How to Sign a Document on Your Phone or Computer

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Tired of printing, signing and then scanning or faxing documents that need your signature? Creating an electronic signature and adding information technology to your Word, PDF and other documents is piece of cake. And many programs besides have built-in digital signing features that add together an extra layer of convenience and security.

First off, let's clarify something: electronic signatures and digital signatures, for all that they sound alike, are two dissimilar things. An electronic signature is simply an image of your signature added to a certificate while a digital signature is encrypted information that proves the document came from you. For some purposes, a simple electronic signature will be fine, but for more important documents, a secure digital signature is highly recommended.

Some of the apps you're already using—like Word or Acrobat—can attach a signature to a certificate for free. But if you need to sign digital documents on a regular footing or you're just looking for something a piffling simpler, in that location are apps for your calculator, tablet and smartphone that tin can make signing digital documents even easier.

Signing PDF documents and paper documents with your phone

For iPhone users, one of the easiest means to sign a PDF document is to use the tools congenital into the Post app. When you receive an attachment, tap to download it so tap again to open information technology. You'll meet a marker icon in the upper correct. Tap it and yous'll meet tools appear at the bottom. Select the + to bring up text and signature options. When yous're finished filling out the course, you select "Done" and y'all'll exist able to send the form by "Answer All" or "New Bulletin."

Another easy style to sign a PDF document is to use the Adobe Sign & Make full app (free for iOS and Android). For paper forms, y'all can snap a picture, add any required text and your signature, and save.

If y'all receive an email with a PDF email attachment on your iPhone, y'all tap the attachment to view information technology, tap on the toolbox in the lower right corner, and you'll see tool to add text and your signature to the document. When you first use the app, you'll be prompted to create a signature that you lot can then save for future documents. Once yous've added the text and signature, you tin select the share button to send as an email zipper or "Save to Files" to save the file to your iPhone. Then you lot tin can create or reply to an email in Mail. Press and hold to bring up the menu and tap on the right arrow to reveal an pick to "Add Attachment." Select "On My iPhone" and open the "Adobe Acrobat" binder. Y'all'll encounter your signed certificate in the folder. Tap information technology and the file will attach to your email.

If you have an Android telephone, the process is similar. You lot tap on the email zipper to view it and it will open in Adobe Fill & Sign (yous may have to select it every bit the app to open the document). You'll encounter tools for calculation text and your signature. Tap anywhere in the document to add together text and tap the pen icon to add your signature. When you're done, tap on the share icon. Select electronic mail, and the app volition automatically save the document and create an email with the zipper. Or, if you want to answer to the electronic mail with the signed document, you tin select "Save to Drive." And then you can respond to the message and tap the attachment paperclip and select the file from your Google Drive.

Creating your electronic signature

If you're adding your signature to a Word certificate or PDF, the beginning step is capturing an image of your signature which will go in your document in lieu of your actual signature. You can get your signature in several dissimilar means:

• Write information technology in black ink on a piece of blank white newspaper, and so scan or photograph it. Scanning will get you the best image, but if you don't have a scanner be certain y'all're photographing in a well-lit area and that no shadows fall over your signature.
• Draw it with your mouse or trackpad in a paint program like Pigment for Windows or Paintbrush for Mac. Be warned, however, that it may accept a few tries to go your signature to look right—if y'all're using your trackpad, nosotros recommend a stylus.
• Write it on your smartphone or tablet using whatever graphics app or a signature capture app similar Draw Signature Pro ($2.49 in Google Play) or Autograph+ ($1.99 in App Store). With the paid versions of these apps, yous'll take the option of saving your signature with a transparent background, which makes it a lot easier to add your signature. Again, using a stylus volition assist you make your signature look like your signature. For a basic stylus, attempt the AmazonBasics Executive Stylus ($five.99). It has a much thicker tip than a pen but is much easier than drawing with your fingertip.

One time you have a graphics file, you lot'll want to save it as a ".png" file. Paint and Paintbrush have that every bit a choice when you use "Save As" to save your file. The PNG format lets you lot save your signature with a transparent background then it won't cover up signature lines or other information underneath. Now you take an electronic copy of your signature.

Calculation your signature to a Give-and-take document

Since so many documents are in Microsoft Discussion format, this seems like a skilful place to commencement. Discussion supports both electronic signatures and digital signatures, and then you tin use whichever works best for your purpose—though exist warned, this is an expensive way to sign documents digitally.

If you're using a certificate that'due south fix with a special signature line, signing is straightforward: just double click the signature line and a Sign dialog box will pop up. Here, you can add a printed version of your signature by typing your name, add a handwritten signature on a tablet PC writing your proper name as usual, or insert an image of your signature by clicking "Select Image," finding your signature file, so clicking "Select."

