How to Add an eSignature to a PDF
Official documents like employment contracts, legal files, mortgage documents, and tax forms have always required multiple parties’ signatures. Historically, that meant having various people in the same room at the same time or time-consuming processes like sending files by mail or fax. But signing documents on paper is rapidly becoming a thing of the past.
Digital technology like the jSign web-based application lets you sign any document using Portable Document Formats (PDFs). PDFs make it easy to sign any document electronically, allowing people in disparate locations to sign the same document simultaneously.
A Step-By-Step Guide To Electronically Signing PDFs
It’s easy to electronically sign any document using PDFs through jSign. The first step is to get a jSign account up and running. After that your approach to electronically signing PDFs will differ depending on the device you use.
How To Get Started With jSign
jSign is easy to set up and select the right plan for your needs using this four-step process:
Step 1 – Select Your Plan: jSign offers several plans that depend on the documents you need to sign and the size of the files you work with. The service supports multiple formats from PDF to Word documents and Powerpoint, BMP, XLS, PNG, and JPG files.
Step 2 – Upload and Prepare: To start signing a document, you must first upload the file into jSign. Whether you need to sign a marketing document, sales agreement, or supplier contract, simply drag and drop the file into jSign.
Step 3 – Invite Document Signees: The next step is to add people who need to sign the document and create fields for them to insert their initials, signatures, and dates. In just a few clicks, you can share the document via email or any other messaging platform. The recipients can open the document, review the text and terms, and choose how to create their preferred electronic signature.
Step 4 – Receive Notifications: You can receive notifications as soon as recipients complete their signature on your document. jSign provides real-time notifications when a document is signed and prompts to remind recipients who haven’t yet completed the process.
How To Sign A Document Electronically
Regardless of the device you’re using, from a mobile device to a laptop or PC, adding an eSignature requires you to download a document, edit it, add a signature, and click ‘Apply.’ Crucially, the technology only requires people to complete the eSignature process once to save their signature. Document owners and recipients have several options to sign a document electronically:
Option 1 – Type Your Name: The first option to create your eSignature is to simply type your name into jSign. The technology will then provide a range of fonts, allowing you to choose the appearance of your eSignature. This option is easy to use, takes minimal effort, and doesn’t require uploading files or using other apps or documents.
Option 2 – Draw Your Signature: Another option is to draw or write your signature using the mouse, trackpad, or touchscreen on your mobile device or laptop or using a stylus on a drawing pad. You can select the font color, draw and preview your signature, and save it for future use. You can quickly select the saved signature for any PDF document and duplicate it in different colors.
Option 3 – Upload Your Signature: If you have a copy of your signature saved to your device, it’s easy to transfer it into jSign. Simply upload the signature into jSign and save it in the program for use in any future documents. Likewise, you can take a photo of your physical signature and upload it to jSign in the same way.
The Benefits of Saying Farewell To Your Printer
Using jSign to sign files electronically rather than printing documents out to sign physically offers many benefits, including:
- Time-Saving: Securing physical signatures on a document can be a time-consuming process. You need to print the documents out, often multiple times for different signees, and have all the required signers sign the document, which can involve sending them the documents by mail or fax and waiting for a response.
- Cost Reductions: Swapping your printer for jSign also offers significant cost savings. It removes the need for delivery fees or shipping signed documents and eliminates the costs of printing documents, such as topping up equipment like ink, toner, and paper and maintaining fax machines and printers.
- Greater Efficiency: Employees need to work quicker than ever, working on the go from their mobile devices or remotely in cafes or at home. Removing the need to print documents makes it easy to sign sales deals, confirm invoices, and approve project agreements anytime and from anywhere. It also removes the need for meetings or gathering people in the same room just to sign a document.
- Document Flexibility: Electronic document signing can be delayed by people working with incompatible files. jSign is compatible with many file types, from PDFs and Word documents to image files and more obscure file types.
- Regulatory Compliance: jSign complies with all laws and regulations around eSignatures. This includes compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act (UETA), and the Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act (ESIGN). As a result, organizations can rely on jSign to keep their legally binding documents and critical data safe and secure.
What else can jSign do for me?
jSign enables you to securely sign and share documents from any device. The technology is protected by blockchain technology, which provides a secure database for document storage, making it ideal for businesses in highly regulated industries, such as healthcare, insurance, legal, and real estate, to ensure quick, reliable electronic signing at any time.
Which operating systems let me sign PDFs digitally?
How you and your contacts will sign PDFs electronically may also depend on the devices and operating systems you’re using. So here’s a quick guide to signing PDFs electronically from any device:
Sign a PDF from Mac computers: Recipients using a MacBook or Mac machine can open a PDF document using the Mac Preview app. In the app’s menu, click the ‘Signature’ icon, then insert or create a signature to add to the document.
Sign a PDF from Windows computers: Windows laptops and PC users can sign PDFs electronically by opening the document in Adobe Acrobat Reader. Select the ‘Fill & Sign’ option within the pane on the right side of the software to add your signature to the document.
Sign a PDF from an iOS device: iPhone and iPad users can electronically sign a document directly from their device. Find the file on your device, click and hold down on it, and select ‘Markup.’ You can then click the plus icon and add your signature to the document.
Sign a PDF from an Android device: Android mobile device users can electronically sign documents using the Adobe Acrobat Reader app. Open the app, tap the pen icon, and select the ‘Fill & Sign’ option. From there, you can sign the document just like you would on a Windows device.
The Benefits of eSigning PDFs with jSign
Modern professionals always seek solutions that help them work faster and more efficiently. jSign provides an easy way to sign contracts, approve deals, and finalize agreements, enabling you to sign and request electronic signatures at any time, from anywhere, and on any device.
Discover how to save time and money and streamline your document signing process by signing up for a jSign free trial.
FAQs
Why can’t I digitally sign a PDF?
You can’t digitally sign a PDF without having the right software to edit the document and insert signatures. The jSign web-based application lets you sign any document by editing and inserting electronic signatures into PDFs. This enables you to easily sign any document electronically, allowing people in disparate locations to sign the same document simultaneously.
How do I add an electronic signature to a PDF?
You can add an electronic signature to a PDF from any device, from mobile devices to laptops and computers. To sign a PDF document, you must first sign up for a signing account or free trial. You then need to create your eSignature by drawing it using your device’s mouse, trackpad, or touchscreen, using a stylus on a drawing pad, choosing a jSign template, or uploading a photo of your signature to jSign.
Can I fill and sign a PDF for free?
Yes, you can sign a PDF for free by signing up for a free trial of jSign. To fill and sign a PDF with an electronic signature, you’ll need a jSign account, which enables you to draw or upload eSignatures and insert them into documents. When you sign up for a jSign plan, you can upload documents, upload or insert your eSignature, share the document with contacts to countersign, and receive notifications as soon as recipients complete the signature process.
