone?

PDFgear for iOS offers a free way to add a signature to your PDF on iPhone and iPad. You can download it from the App Store on your iOS device. Just like the PDFgear software, the iOS version allows you to Text, Draw, and upload a Signature Image to sign the PDF.

Conclusion

We always face the problem of signing a PDF in the office. If we want to simplify your workflow and boost your work efficiency, it’s never a loss to spend some time figuring out the most functional and convenient tool for digital signatures.

After reading this post, if you are looking for a free and professional one to help you complete your electronic signature in PDF, then PDFgear would be a great recommendation.

PDFgear Sign PDF Tutorial Center

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