How To Sign on A PDF?
24 July 2023 Technology Manager of Test Dept.
Summary
Learn how to add electronic signatures to PDF files for improved efficiency and time savings. Check out our detailed method introduction below.
Table of contents
PDF is a document format that we often use in our daily work, and sometimes we need to add a signature to the PDF file. There is a signature function in PDF, which is an electronic signature. An electronic signature refers to the data contained in and attached to a data message to identify the identity of the signatory and to indicate that the signatory approves the content. In layman’s terms, an electronic signature is actually an electronic code. With it, the recipient can easily verify the sender’s identity and signature online. It can also verify whether the original text of the document has changed during transmission.
Adding a signature to a PDF is one of the most common PDF editing operations. It is a very common operation for lawyers, government department personnel, and business personnel who often deal with contracts and legal documents. Electronic signatures are legally as legal as handwritten signatures in most countries. Rather than printing the document, signing it by hand, and scanning it back to your computer, it’s much more convenient to add a digital signature to the PDF for transfer and storage.
The relationship between PDF and electronic signature:
- PDF It is the carrier of electronic signature. Most electronic documents with electronic signatures are presented in PDF format. This is mainly because PDF is more tamper-resistant and aesthetically pleasing than other electronic document formats, and PDF can verify the validity of electronic signatures.
- PDF Its security can be increased by adding an electronic signature. If you want to send important documents to others, you can add a reliable electronic signature to PDF documents. This electronic signature will contain an encrypted digital certificate, and the recipient can confirm the identity of the sender by identifying this certificate, and once the document is tampered with, the electronic signature will also change, so this can also ensure that the document is Not modified during transmission.
To add a signature to the PDF, you can start from two aspects, one is to add your signature picture on the PDF by adding a watermark; the other is to add your own signature to the PDF through a professional PDF signature tool sign. The following will introduce a variety of methods to add a signature on the PDF, please choose according to your actual situation.
To sign PDF files, the best solution is to use professional PDF editing software, because they can provide the most complete and powerful signing and editing functions.
Note: If you are viewing the PDF on the web, please download the PDF before adding your signature. Additionally, certain documents have security measures applied that prohibit electronic signatures. You may only print such documents and then sign the printed copies by hand.
Renee PDF Aide The software is a full-featured PDF editing software that you can use to add signatures, watermarks, etc. to PDF files. In addition, Renee PDF Aide also provides other editing tools, such as format conversion, splitting/deleting multi-page files, repairing damaged files, optimizing the loading time of large files, adjusting the display angle of files, and encrypting/decrypting PDF files wait. It is worth mentioning that this software also provides advanced OCR (Optical Character Recognition) technology, which can convert scanned PDF files or pictures into editable text format.
Hot Topic - ADsRenee PDF Aide - Powerful PDF Editing Tool 
Easy to use Friendly to computer beginners
Multifunctional Encrypt/decrypt/split/merge/add watermark
Safe Protect PDF with AES256 algorithms
Quick Edit/convert dozens of PDF files in batch
Compatible Convert PDF to Excel/PowerPoint/Text, etc.
Easy Use with simple steps
Functional Encrypt/decrypt/split/merge/watermark
Safe Protect PDF with AES256 algorithms
Free TrialFree TrialNow 800 people have obtained the free version!The specific operation steps are as follows:
① Install and open Renee PDF Aide, select (PDF toolset).
② In the opened page, click (Watermark) > (Add File) to import the PDF file.
③ You can choose (Add watermark (cover surface)) or (Add background). Then click (…) in the “Watermark File” column to select the electronic signature file to be added, and click (Preview and Set Location) to select the location where the signature will be placed.
④ You can set the file name of the exported file and the location to save the file at the bottom of the interface. Finally, click the (Convert) button to complete the operation.
Adobe Acrobat Reader is the most professional PDF viewing software and one of the most feature-rich PDF viewers. To add a signature to a PDF document or form, you can choose to type, draw, or insert an image of your handwritten signature. In addition, Adobe Reader is completely free, you can download and use it with confidence.
The specific operation steps are as follows:
① To sign a PDF document with Adobe Acrobat Reader, please first open the PDF document in the Adobe Acrobat Reader application. Click the (Fill and Sign) tool in the right pane.
