Whether you’re a professional, an entrepreneur, or a student, knowing how to sign a PDF is an essential skill. Of course, you can print it, sign it, then scan it, but there are much easier ways to sign PDF documents, whether you’re on your computer or phone.

In this article, we will explore the step-by-step process of signing a PDF and help you add your digital signature easily.

How to Add Signature to PDF Document on PCs

Given the sensitive and confidential data that are often in PDF files, we would recommend using offline PDF editors that allow you to edit on your own computer rather than in the cloud. (Of course, there are reputable online PDF editors that don’t send any of your data to their servers, but we won’t look into them in this tutorial.)

If you’re on your PC, we would recommend Foxit PDF Reader for signing your PDFs. Here is how to do it:

1. Download Foxit PDF Reader from its official website. Make sure you download the FREE Foxit PDF Reader, not the Foxit Editor – which charges a fee.

2. Sign your name on a piece of blank paper, and take a picture of it.

3. Send the photo to your computer by using email, Google Photos, or even a direct cable connection.

4. Open Foxit Reader and the PDF file you want to sign, then select Fill & Sign.

5. Click the plus sign to create the signature.

6. Click Import, then Upload Signature.

7. Click OK.

8. Left-click the place where you want to place the signature. You can also click the signature to adjust its size or position.

9. Once you’re satisfied with the state and positioning of your signature, press the Ctrl and S keys on your keyboard to apply the signature and save the file.

How to Add Signature to PDFs on Mobile Phones

You can easily sign the PDF on your phone without printing it with Adobe Acrobat Reader. Here is how to do it:

1 Download the free Adobe Acrobat Reader from Google Play Store if you’re on an Android device and Apple Store if you’re using an iPhone.

2. Open the PDF file you’d like to sign on Adobe Reader.

3. Tap the pencil icon in the lower right corner.

4. Tap Fill & Sign.

5. Tap the fountain pen icon.

6. Tap Add signature.

7. You can use your finger to sign on the screen. then click Done.

Or, you can click Image to import your image signature.

8. Once you’re done creating your signature, tap anywhere to add your signature to the document. You can tap the signature to move it, resize it, or delete it if you don’t want it.

9. Once you’re satisfied with the state and positioning of your signature, tap Done to save the file.