Digital signatures in Word are a bit more complicated, requiring yous to purchase a 3rd-political party digital certificate to evidence to anyone who reads the document that it came from y'all—which can cost several hundred dollars per year. While you lot can create your ain digital signature, you'll simply be able to verify its authenticity from your figurer, which isn't a good option for sending documents to others. If you need to send a lot of documents with a digital signature, buying a digital document might make sense, but if you lot aren't, we recommend using a simple electronic signature or one of the apps beneath. To go ahead with a digital signature, click on the Microsoft Function Push, then "Prepare," then "Add a Digital Signature," and click sign—you'll be prompted to create a digital ID from in that location.

If you're signing a document that hasn't been set up up for Word's signature system, y'all'll find clicking on the signature line does nothing—but that's okay, considering yous can still insert your signature. Merely place your cursor where you desire to add your signature and choose "Insert" and and so "Pic." Select your signature file and you lot'll see your signature appear in the certificate. Don't worry if the pic has messed up the formatting of the document, you're just about to fix that.

Now, click on your signature and elevate the corners to resize your signature until information technology looks right. Then select "Page Layout," "Wrap Text" and and then "Behind Text." Now you tin so employ the arrow keys to fine tune the placement of your signature. When you have it just right, utilize "Save As" to relieve your signed document every bit a PDF file.

Adding your signature to a PDF document

Signing a PDF is even easier than signing a Give-and-take document! You lot're likely already using Adobe'southward Acrobat Reader DC for desktop systems (free for both Mac and Windows) to read PDFs, and it offers an easy way to sign documents whether they have or haven't been configured to accept electronic signatures.

All y'all have to practice is open up your document, click "Tools," then click "Fill & Sign." Click the "Sign" push in the toolbar and you'll be prompted to type, draw or use an image of your signature. When y'all're done, click "Apply" and and then drag the signature where you want it to go—if needed, y'all can resize your signature under options in the field toolbar. Acrobat will salvage your signature for future apply, making it easy to sign your next document.

For Mac users, at that place's another selection: the default Preview PDF viewer lets you easily insert signatures. Just open your document, click on the toolbox icon in the card bar and then the signature icon. You can capture your signature using your trackpad or past signing your name on newspaper and then using your Mac's built-in photographic camera. Only select whether y'all're using your trackpad or your camera, sign or photo your signature, and elevate information technology to where it belongs on the certificate. If it needs to be resized, just elevate the corners of the signature box until information technology fits perfectly.

Signing documents with an app

If the above solutions don't piece of work for you or y'all just want to sign using your smartphone or tablet, apps designed for document signing brand it simple. All of the apps beneath utilize bank-level encryption and security too every bit providing authenticated, legally binding digital signatures. For those who demand an authenticated signature, this is probably where you want to look considering these options are very economic, whether you're signing one document a month or a dozen.

SignNow

Though it's geared towards businesses, with certificate templates, SignNow isn't a bad choice for personal use, either. In fact, it'southward the lowest cost option if you need to sign more than than three documents a calendar month. SignNow works on the web or your smartphone or tablet, with mobile apps for iPhone, iPad, and Android, making it easy to sign documents no matter where you are.

Signing documents is simple: You can up upload them from email, your camera curl, cloud storage services (OneDrive, Google Drive and Box), or from your computer. Simply sign using your finger on your smartphone or tablet, then send your signed certificate to anyone by electronic mail. Apps are available for iOS and Android.

Price: $8 per user per month if billed annually ($96 per year) at SignNow

HelloSign

If you just demand to sign a few documents a month, only more the total of three SignEasy offers, yous'll want to look into HelloSign—bachelor for iOS, and Android. Like SignNow, it'south simple to import documents into HelloSign: yous can pull them in directly from email and for iPhone, from Dropbox. Y'all tin can also grab newspaper documents only past snapping a photo with your smartphone or tablet photographic camera. No matter the source, y'all can edit or annotate documents from the app, sign them using your finger and so save, share or e-mail them.

The proficient thing and the bad thing nigh HelloSign is the price. If you don't need to sign many documents, information technology's complimentary for up to three signatures per month. Only if you need more that, it's pricier than SignNow at $13 per month.

Price: Gratuitous for up to three signatures a month, $13 per month if billed annually ($156/year) for unlimited signatures at HelloSign

Updated on iii/29/2019

[Image credit: digital signature via Shutterstock, Adobe, Microsoft, SignNow HelloSign]

Source: https://www.techlicious.com/how-to/add-your-signature-to-electronic-documents/

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