② Click the (Signature) function on the toolbar, and you can choose “Add Signature” or “Add Initials”. In the pop-up window, you can choose one of the ways to add a signature, “Type”, “Draw” or “Image”. After adding a signature, you can drag the signature freely to place it in a suitable position. Finally, click the (Save) button in the upper left corner to save the file.
Adobe Acrobat DC is one of Adobe’s first PDF applications, the software allows you to view, create, edit, manage and print PDF files. Adobe Acrobat DC software provides a variety of PDF editing tools, such as splitting PDF, organizing pages, annotating, filling and signing, etc. To sign a PDF document or form, you can choose to type, draw, or insert an image of your handwritten signature. In addition to adding signatures, you can also add text, such as dates, company names, etc., to PDF documents. It should be noted that this software is not free, and the purchase price of Adobe Acrobat DC software will be much higher than other PDF editing software.
The specific operation steps are as follows:
① Install and open the Adobe Acrobat DC software, and open the PDF file to be signed in the software.
② Click the (Fill and Sign) tool on the right side of the window and select (Fill and Sign).
③ Click the (Signature) icon in the upper toolbar, and select “Add Signature” or “Add Initials”. In the window that opens, enter your signature or insert an image of your signature and click (Apply). Then, please click the position where you want to place your signature in the PDF, and click the (Save) button to save it to your computer after confirmation.
In addition to using professional PDF editing software, you can also use PDF online signature tools to sign PDFs. They can be used without downloading, but there will be certain security risks, please choose carefully.
If you want to sign PDF files, then DocFly online tool is a good choice. DocFly provides three signature methods, you can type, draw or upload a signature image to create an electronic signature. The online tool has a simple interface and is very easy to operate.
Online link: https://www.docfly.com/sign-pdf
The specific operation steps are as follows:
① Open the DocFly online link in the browser, and then click (Click to upload your PDF) to select the PDF file to be signed from the computer and upload it to the website, or directly drag and drop the PDF file to the upload box to upload.
② After uploading the PDF file, click the (Signature) option in the upper toolbar, and select the way to add a signature in the pop-up window. After creating a signature, you can insert the signature in the PDF file. Finally, click the (Save) button at the top of the page to download the signed PDF file to your computer.
Use Soda PDF’s online electronic signature tool to help you quickly add electronic signatures on PDF files, which can be used without downloading. Plus, it tracks the progress of any electronic signature, so you can use it to sign documents or contracts online.
Online link: https://www.sodapdf.com/sign-pdf/
The specific operation steps are as follows:
① Open the Soda PDF online link in the browser, and click the (CHOOSE FILE) button to upload the PDF file.
② After uploading the document, you need to register or log in first. After logging in, you can start adding signatures and dragging the signature’s location. Finally, you can choose to download the signed PDF file to your computer or send it to your email.
In addition to adding a PDF signature on your computer, you can also add a signature on your Android phone or iPhone, which is convenient for you to handle various businesses anytime, anywhere.
There are many apps you can use to sign PDFs on your Android phone, but using Adobe Acrobat Reader is the easiest way.
The specific operation steps are as follows:
① Install and open the Adobe Acrobat Reader application on the Android phone, and then open the PDF file. Tap the (comment) icon at the bottom of the screen and select the (pen) icon.
② At this time, you can choose to handwrite your signature on the screen, or take a photo of your signature, or use a saved signature picture. After adding your signature, tap (Done). Finally, the signature will be displayed on the PDF file, and you can move, scale and place the signature in a suitable position.
If you are an iPhone/iPad user, you can use the built-in “markup” function to sign PDF.
The specific operation steps are as follows:
① Please open the PDF document in “Books” or the application, and click the (Mark) button at the top of the screen.
② Click the (+) button and select (Signature), where you can draw your signature. After entering the signature, click (Done), and then drag the signature to the appropriate position.
The above content has introduced a variety of methods to add a signature on the PDF, I believe you can find the most suitable method among them. In addition to signing PDF, if you need to perform other PDF editing operations, you can continue to read the introduction below.
To edit PDF, you need to use professional PDF editing software. The following will take Renee PDF Aide as an example to describe some common PDF editing operations.
Hot Topic - ADsRenee PDF Aide - Powerful PDF Editing Tool
Easy to use Friendly to computer beginners
Multifunctional Encrypt/decrypt/split/merge/add watermark
Safe Protect PDF with AES256 algorithms
Quick Edit/convert dozens of PDF files in batch
Compatible Convert PDF to Excel/PowerPoint/Text, etc.
