TanodTools
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Sign a PDF

Draw or type your signature, put it where you want it on a page, add the date if you like, and save the signed PDF. It all happens on your device.

Your files never leave your device

Drop a PDF here

Or drag it anywhere on this page.

Opened on this device. Nothing is uploaded.

One PDF at a time, up to 200 MB and 500 pages. The signature is added to the page as a picture. It is not a digital signature with a certificate, so it does not prove who signed or that the file was left unchanged. Password-protected PDFs can't be edited.

How to sign a PDF

  1. Choose a PDF file, or drag it onto the page.
  2. Draw your signature, or switch to Typing and enter your name. Tick the box to add the date.
  3. Pick the page, then drag the signature into place, tap where it should go, or use the sliders for position and size. Press Add signature and download the signed PDF.

How a signature gets onto a PDF page

A PDF page is a fixed layout, so signing it means adding something to the page, not typing into it. This tool turns your signature into a small picture with a transparent background, together with the date line if you ticked that box, and draws that picture on the page you chose. Your browser shows you the page using pdf.js and writes the new copy with pdf-lib, so the page you see is the page that gets signed.

The position and the size are stored as fractions of the page, not as fixed measurements. That is why one set of sliders suits pages of different sizes when you sign every page, and why a page that is stored turned sideways still receives a signature that stands upright. Your original file is never modified; you download a separate signed copy.

What you get is an image of a signature, which is how most people sign forms, letters and agreements by hand and then scan them. It is not a cryptographic digital signature. Those use a certificate issued to you, protect the file from changes after signing and need a service built for the purpose. Which kind a document needs depends on the document and on who asked for the signature.

Tips

  • Draw slowly and fill the pad: the signature is trimmed to the ink, so a bigger drawing gives a sharper result at the same size on the page.
  • Lock the signed copy with a password using Protect PDF, or stamp every page with Watermark PDF.
  • Need to add a signed page to another document first? Merge PDF joins files in the order you choose.

Questions

Is my PDF or my signature uploaded?

No. The page is drawn and the signature is added by code running in your browser, using the open-source pdf.js and pdf-lib libraries. Neither the PDF nor the signature is sent to a server or stored, and both are gone when you close the tab.

Is this a legally binding signature?

Many people and organisations accept a picture of a signature on everyday documents, but whether it is enough depends on the document, on who asked for it and on the law where you are. This is not a certificate-based digital signature: it does not show who signed or that the file stayed the same afterwards. If you are unsure, ask whoever requested the signature what they accept.

Can I sign more than one page?

Yes. Choose Every page to put the same signature in the same place on all pages, which suits initials. Position and size are kept in proportion to each page, so pages of different sizes work too. To sign different pages in different places, sign once, then open the result and sign again.

Can the signature be removed afterwards?

It becomes part of the page, so every PDF viewer shows it, but it is an ordinary picture and someone with a PDF editor could remove it. Your original file is not changed: you download a new copy. Add a password with Protect PDF if you want to limit who can change the signed copy.

Why does my typed signature look different on another device?

Typed signatures use fonts that are installed on your device, and script styles differ between systems. The preview shows what will be saved. The saved signature is a picture, so it looks the same wherever the PDF is opened.

Does it work on rotated pages?

Yes. The page is shown the way it appears in a viewer, and the signature is turned with the page so it stands upright. Cropped pages are handled too: the position is measured inside the visible area.