PDFMonks

Add a signature to a PDF

or drop one here
Choose a PDF first.

Draw, type or upload a visual signature, place it on the PDF page, and download only after the output is reopened and every mark is shown to be visible. The PDF and signature stay in this browser tab, processed locally with no account. This is a visible electronic signature, not a certificate signature: it adds your mark to the page but does not prove identity, timestamp the document, or create a tamper-evident audit trail.

How to add a signature to a PDF online

  1. Choose a PDF

    Press Choose a PDF, or drop one on the page. The file opens in this browser tab and never leaves your device.

  2. Create the signature

    Draw with a mouse, finger or stylus, type your name in a real font, or choose a PNG or JPG signature image. Light-background removal can turn white paper transparent while keeping darker ink visible.

  3. Place the marks

    Put the signature, initials, date or other short text on any page. Drag a selected mark to move it and use the size control to resize it. Page navigation lets you place marks on multiple pages in one pass.

  4. Read the check, then download

    The signed copy is reopened. Every mark must be visible, the page geometry must match the source, and the original selectable text must remain before the download appears. If any check fails, no file is offered.

A visible signature is not a certificate signature

This tool writes the signature onto the page as image content. It does not prove who signed, verify identity, issue a certificate, add a trusted timestamp, or create an audit trail. Use a certificate-based signing service when the recipient asks for a verifiable digital signature, a regulated eIDAS qualified signature, or a tamper-evident seal. What this tool produces is an electronic signature: page content that looks like your signature and survives the verification check.

What it does prove is narrower, and worth knowing. The signed copy is reopened, its page geometry and selectable text are compared with the source, and every marked page is rendered before and after so the pixels inside each mark can be checked for a visible change. If a mark did not survive, or a page lost text, the run stops with that error and there is no download to take. That is the difference between placing a mark and knowing the mark landed.

When to sign a PDF in the browser

Signing a PDF without uploading it fits the moments where a formal certificate is not required but a visible mark is. A contractor approving a change order, a freelancer countersigning a statement of work, a teacher signing a permission slip, an applicant signing a cover letter. In each case the document carries personal or financial detail, and posting it to a server to draw on it is the part that feels wrong.

The same applies to internal approvals. A manager initials a purchase request, a reviewer adds a date stamp next to their name, a second signer adds their mark after the first. When the document is a contract that already has a certificate signature, adding visible content can invalidate that certificate, so the tool warns and asks for confirmation. For a flat scan or a form that needs a mark before it goes back out, pair this with Fill PDF form to complete the fields first and Stamp PDF to add a date or page number alongside the signature.

Questions about signing a PDF

Is this a digital signature?
It is a visual electronic signature: page content that looks like your signature. It is not a certificate signature, timestamp, identity check or tamper-evident audit trail. Use a certificate service when the recipient requires a verifiable digital signature.
Does the signature leave my device?
No. The PDF and signature stay in this browser tab. The signature image is not sent to usage data, saved to local storage, or kept for another visit. No file content or signature bytes are sent over the network.
Can I sign on a phone?
Yes. The drawing pad and page marks use pointer controls that accept a finger, stylus, mouse or trackpad.
Can I use a photograph of a signature?
Yes. Choose a PNG or JPG. Light-background removal can make white paper transparent while keeping darker ink. Check the page preview before you run the tool.
What happens to an existing certificate signature?
Changing any page content can invalidate it. The tool warns when the PDF contains signature fields and requires confirmation before it runs. If the document already carries a certificate signature, consider whether a visible mark is worth invalidating it.
Does the tool keep selectable text?
Yes. It adds image marks to the existing pages without redrawing them. The check requires the page text to match the source and the page geometry to hold; a page that lost text stops the download.
What does the signed-PDF check prove?
It reopens every page, compares page geometry and selectable text, then renders the marked pages before and after and checks for visible pixel changes inside every mark. A mark that did not land stops the download.
Can I place a signature on every page?
Yes. Navigate to each page and place the mark, or place the same signature on multiple pages in one session. The size control adjusts each mark independently.

The other pdfmonks tools

They all run in a browser tab like this one, and none of them needs an account.

Where to go next