Sign PDFs easily in Preview on Apple devices

Did you know that, in the U.S., electronic signatures are just as valid as your good old handwritten ones? Pretty cool, right? 

But if you’re scratching your head wondering how to get your digital John Hancock on those online documents, you’re not alone.

Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered. 

Below, you’ll find an easy step-by-step guide to help you add your digital signature to documents on your Apple devices without the hassle of printing, signing, and scanning. Let’s dive in. (Windows users, follow these steps.)

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How to sign PDFs on your iPhone

One of the many advantages of owning an iPhone is the ability to sign documents electronically, even when you’re away from your laptop or desktop. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to sign any PDF you receive.

• After verifying that the sender is legitimate, open the PDF if it isn’t already viewable in the email.
• Hold and press the PDF if it is viewable in the body of the email, or click to open the PDF.
• In the pop-up window, select Markup and Reply
• On the bottom right of the Markup toolbar, tap the ‘+’ icon
• Select Add Signature

Steps to sign PDFs on your iPhone (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

• Select Add or Remove Signature
• Use your finger, stylus or Apple Pencil to sign your name
• Once you’re satisfied with your signature, select Done.

Steps to sign PDFs on your iPhone (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

• To resize the signature, drag the blue dots around it.
• To position the signature correctly, select and drag it to the correct position in the document.
• Then select Done
• A drop-down menu will give you the option to Reply to the original email you opened the PDF in or Save to Files if you want to save the PDF with your signature to your iPhone to email later.

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Steps to sign PDFs on your iPhone (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

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How to add your signature to a PDF or document using a Mac

A program called Preview comes standard on every Mac computer. It is a great and free tool to view or edit photos and PDFs. In addition to being able to crop and rotate pictures using Preview, you can annotate your PDF and easily add a signature right on your Apple laptop or desktop computer.

• Open the PDF document in Preview; if your PDF doesn’t open in Preview, right-click it, hover over Open with and select Preview.
• Once your document is open, tap Tools on the top of your toolbar.
• Scroll to Annotate, hover and then scroll to Signature and tap Manage Signatures…
• You can add your signature in three different ways: using the trackpad, camera or iPhone.

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Steps to add your signature to a PDF or document using a Mac (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

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Using your trackpad to create a signature

To use your trackpad or mouse to digitally create your signature:

• Press where it says Trackpad.
• Then tap Click Here to Begin and start signing with your mouse or trackpad. While a mouse might be more accurate, this option is a little sensitive and makes it a little trickier to recreate your signature as cleanly as you might want.
• Once you’ve created your signature, press any key, then click Done.
• Then click on your signature and hold it down while you use your trackpad to place it wherever you want on your document.
• If you want to resize it, drag the blue dots around the signature.
• When finished, click outside of the box surrounding your signature and save your document by clicking File in the upper left-hand corner of your screen and then scrolling down and clicking Save. 

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Using your camera to create a signature

For this option, you will have to pull out a piece of paper and a pen and sign your name on the piece of paper, or if you have a hard copy of the document with your signature already on it.

• First, press where it says Camera.
• Then tap Click Here to Begin
• Sign your name onto a white piece of paper, and then hold it up facing the camera so that your signature is level with the blue line in the window.
• When your signature appears in the window, click Done.
• Then click on your signature and hold it down while you use your trackpad to place it wherever you want on your document.
• If you want to resize it, drag the blue dots around the signature.
• When finished, click outside of the box surrounding your signature and save your document by clicking File in the upper left-hand corner of your screen and then scrolling down and clicking Save. 

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Steps to use your camera to create a signature (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

Using your iPhone or iPad to create a signature

If you have both a Mac and an iPhone or iPad, this might be the easiest option:

• If your devices are connected, when you select the iPhone or iPad option in Preview’s signature manager, your phone will display a box for you to sign with your finger. Go ahead and sign.
• Once you’ve signed your signature, then tap Done, and it will appear back on your Mac in Preview.
• Then click on your signature and hold it down while you use your trackpad to place it wherever you want on your document.
• If you want to resize it, drag the blue dots around the signature.
• When finished click outside of the box surrounding your signature and save your document by clicking File in the upper left-hand corner of your screen and then scrolling down and clicking Save. 

Once you’ve created your signature on your iPhone, iPad or Mac, your new digital signature should be available across any of those devices that share the same Apple ID.

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Kurt’s key takeaways

Gone are the days when signing your documents and getting them to the necessary parties was time-consuming and expensive. Because digital signatures are just as binding as handwritten signatures in most circumstances, using any of the methods to create an electronic signature helps get your important documents signed and emailed.

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Do you have an electronic signature ready to go? If not, how will you create one? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact.

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