How to Add a Signature in Pages: Four Easy Ways Compared

The Pages word-processing app on MacBook and other Apple devices is a useful way to read and edit documents. It also allows you to collaborate on cloud-based files in real time. 

This means you can work in tandem with your team on documents. Sometimes, you’ll need to sign those documents. 

But it can be wasteful and time-consuming to print, scan and resend signed Pages documents. In this article, we’ll explore how to electronically create a signature in Pages on iPad, iPhone or MacBook without wasting paper, ink or your time. 

Why You Might Want to Add a Signature in Pages

There are many reasons to add a signature to a document. You might want to sign a job application, your child’s permission slip for school or sign off a letter to an administrator or a friend. 

In other situations, you’ll need to add legally binding signatures to credit applications, insurance paperwork or other contracts. 

4 Ways to Add a Signature in Pages

There are four methods to consider when you’re deciding how to add an electronic signature in Pages:

1. Type in a signature using an online electronic signature tool like jSign
2. Use an existing image of a signature 
3. Draw a signature and attach it to your Pages file  
4. Add a signature using Apple Preview  

The best method to use can depend on the purpose of the document — if you’re signing a document for a personal or business matter, if you need your signature to be legally binding or if you want to do it quickly and easily. We discuss the pros and cons of each method below.

Use jSign to Create a Signature in Pages

jSign is a tool you can use to create legally-binding electronic signatures online. It allows you to share a document among multiple signatories, and it enables you to track who has and hasn’t signed yet with timely notifications. 

The electronic signatures you create and use with jSign are stamped with blockchain technology, which means they have a unique, encrypted data packet that includes a time stamp, proof of who signed the document and proof of what version they signed. These signatures are then stored in a blockchain that locks each data point to the others to ensure there’s a clear audit trail and that no signature can be altered or removed afterward. 

This is the most comprehensive way to create legally binding e-signatures for Pages documents that you can rely on if you need to refer back to them later. Here’s how to add a signature in Pages using jSign:  

Steps 

Signing up for a jSign account or free trial is a simple process. Once you have an account, you can create an electronic signature in your choice of four ways: 

1. Draw a signature using your touchscreen
2. Sign your signature using a stylus on your drawing pad or trackpad  
3. Choose from one of the jSign templates 
4. Upload a photo of your signature to the jSign platform 

Once you have your signature, uploading a Pages document to sign is easy. To do this, simply: 

1. Log into your jSign account
2. Use the upload tool to choose the Pages document from your files
3. Add yourself and anyone else you need as a signatory 
4. Insert signature placeholders 
5. Add your custom signature 
6. Save your document 

You can choose to sign the document yourself, send the document to others to co-sign and request signatures. jSign also allows you to set due dates and reminders for signatures. 

Pros and Cons of Using jSign

You can get real-time notifications when someone signs documents you’ve created using jSign.  

When you or anyone else you request signs your document, you’re sent an email with a Certificate of Completion that records the IP address, location and timestamp, as well as other data to help clearly identify who signed the document and in which version. 

jSign is: 

• Easy to use 
• Trackable 
• Versatile
• Accessible from anywhere 

Once you’ve created your electronic signature for Pages using jSign, you have it to use on any device or document you need. 

You can sign up for a 14-day free trial after which jSign requires a subscription fee. You’ll need to log into the web-based app on your phone’s web browser and upload your Pages file to your profile before you can use jSign. 

Using an Image of a Signature

If you have a photo of your signature or a scanned image, you can upload that to Pages and insert it into the file using the images tool embedded in Pages on Mac, iPhone or iPad. 

Steps

1. Download the image from the cloud or upload the image onto your Apple device
2. Drag and drop the image from your image library to any place on your Pages document 

Alternatively, you can:

1. Place the cursor where you want the signature to go
2. Click to tap “Insert” in the top toolbar 
3. Select “Image” 
4. Choose your signature from the media library 

Pros and Cons of Using an Image 

If you use an existing image using the photo import tools in Pages, it might not be legally binding. However, this is a fast and convenient way to insert a signature into Pages on MacBook or a desktop Mac computer. 

