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Sign a PDF in your browser

To sign a PDF with FontiaPDF, open it in the editor, press “Sign” and draw your signature with a mouse, finger or stylus, type it in a handwriting font or upload an image; then drop it into place and adjust its size. Signing is free, just like editing text: the free plan includes 20 exports a day with no sign-up and no watermark.

It is a visual signature, like the one you would write by hand on a printed page. It works for agreements, authorizations or forms that just need your signature, but it is not a certificate-based digital signature.

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A real example

An authorization letter is ready to hand in, except for the empty signature line at the bottom. We press “Sign”, draw the signature with the mouse on the “Draw” tab and press “Use signature”. The signature appears in the middle of the page, and we drag it onto the line. The text of the letter isn’t touched, and the signature stays saved in the browser for the next document.

Before

The authorization letter open in the editor, with its signature line still empty.

After

The same authorization letter with a drawn signature placed on the signature line.
A sample authorization letter, before and after adding a drawn signature.

How to sign a PDF in 3 steps

  1. Open the document

    Upload the PDF to the editor and press “Sign”; on a phone it is under “⋯ More”. If it is a form, you can fill it in before signing.

  2. Create your signature

    In “Add signature”, choose “Draw”, “Type” or “Upload” and press “Use signature”. The last 3 signatures you draw or type are saved in your browser so you can reuse them.

  3. Place it and download

    The signature shows up in the middle of the page: drag it into position, adjust the size and download the signed PDF.

Draw, type or upload: which one to use

  • “Draw”: trace your signature with a mouse, finger or stylus. You can pick a thin or thick stroke and ink or blue color, and “Clear” wipes it so you can start again. It is the closest thing to signing by hand.
  • “Type”: type your name and pick one of the handwriting fonts installed on your device; if none is found, the browser’s default cursive font is used. You choose the color here too, ink or blue. The signature is turned into an image, so it looks the same in every viewer.
  • “Upload”: use a photo or scan of your signature as a PNG or JPG, up to 5 MB. With a transparent PNG only the stroke shows; a JPG with a white background covers whatever is underneath, including the signature line itself.

Visual signature or advanced electronic signature: which one you need

What FontiaPDF adds is a visual signature: an image of your signature on the page, much like signing the paper and scanning it. In many places the law doesn’t reject a signature just because it is electronic, and for plenty of everyday documents this is exactly what is asked for: an authorization, a permission slip, an accepted quote, an internal form or a document the other party simply wants back signed.

Some processes ask for more: an advanced or qualified electronic signature, usually created with a certificate that verifies who is signing and seals the document so any later change can be detected. It is common for government filings, certain banking or notarized documents, and platforms that ask you to sign with your own certificate. If you aren’t sure which kind you need, ask whoever receives the document before you send it.

Before you send the signed PDF, check…

  • That the signature is on every page that needs it: on each one, press “Sign” and pick your signature under “Saved signatures”, with no need to draw it again.
  • That it landed in the right spot: if not, drag it again, or press Ctrl+Z to undo placing it and start over.
  • That the PDF didn’t already carry a certificate-based digital signature: downloading it from the editor saves the file again, and that signature will no longer validate. If the document also needs a certified signature, add your visual one first.
  • That the downloaded PDF looks the way you expect: open it and check the signature before sending it.
  • If you signed on a shared computer, that you deleted your saved signatures: press the × on each thumbnail under “Saved signatures”.

What’s preserved and what isn’t

Preserved

  • The document itself isn’t altered: the signature is added as an image on top of the page, and the text stays selectable.
  • Drawn and typed signatures become a transparent PNG cropped to the stroke: only the signature shows on the line, with no white box around it.
  • Signatures saved for reuse stay in your browser, not in an account.
  • You can move, resize or remove the signature before downloading, with a mouse or your finger.

Limits

  • It is not a certified digital signature: there is no certificate or timestamp, and it doesn’t lock the document against changes.
  • Digital signature fields in a form can’t be filled from the editor.
  • Uploaded signatures aren’t saved for reuse, and saved ones are kept at a lower resolution, up to 320 pixels wide: if you will print it large, draw it again.

Free or Premium

Free

20 exports a day, no sign-up and no watermark.

  • Drawn, typed or uploaded signature
  • Up to 3 signatures saved in your browser
  • Fill out forms and edit text

Premium

Unlimited exports and extra features.

  • Unlimited exports
  • Reorder, duplicate and extract pages from the panel
  • Password-protect the PDF

See plans and pricing

Frequently asked questions

Is signing a PDF free on FontiaPDF?

Yes. Drawing, typing or uploading your signature and placing it on the PDF is free, just like editing text or filling out forms: only each download counts, and the free plan includes 20 a day.

Is the signature legally binding?

That depends on your country and on what the other party requires. FontiaPDF places a visual signature with no certificate; if the process calls for an advanced or qualified electronic signature, you need a certificate provider.

Is my signature stored on a server?

No. Signatures you save for reuse, up to 3, stay in your browser. When you download, the signature travels encrypted with the PDF to our server to be embedded; it is processed in memory and discarded along with the file as soon as that is done, with no copies kept.

Can I sign a PDF on my phone?

Yes. On a phone, “Sign” is under “⋯ More”, and on the “Draw” tab you can trace your signature with your finger. The signature lands in the middle of the page: drag it into place with your finger and, to change its size, tap it and drag the corner handle.

What does Premium add?

Unlimited exports every day, reordering, duplicating and extracting pages from the panel, and password protection for the PDF. If you only need it for a few days, the Week Pass gives you 7 days of Premium for a one-time payment with no auto-renewal, and every plan comes with a 14-day money-back guarantee.

Ready to give it a try?

Upload your PDF and edit it in your browser, with no sign-up and nothing to install.

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