How to sign a PDF on a Mac

You don't need to print, sign and scan. Here are two ways to sign a PDF on your Mac, both offline.

Free: sign with Preview

Preview is the PDF app built into every Mac, so you can sign without installing anything.

1. Open the PDF in Preview.
2. If the markup toolbar isn't showing, click Show Markup Toolbar (the pen tip), then click the Sign button.
3. The first time, create a signature in one of three ways:
   • Trackpad: sign with your finger, press any key, then click Done. On a Force Touch trackpad, pressing harder gives a darker line.
   • Camera: sign on white paper, hold it up level with the blue line, and click Done when it appears.
   • iPhone or iPad: sign on the device's screen with your finger or Apple Pencil, then tap Done (the device needs to meet Apple's Continuity requirements).
4. Click the signature to add it to the page, drag it onto the line and use the handles to resize it.
5. Save with ⌘S.

If you use iCloud Drive, signatures you create in Preview also appear on your other Macs. To delete one, click Sign, point at the signature and click the X next to it.

Signing with your iPhone or iPad

A trackpad signature can look shaky. Drawing on your iPhone or iPad gives a more natural result, and you don't need a separate app: in Preview's Sign menu choose the iPhone or iPad option, sign on the phone, and the signature appears on your Mac ready to place. Your iPhone's own Files and Mail apps also include a Markup signature tool for quick signatures on the go.

That works for an occasional signature. People switch to a dedicated app when they sign often, need the date and initials too, or work with forms and scans as well.

With Stillpage

1. Open the PDF in Stillpage and click Sign.
2. Choose New Signature…, then type your name in a handwriting style or draw it. Leave Save this signature for next time ticked to reuse it.
3. Click on the page where it goes. Drag to move it, drag the corner to resize, press ⌫ to remove it.
4. Click Date or Check to add today's date or a tick the same way.
5. Save with ⌘S.

Which method should you use?

Electronic signature or digital signature?

They sound alike but are different things. An electronic signature is your name or handwriting placed on the document, which is what both methods above create. A digital signature is a cryptographic seal made with a certificate; it proves who signed and shows if the file was changed afterwards. Most everyday paperwork (leases, consent forms, invoices, HR forms) asks for the first kind.

Is a typed or drawn signature acceptable?

In many places, including the US and the UK, electronic signatures are generally accepted for everyday agreements. Some documents, such as wills or certain property and court papers, may still need a handwritten signature or a specific process. If the stakes are high, check with whoever asked you to sign.

Tips

• Sign on the line rather than over text, and keep the signature a similar size to handwriting.
• Add the date next to it if the document asks for one.
• Keep a copy of the signed PDF before you send it.