You can also add an existing image of your signature using a signature tool like jSign for a legally binding and auditable signature. With jSign, you can use your signature image repeatedly for many types of documents once you’re uploaded your image and connected it to your digital ID. 

Adding a Drawn Signature

Drawing your own signature is a uniquely personal and fun way to sign documents. You get to produce your signature exactly as you make it on paper and provide a personal touch. 

Here’s how to add a signature in Pages on iPad or iPhone using a hand-drawn signature. 

Steps

How to add a drawn signature in Pages differs depending on whether you choose to add one to your jSign online profile or add it directly within your Pages app. 

To use Apple’s tools: 

1. Download a drawing app if you don’t have one already installed on your device
2. Launch your drawing app 
3. Draw your signature 
4. Save the image 
5. Insert it into your Pages file using the steps for adding an image that we previously described

You can also add your hand-drawn signature to your jSign signature profile and use that to sign Pages documents from within the jSign web-based app. 

Pros and Cons of Drawn Signatures 

Adding a drawn signature is easy with modern touchscreens and adds a personal flourish to your documents. Unfortunately, there is no way to draw your signature directly in place within the Pages app, so you still need to create an image file first. 

Also, any signature you add to Apple Pages using the native drawing and image tools on your iPad, iPhone or Mac might not be legally binding, and there is no way to track who signed the document and when. 

Using jSign to sign a Pages document with a hand-drawn signature is easier because you can hand-draw your signature directly using the tool and tap to add it to signature placeholders. 

Using Apple Preview

Apple Preview is a native iOS tool for editing and marking up PDF files. You can use it to sign documents with a relatively strong signature regarding legal documents. 

Here’s how to add an electronic signature in Pages using Preview: 

Steps

Export your Pages file to PDF from the Pages app 

1. Launch Preview and open your new PDF file 
2. Click or tap the “Markup” icon
3. Click or tap the “Signature” icon
4. Choose “Create Signature”
5. Draw your signature or upload one

Pros and Cons of Using the Apple Preview App 

While Preview is a more reputable and authoritative way to add a signature than using basic images, it still lacks the audit trail and encrypted blockchain of tools like jSign. 

FAQs

How do I make a handwritten signature?

One of the most common ways to use a handwritten signature for digital documents is to sign your name on a blank piece of paper and then scan or take a high-resolution photo of your signature. You can then use the image to upload it to the document you’re sending.

Alternatively, you can use jSign to easily create legally binding digital signatures on any documents you need to send. Using one of jSign’s free templates, you can easily copy your signature using a tablet or smartphone onto any document you need to sign.

How do you make a handwritten signature on a Mac?

Simply open the Preview app, click “Tools,” then “Annotate,” and finally “Signature.” You can use your trackpad to draw your signature or sign your name on a piece of paper and capture it with your Mac’s camera.

If you’re using an online service like jSign, it’s even easier. You have the option of drawing a signature using a touchscreen device, choosing an easy-to-use jSign template or uploading a photo of your signature to the jSign platform.

How do you add a signature in Pages?

If you have a saved image of your signature (created by scanning, taking a photo or using a digital signing tool), most fax services or software solutions allow you to easily upload and insert the image into your document. 

jSign makes it incredibly convenient to add signatures to your digital faxes and other important documents. You can also store multiple signatures and easily add them with a simple drag-and-drop on the documents you want to send. The great thing about jSign is that the electronic signatures you create and use with jSign are stamped with blockchain technology, ensuring your signatures are protected with encrypted data packets and a time stamp for proof it was you signing the document. 

Add an Electronic Signature to Pages with Ease Using jSign

If you’re looking for how to add a signature in Pages on iPhone, iPad or any other Apple device, you’ll need something easy to use, legally binding and reliable. jSign electronic signatures use blockchain technology to provide signatories with a strong and trackable audit trail. You can use jSign to sign Pages documents, request signatures and track signatures all from one simple web-based app. 

Start your 14-day free trial with jSign today.

Kamran Shafii
Manager, SEO Content

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