Sign a PDF Online — Draw Your Signature | KhanTools
PDF Sign lets you draw your signature and stamp it onto a PDF, so you can sign a rental agreement, a school permission slip or a timesheet without printing and scanning. The file never leaves your browser.
Signing a PDF, step by step
- Click Choose PDF and pick the document you need to sign. Its name appears next to the button.
- Draw your signature in the box with a mouse, a trackpad, or your finger or stylus on a phone or tablet. The ink is dark blue. Not happy with it? Click Clear signature and try again.
- Under Position on PDF, enter the Page number where the signature should go.
- Set X (distance from the left edge) and Y (distance from the top edge) to move the signature to the signature line.
- Set Width and Height to size it. The defaults are 200 by 60.
- Click Embed Signature, then Download Signed PDF. Open the file and check the placement.
Getting the position right
There’s no page preview to drag the signature around, so placement works with numbers. It sounds fiddly, but it takes one or two tries.
The numbers are PDF units, called points. An A4 page is about 595 wide and 842 tall. A US Letter page is 612 by 792. So a signature line near the bottom of an A4 page sits at a Y value of roughly 700 to 780, and the middle of the page is around X 300.
If the first attempt lands in the wrong spot, note how far off it is and adjust X or Y. Then click Choose PDF and pick your original file again. Your drawing stays in the box, so you only need to click Embed Signature once more.
- Your drawing is stretched to fit the width and height you enter. The drawing box is about four times wider than it is tall, so keep that shape (for example 240 by 60) to avoid a squashed signature.
- Sign large and fill most of the box. A small scribble in one corner ends up tiny on the page.
- The background of the signature is transparent, so the form's signature line still shows through.
- If you type a page number higher than the document has, the signature goes on the last page.
Why signing in the browser matters
Leases, employment contracts and consent forms often carry your address, ID numbers and bank details. With this tool the PDF is opened, signed and saved inside your browser using the pdf-lib library. Neither the document nor your signature is uploaded to our server.
Limits worth knowing
- One signature on one page per run. For more pages, see the FAQ below.
- Signatures are drawn only. There’s no option to type your name in a font or upload a picture of your signature.
- The pen colour is fixed to dark blue.
- Password-protected PDFs can’t be opened. Save a copy without the password in your PDF reader first.
- It doesn’t add text, dates or initials, and it doesn’t fill in form fields.
- The signed file keeps your original name with
-signed added, so lease.pdf becomes lease-signed.pdf.
A note on what kind of signature this is
This tool places an image of your handwritten signature on the page. That’s generally treated as a simple electronic signature, and it’s accepted for many everyday documents.
It isn’t a certificate-based digital signature, which uses a cryptographic certificate to prove who signed and that the file wasn’t changed afterwards. Some banks, courts, government offices and businesses require that kind. If you’re unsure, ask the person or organisation that sent you the document what they accept.
Related tools
If you have to sign several separate files and send them as one, sign each with this tool and then combine them with PDF Merge. To add a printed name or the date next to your signature, use Add Text to PDF. To draft a covering note, try the Text Editor. For a profile photo to go with an application, Circle Image Crop and Background Remover can help.
Frequently asked questions
Is my PDF uploaded when I sign it?
No. The document and your drawn signature are processed in your browser and the signed copy is saved straight to your device.
Can I sign on my phone?
Yes. The signature box works with touch, so you can sign with your finger or a stylus.
How do I sign more than one page?
Sign the first page and download the file. Click Choose PDF and pick that signed copy. Your drawing stays in the box, so just change the page number and position, then embed again.
Why does my signature look stretched?
The drawing is scaled to the width and height you set. Keep the width about four times the height, for example 200 by 50 or 240 by 60.
Nothing happened when I clicked Embed Signature. Why?
Check that you’ve chosen a PDF and drawn something in the box. A password-protected PDF will also fail, so remove the password first.
Is this a legally binding signature?
It’s a simple electronic signature: a picture of your handwriting placed on the document. Many people and organisations accept that, but some require a certificate-based digital signature. Check with whoever asked you to sign.
Can I change the ink colour?
No. The signature is always drawn in dark blue.
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