Adobe Acrobat will most definitely be integral to you if you’re someone who deals with a lot of PDFs daily. However, you might have also used other PDF services in the past, simply because Acrobat lacks advanced editing tools unless you pay for its offering. If you wish to add your signature to a PDF, then the following post should help you do just that from any device you use.
On Web
The following methods can be used from any device, phone, PC, or tablet as long as you have a web browser installed on them and you’re connected to the internet
Method #1: Using Acrobat Web
You can add your signature or initials to a PDF file directly on Acrobat web using the “Fill and sign” utility. This utility doesn’t need you to download additional software on your desktop or an app on your phone and can be accessed from any web browser you use on your devices.
To sign a PDF file, go to the Fill and sign page on Acrobat Web and click on the ‘Select a file’ option on the screen.
In the popup window that appears, select the PDF file you wish to add a signature to and then click on the ‘Select a file’ option.
Your PDF file will now be uploaded onto the Adobe Document Cloud.
Acrobat web will now prompt you to sign in or sign up to be able to proceed to add a signature to the uploaded PDF and also download the signed PDF file. Select your preferred sign-in process by clicking on it and follow the on-screen instructions.
You will now be taken to the editing screen where you’ll be able to add a signature or initials to your uploaded PDF file.
To add a signature to the PDF, click on the signature icon from the toolbar at the top and select either the ‘Add Signature’ or ‘Add Initials’ option depending on what you want to add to the document.
You will have three ways to add a signature.
By default, Acrobat will create a signature with your complete name stylishly. You can change the text here however you wish to add it to the document. Choose this option if you don’t have a pre-saved image of your signature.
You can also manually sign on the provided field using your mouse or touch screen after clicking on the Pen icon at the top.
Perhaps the most useful and preferred option will be the ability to add your own signature that you saved as an image earlier. To do your signature from an image, click on the image icon from the top left corner, and click on the ‘Select image’ option on the screen.
In the popup window that appears, locate and select your signature image file and click on the ‘Open’ option.
After your signature has been uploaded, it will appear on the screen. To add it to the PDF document, click on the ‘Apply’ option.
The signature will be added to the PDF. Drag and move it anywhere you want it to position it properly.
You can also enlarge the signature by clicking on the circle beside it and dragging it to your preferred size.
Once you have made the final touches to your PDF, click on the ‘Share’ button at the top and select the ‘Download a copy’ option that pops up.
The newly created signed PDF file will now be downloaded onto your default downloads folder.
Method #2: Using the SmallPDF app
Similar to Acrobat Web’s offering, you can also sign documents using SmallPDF’s eSign tool on any of your devices on the web. To sign a PDF file, go to the eSign PDF page on SmallPDF and click on the ‘Choose file’ option on the screen.
A menu will pop up on your screen, asking you when you want to upload the PDF file from. Select the ‘From device’ option to choose the file from your local storage.
In the popup window that appears, select the PDF file you wish to add a signature to and then click on the ‘Select a file’ option.
Your PDF file will now loaded onto the SmallPDF screen.
To add your signature to the document, click on the ‘Your Signature’ option at the bottom.
Select either ‘Create signature’ or ‘Create initials’ depending on how you want to sign the PDF.
If you wish to add your signature by drawing it on SmallPDF or by typing it, you can click on ‘Draw’ or ‘Type’ tabs from the sidebar and create a proper signature.
If you have an already existing signature saved as an image, you can add that by selecting the ‘Upload’ tab from the sidebar.
To do your signature from an image, click on the ‘Select image’ option on the screen.
In the popup window that appears, locate and select your signature image file and click on the ‘Open’ option.
After your signature has been uploaded, it will appear on the screen. To add it to the PDF document, click on the ‘Create’ option.
The signature will be added to the PDF. Drag and move it anywhere you want it to position it properly. You can also enlarge the signature by clicking and dragging on the corners beside it and dragging it to your preferred size.
