How to sign a PDF

Updated October 25, 2026

Draw your signature once, place it on any page, add the date, and save a signed copy, without uploading the document.

Signing without printing

Printing a document, signing it with a pen and scanning it back in takes time and usually produces a crooked, grey copy. Adding your signature directly to the PDF gives a clean result in under a minute. With PDF One the document and your signature stay on your own device the whole time.

Step by step

  1. Open the PDF in PDF One and go to the page that needs your signature.
  2. Open Fill & Sign and choose Sign & Stamp.
  3. Draw your signature with a mouse, trackpad, finger or stylus. Take your time; you can clear it and try again. Choose the ink colour (dark blue or black look most natural).
  4. Place the signature on the page, then drag it into position and resize it so it fits the signature line.
  5. Add the date, your printed name or a checkmark with the text and stamp tools if the form asks for them.
  6. Click Save a copy to store the signed PDF on your device, then send it as you normally would.

Using an image of your signature

If you already have a scan of your handwritten signature, you can add it as an image instead of drawing. A PNG with a transparent background looks best because the paper colour of the scan does not show as a white box. PDF One keeps transparency when it places the image.

Is a drawn signature legally valid?

In many countries a simple electronic signature, such as a drawn signature on a PDF, is accepted for everyday agreements: rental forms, school permissions, delivery notes and many business documents. Some documents, such as certain real-estate, court or notarised papers, need a certified digital signature or a wet-ink signature. PDF One adds your signature as an image on the page; it is not a certified digital signature. If you are unsure what a particular document requires, ask the person or organisation that sent it.

Keep your signature safe

Because PDF One never uploads anything, your signature image is not stored on any server where it could leak. Still, treat signed documents with care: only send them to people who need them, and keep the unsigned original in case you need to make changes later.

Open the PDF One editor

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