Sign PDF

You can sign a PDF document by uploading it to an online signing tool, then drawing, typing, or uploading your signature. Once placed and positioned on the page, you download the completed file. No desktop software is needed - the entire process runs directly in your browser within seconds.

Yes. PDFDeal's signing tool runs entirely in your browser using the JavaScript File API and pdf-lib. Your PDF is loaded into browser memory and never transmitted to a server. The signature is rendered onto the page locally and the signed file is downloaded directly from your browser tab. No copy of your document is ever sent over the network, which makes it safe for contracts, legal forms, and other sensitive documents.

Creating a signature for your PDF is simple. You can draw your signature using a mouse or touchscreen, type your full name and choose a handwriting-style font, or upload a photo of your handwritten signature. Once created, drag it onto the document wherever the signature field appears and adjust the size to fit.

In most countries, electronic signatures on PDFs are legally binding under laws such as the eIDAS regulation in Europe and the ESIGN Act in the United States. However, it is important to understand what type of signature you are adding. A drawn or typed signature placed with PDFDeal is a visual electronic signature - it looks like your handwriting on the page but does not contain a cryptographic certificate. A cryptographic digital signature, by contrast, is issued by a certificate authority and embeds verifiable identity data into the PDF file itself. For most everyday contracts, offer letters, and agreements, a visual electronic signature is legally sufficient. Documents requiring a certified or qualified electronic signature - such as certain government submissions or regulated financial contracts - may require the cryptographic type. Always verify the requirements for your specific document and jurisdiction.

Yes. Our signing tool is fully responsive and works on smartphones and tablets through any modern browser. You can draw your signature with your finger directly on the touchscreen, making it easy to approve documents on the go without needing a separate mobile app. After signing, download the file straight to your device.

An electronic signature is any digital mark that represents your intent to sign - a drawn image, a typed name, or an uploaded image of your handwriting. It is visual and carries legal weight in most jurisdictions for standard agreements. A digital signature is a specific technical standard that uses a cryptographic key pair issued by a certificate authority. The certificate is embedded in the PDF and allows any recipient to verify that the document has not been altered since signing and that the signer's identity was verified by a trusted third party. PDFDeal adds visual electronic signatures. If your workflow requires cryptographic verification and tamper-evidence, you need a certificate-based digital signature from a service that issues signing certificates.

Yes. You can place as many signature elements as needed on a single document. Each time you click to add a signature, a new signature object is placed as a separate annotation layer on the page. This lets you sign multiple fields, add initials, or include a date stamp alongside your signature. Each element can be independently repositioned and resized before downloading.

Not directly. Password-protected PDFs are encrypted and cannot be opened or modified until decrypted. Remove the password first using the Remove Password tool, then open the unlocked file in the signing tool. After signing, you can re-apply password protection using the Protect PDF tool if needed.

Yes, slightly. Each signature is stored as an annotation object in the PDF structure. A drawn signature is saved as a vector path or a small embedded image, which adds a modest amount of data. A typed signature rendered in a font adds very little. An uploaded image signature adds more depending on the image resolution. For most documents the increase is small enough to be unnoticeable, but if file size is a concern after signing you can run the result through the compress PDF tool.

Yes. The signature is embedded into the PDF content stream by pdf-lib when you download the file, so it is part of the document itself and will appear in any PDF viewer on any device. It is not a browser overlay or a temporary layer - it is written permanently into the file structure. The recipient does not need any special software or plugin to see it.