Easy Use with simple steps
Functional Encrypt/decrypt/split/merge/watermark
Safe Protect PDF with AES256 algorithms
Free TrialFree TrialNow 800 people have obtained the free version! To split a PDF file is to split a multi-page PDF into multiple small PDF files according to requirements; or to remove redundant pages and keep only specified pages. If your PDF file is too large or has unwanted content, you can split it. With Renee PDF Aide Converter software, you don’t need to convert it to other editable file formats and then split it.
Split mode:
- Split into multiple smaller files.
- Keep specified pages (remove unneeded ones).
The specific operation steps are as follows:
① After opening the software, click (PDF Toolset).
② Click (Split) > (Add File) to import the PDF file.
③ Then, select one of the split modes. There are two split modes: split into multiple smaller files, retain specified pages (remove unnecessary).
④ Finally, click (Convert) to export the file.
Merge PDF files, as the name suggests, is to merge multiple PDF files into one PDF. Before merging, you can choose to specify pages to merge or merge all files directly.
The specific operation steps are as follows:
① After opening the software, click (PDF Toolset) > (Merge) > (Add File) to import the PDF file.
② In the drop-down box on the right of “Pages to Merge”, select (All) or (Use Generator). After one click (using the builder), you can manually select the pages to merge, or use the various options that the software provides to quickly select pages.
③ Finally, click (Convert) to export the file.
If the display angle of the PDF file is not correct, you can also adjust the display angle of the PDF file through this software. The angle options are 90, 180, and 270.
The specific operation steps are as follows:
① After opening the software, click (PDF Toolset) > (Rotate) > (Add File) to import the PDF file.
② Select the angle to be rotated in “Angle of rotation (clockwise)”.
③ Finally, click (Convert) to export the file.
In order to prevent PDF files from being stolen and used by others and protect the ownership of the files, personal watermarks can be added to the PDF. In Renee PDF Aide, you can add foreground watermark/background watermark to PDF files. Watermarks can choose images and PDF files.
The specific operation steps are as follows:
① After opening the software, click (PDF Toolset) > (Watermark) > (Add File) to import the PDF file.
② You can choose (Add watermark (cover surface)) or (Add background), and then choose (Watermark file) and (Location information).
③ Finally click (convert).
The “Image to PDF” function in the software refers to the conversion of multiple or single images into multiple or one PDF files.
The specific operation steps are as follows:
① Open Renee PDF Aide, click (PDF Toolset) > (Add File), and add the image to be converted. The image formats supported by the software are: BMP, PNG, JPG, GIF and TIFF.
② Click (Image to PDF), please choose “Merge into one file” or “One image per PDF file”.
Description of image conversion settings:
- Merge into one file: Generate all added pictures into one PDF file, and one page of PDF will be generated for one picture.
- One image and one PDF file: generate PDF files for all the added images, and generate a PDF file for each image.
③ After completing the output settings, click (Convert) to export.
Sometimes when encountering a large PDF file, the time to open the file will be relatively long. To save time, you can use the “Optimize” function to compress a large PDF file so that it can be opened quickly.
The specific operation steps are as follows:
① After opening the software, click (PDF Toolset) > (Optimize) > (Add File) to import the PDF file.
② Select optimization options:
- Online page loading speed (linearize): This option is suitable for PDF files to be uploaded to the website. After optimization, the PDF file loading will be smoother.
- Compress Images: Compress images in PDF files.
- Compress data stream: Compress PDF file data stream. (PDF file capacity becomes smaller)
③ Finally click (convert).
In the encrypted PDF file option, you can add password protection to the file to ensure that it will not be directly opened and modified by a third party. In addition, you can also set the relevant editing and printing permissions of the encrypted PDF file, such as whether to allow printing, modification, extraction of text and images, comments, form filling and signature. If you forget the password of the PDF file, you can also select the “Decrypt PDF file” option for quick decryption.
Steps to encrypt PDF:
① After opening the software, click (PDF Toolset) > (Encryption & Decryption) > (Add File) to import the PDF file.
② Select (encrypt PDF file). Then please enter the encryption password and set the editing and printing permissions of the file.
③ Finally click (Convert) to export PDF.
Steps to decrypt PDF:
① Select (Decrypt PDF file).
② Click (Modify), and enter a possible password in the pop-up window. NOTE: Please keep one password per line.
③ Finally, click (Convert) to export PDF.
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