Once you have made the final touches to your PDF, click on the ‘Finish & Sign’ button at the top right corner.
To download the signed PDF file, click on the ‘Save’ option.
You can save it on your phone or PC by clicking on the ‘Save to device’ option that pops up.
The newly created signed PDF file will now be downloaded onto your default downloads folder.
On iOS
You can use the iPhone’s native Markup tool to add a signature to your PDF documents or by using the Adobe Fill & Sign app.
Method #1: Using Markup tool
The Markup tool is built-in across all iOS devices including iPhones and iPads and can be used to draw over or mark any image or document that can be edited. To add a signature using Markup, open your file from the Files app or Mail app.
When the PDF file is opened, tap on the Markup icon from the top-right corner.
You can tap on the ‘+’ icon at the bottom right corner and select the ‘Signature’ option to create your signature.
In the next screen, create a signature by drawing on the screen and when done tap on the ‘Done’ option.
When you tap on ‘Done’, your signature will be added to the document. You can tap and drag on the signature to move to the preferred position of the PDF file. You can enlarge it by tapping and dragging on any of its corners.
Your PDF file with the signature is now ready. You can save the document by tapping on the ‘Share’ icon at the bottom left.
Next, tap on the ‘Save to Files’ option on the screen to save the PDF on your local storage.
Method #2: Using Adobe Fill & Sign
If iOS’ Markup tool doesn’t fit your requirements, you can download and install the Adobe Fill & Sign app by either searching for it from the App Store or using this link. After you have installed the app on your iPhone, open it.
When the Adobe Fill & Sign app is open, select the PDF file you want to sign by tapping on the ‘Select a form to fill out’ option.
Inside the PDF file, tap on the Fountain pen icon from the bottom toolbar.
Select the ‘Create Signature’ option from the popup menu.
If you wish to draw the signature on your own, you can tap on the ‘Draw’ tab from the top, drawing and then tap on ‘Done’.
If you want to add a signature from an already signed document, tap on the ‘Camera’ tab from the top, capture a picture of a signature and then tap on ‘Done’.
If you already have a signature saved on your phone, you can add that to the document by tapping on the ‘Image’ tab from the top.
You will now be asked to select an image with your signature. Tap on the signature image from your library.
In the next screen, you will be able to see your signature. Make sure your whole signature has been selected and then tap on the ‘Done’ button at the top right corner.
Tap on ‘Done’ again on the next screen.
Your selected signature will be added to the PDF file. You can drag it to any preferred location inside the document and enlarge it by tapping and dragging the two-headed arrow to the left and right until you get a preferred size.
To download the newly signed document, tap on the Share icon at the bottom right corner.
Now, select the ‘Save to Files’ option from the popup menu to save it on your library.
On Android
If you own an Android device, you can add a signature to documents using the Adobe Fill & Sign app. You can install Adobe Fill & Sign from Google Play from the highlighted link.
When the Adobe Fill & Sign app is open, select the PDF file you want to sign by tapping on the ‘Select a form to fill out’ option.
Select the ‘From PDF file’ option on the screen.
In the next screen, select the PDF file from your file library. Inside the PDF file, tap on the Fountain pen icon from the toolbar at the top.
Select the ‘Create Signature’ option from the popup menu.
Unlike the Adobe Fill & Sign app on iOS, you cannot type or add a signature from another image. On the Android version of the app, you’ll have to draw the signature on the screen and then tap on the ‘Done’ button at the top right corner.
To add the signature you just created, tap on the Fountain pen icon from the toolbar at the top.
Now, select the signature that you just created from the options on the screen.
The selected signature will now be added to your document.
Drag it to any preferred location inside the document and enlarge it by tapping and dragging the two-headed arrow to the left and right until you get a preferred size.
After all the modifications to the signed document have been made, it will be saved automatically on your device. You can share this PDF file by tapping on the Share icon at the top.
That’s how you add a signature to PDF files.
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