How to use Sign PDF
- Choose one PDF and select the page that needs your signature.
- Draw your signature or type your name, then choose its position, width and optional date.
- Add the electronic signature and download the new PDF after checking the result.
What this tool changes
The tool draws your signature strokes as a transparent PNG or writes your typed name in an italic embedded font on the selected page. It can also add the date you entered beneath the mark; the original PDF is not overwritten.
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This adds a visible electronic signature mark. It does not create a certificate-backed digital signature, verify identity, provide an audit trail or determine whether the signature is legally sufficient for a particular document. The drawing pad is 600 × 180 pixels and the whole pad, blank areas included, is placed on the page, so a drawn mark is always 0.3 times as tall as the width you set: 51 points at the default 170, 24 points at the minimum of 80 and 84 points at the maximum of 280. Sign large across the pad, because a small scribble in one corner leaves empty space that pushes the visible ink away from the position you picked. A single tap without moving the pointer does not count as ink. A typed name starts at 42 points and shrinks until it fits the width, never going below 16 points, so the width works as a ceiling and a short name can stay narrower than the setting. The italic font covers Western European letters, including accents such as é and ø, while Greek, Cyrillic, Chinese, Arabic or emoji characters stop the tool with an error instead of producing a signed file. Placement uses the stored page dimensions and ignores any rotation setting, so on a scan that only looks upright because a viewer turns it, the mark can come out sideways and in a different spot. Running that file through Resize PDF Pages at its current paper size first redraws such pages upright.
Sign a PDF with your own electronic signature
Use this tool when a completed document needs a visible signature from you before it is returned, filed or shared. Choose one PDF, select the exact page, create the signature and download a new signed copy. The original document remains unchanged. The entire job runs in this browser tab, so PDF North does not receive the PDF or the signature strokes.
Draw a signature or type your name
The drawing pad works with a mouse, stylus or touchscreen. Write inside the bordered area and use Clear drawing if you want to start again. The pad is saved as a transparent PNG so the page remains visible around the ink. For keyboard users, switch the signature method to Type your name and enter the name that should appear. The typed option uses an embedded italic font and does not depend on drawing gestures.
These two methods create a visible electronic mark. They do not capture or verify a government identity document, email address, network address, signing time from a trusted authority or consent record. Only enter and use a signature that you are authorised to apply.
Choose the signed page and placement
Enter the PDF page number that contains the signature line. Horizontal and vertical controls divide the page into nine practical positions: top, middle or bottom combined with left, centre or right. The signature width controls its size while preserving the drawn image proportions. A bottom-right position works for many approval blocks; bottom-left can suit forms with labels on the left. Check the downloaded document because page layouts and existing content vary.
Add an optional signing date
The date field is optional. When supplied, PDF North writes that exact ISO-style date beneath the signature mark. The date is information you enter, not a trusted timestamp. It is not independently verified and should not be described as proof of when the document was signed. Leave it blank when the document already includes a separate date field or when another signing process controls the official time.
Electronic signature versus digital signature
This tool adds an electronic signature: a visible representation of your name or handwritten mark. A certificate-backed digital signature is different. Digital signing uses cryptographic keys and a certificate so compatible software can test whether the signed bytes changed and inspect information about the certificate. PDF North does not issue certificates, verify identities, lock later changes or create a cryptographic signature field.
Many everyday workflows accept an electronic signature, but requirements depend on the document, organisation and jurisdiction. PDF North does not determine legal validity and does not provide legal advice. Use the recipient's approved signing platform when they require identity checks, multiple signers, an audit trail, a completion certificate or a qualified digital signature.
What happens to an existing signed PDF?
Saving any edited PDF can affect an existing digital signature or certification. Do not use this tool to add another mark to a document whose current certificate validity must be preserved. Keep the original, inspect the finished copy in a trusted PDF reader and confirm that the signature appears on the intended page without covering important text. Password-protected PDFs are not supported.
Private processing and temporary downloads
The selected PDF is read with pdf-lib inside the current browser. Drawn strokes and typed names remain in local browser memory while the page is open. The generated download uses a temporary browser URL that is released when the page closes or reloads. Files are limited to 60 MB and 250 pages to reduce the risk of exhausting device memory, although very complex files can still take longer on a phone.
Prepare the document before signing
Finish structural changes before applying the signature. Use Merge PDF if several approved sections belong in one document, Reorder PDF Pages if the sequence is wrong, or Add PDF Page Numbers before signing the final layout. If the file carries properties you should not share, review the limitations of Remove PDF Metadata and run it before signing, because later editing can invalidate certificate-based signatures. Always retain an untouched source copy.
Frequently asked questions
Is this a certificate-backed digital signature?
No. Draw or Type adds a visible electronic mark: ink saved as a transparent PNG, or your typed name in an italic font. PDF North does not issue certificates, verify your identity, lock later edits or create a cryptographic signature field.
Can I place the signature on a specific page?
Yes. Enter the page number, then choose left, centre or right and top, middle or bottom. Signature width is measured in PDF points, from 80 to 280. Check the download, because page layouts differ and the mark can cover existing text. The preview switches to the page number you enter, but it shows that page without the mark, so the download is the only place to see where it landed. Corner and edge positions keep the mark 32 points, a little over 11 mm, in from the page edges.
What does the optional signing date prove?
Nothing beyond the date you typed. If you fill in the date field, that exact date is written under the mark. It is not a trusted timestamp and it is not independent proof of when the file was signed. Leave the field blank if you do not want a date on the page. The date is printed the way the date picker stores it, year first, so 7 October 2026 appears as 2026-10-07 in small 10-point type lined up with the left edge of the mark.
Will signing upload my PDF or my signature?
No. The document and the drawing or typed name stay in this browser while the tab is open. Do not use this tool on a file whose existing certificate must stay valid, because saving an edit can break that signature. Password-protected PDFs are not supported. The download keeps your file name with -signed added, so lease.pdf saves as lease-signed.pdf, and the result line names the page that received the mark.
Can several people sign the same PDF in one go?
No. Each run adds one electronic mark to one page. There is no second signer, signing order or completion certificate. Someone else can open the downloaded copy and add their own visible mark later, which can also disturb an existing certificate.
What if the signature is too large for the page?
Width stays between 80 and 280 points, and the mark plus any date must fit on the page with a margin. If it does not fit, the tool stops instead of clipping the ink. Reduce the width, shorten a long typed name, or clear the pad and draw again.
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