Sign a PDF: How to Draw, Type or Upload a Signature

To sign a PDF, open the Sign PDF tool, add your document, click the signature button in the viewer toolbar, then draw, type or upload your signature and click where it should go. Click Save Signed PDF to download the signed copy. Everything happens in your browser.

Most everyday signing, such as a consent form, a supplier letter or a timesheet, only needs your signature to appear on the page. That is what the Sign PDF tool does. Some documents need more: proof of who signed and evidence that nothing changed afterwards. That needs a certificate-based digital signature, which is a different tool. This guide covers both and explains which to use when.

How to sign a PDF with Priya LifePDF

1. Open the tool. Go to Sign PDF.
2. Add your PDF. Drag one PDF onto the upload area or click to browse. The document opens in a viewer on the page.
3. Open the signature tool. In the viewer toolbar, click the signature button (the pen icon), then choose to add a signature.
4. Create your signature. In the Add a signature dialog, choose Type to type your name, Draw to sign with a mouse, trackpad or touchscreen, or Image to upload a picture of your signature. Click Add.
5. Place it. Click on the page where the signature should appear. Drag it into position and adjust its size.
6. Repeat if needed. Add further signatures or initials on the same page or on other pages.
7. Save. Click Save Signed PDF below the viewer. The file downloads with signed_ added to the start of its name.

If you click save before adding anything, the tool tells you no signature was found, so an unsigned copy is not downloaded by mistake.

What are the signature options?

• Type turns your typed name into a signature.
• Draw lets you sign by hand and includes a thickness control for the line.
• Image accepts a picture of your handwritten signature. The viewer converts the image into a signature outline, so a dark signature on a plain white background works best. If it cannot find a signature in the image, it says so and asks you to try another picture.
• Description is the signature's alt text, which screen readers announce. For a drawn signature it defaults to "Signature", and you can change it.
• Save signature keeps the signature in your browser's local storage so you can reuse it next time. Up to five signatures can be saved, and you can delete them from the same menu. Anyone who uses the same browser profile can see saved signatures, so leave this unticked on a shared computer.

Visual signature or digital signature: which do you need?

The Sign PDF tool adds a visual signature. It is saved into the PDF as an annotation that shows your signature on the page. It does not contain a certificate, it does not identify you cryptographically, and it does not stop someone from moving, deleting or copying it in another PDF editor. It is the electronic equivalent of signing a printout and scanning it.

A digital signature is different. The Digital Signature tool signs the file with an X.509 certificate that you supply as a PFX, P12 or PEM file with its password. You can add a reason, location and contact details, and optionally a visible signature box with text or an image. Because the signature is calculated over the file's contents, changes made after signing can be detected by software that checks signatures. To inspect the signatures in a signed PDF, including the signer, the certificate issuer and the certificate's validity dates, use Validate Signature.

As a rule of thumb, use Sign PDF when the other party simply needs to see your signature, and use a certificate-based digital signature when your organisation or the recipient requires identity and tamper evidence. You can also do both: place your visual signature first, then apply the digital signature to the finished file, because later edits would otherwise be detected as changes.

Whether a signature has legal effect depends on the jurisdiction, the type of document and the type of signature. In the EU, Regulation (EU) No 910/2014 (eIDAS) recognises simple, advanced and qualified electronic signatures, and only a qualified electronic signature has the same legal effect as a handwritten one across the EU. A drawn or typed signature is generally a simple electronic signature. Neither tool on its own makes a signature qualified; that depends on the certificate and how it was issued. If the stakes are high, check what the recipient or your legal adviser requires.

Tips and common mistakes

• Check every page before saving. Scroll through the viewer to confirm each signature is on the right page and not covering any text.
• Fill in forms first. If the PDF has form fields, complete them with Form Filler, then sign the completed file.
• Crop your signature photo. A tightly cropped, well-lit image gives a cleaner outline than a full phone photo of a sheet of paper.
• Keep the unsigned original. The signed file is a new download, so you can start again from the original if something goes wrong.
• Do not sign after digitally signing. Adding a visual signature to a digitally signed PDF changes the file after it was signed.

Is your document or signature uploaded?

No. The PDF opens and is signed inside your browser tab, and the signed file is created on your device. Neither the document nor your signature is uploaded to a server. Saved signatures stay in your browser's local storage. You can confirm the no-upload behaviour yourself by following our guide on how to check if a PDF tool uploads your files, and read is it safe to upload PDFs to online converters? for why this matters.

Example: signing a supplier confidentiality agreement

A procurement lead at a small biotech receives a confidentiality agreement from a laboratory equipment supplier as a PDF, with a request to sign and return it. The supplier only asks for a signed copy by email. They open it in Sign PDF, draw their signature and initials on the pages marked for signing, check the placement and save the signed copy. The agreement never leaves their laptop until they choose to send it.

Records in a regulated quality system are a different matter. An approval signature on a batch record, SOP or validation report usually has to meet requirements such as 21 CFR Part 11 in the United States or EU GMP Annex 11, which depend on controls like unique user identity and audit trails. A signature drawn onto a PDF does not meet those requirements by itself, and Priya LifePDF is a general-purpose tool, not a validated GxP system. Use your approved electronic signature system for those records; our article on online PDF tools in pharma and GMP work explains the questions to ask.