How to Sign a PDF on Mac.
When you receive a PDF file that needs to be sent back electronically, you have two options. The old school way of doing this involves printing, signing, and scanning a document. This is not such a problematic process when you have the equipment and time. However, you can opt for a greener and less time-consuming path by electronically signing the PDF
You can use a built-in tool or a third-party application to sign a PDF on Mac. Check out our quick start guide and choose the option that best suits your needs.
Use Preview to sign a PDF on Mac
If you are used to working with Word documents, signing a PDF may seem more complicated than it should be. The good news is that your Mac comes with a built-in Preview tool that you can use to sign PDF documents. This method has several advantages:
- The process of signing a PDF in preview mode is simple and does not take too much time and effort.
- Once you add your signature, it is automatically saved to iCloud Drive You can then use it again in preview mode on any device you signed in with your Apple ID
- You don’t need to download and install new software or create new accounts.
In preview mode, you can use the trackpad or camera to sign the PDF document. Learn how to do both by following these steps.
Add a signature using your Mac trackpad
- Open the PDF in preview mode. Your Mac will automatically open the PDF in preview mode, so you can either double-click the document or right-click it and choose Open With Preview.
- Select Show Markup Toolbar.
- Select Signature.
- In the trackpad window, select Click Here To Start. Then use the trackpad to draw your signature. Remember that every movement you make on the trackpad after you press a button becomes part of your digital signature. If you are not satisfied with the result, select Clear and try again.
- When finished, press any key and select Done.
Once you’ve created your digital signature, you can drag it anywhere in your document. You can add as many variations of your signature as you like, and they will all be saved in the Preview for future reference.
Sign a PDF file on Mac with a camera
If you don’t want to use the trackpad to draw your signature, or if you don’t like the way it looks, you can preview the PDF with your Mac camera.
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- Open the PDF in preview mode.
- Select Show Markup Toolbar.
- Select Signature.
- Open the camera window. Draw your signature on a piece of paper and hold it to the camera.
- When Preview recognizes your signature, select Done to save it. After saving the signature, you can drag it anywhere in the PDF file.
If you don’t want to keep your signature in preview mode, hover over it and select X to permanently delete it.
Sign in to the PDF Adobe Acrobat Reader
If you need additional functionality, such as the ability to edit other components of a PDF file beside a simple signature, you can use a universal PDF application such as Adobe Acrobat Reader. You can download and use it for free on both PC and Mac.
If you need rich PDF software, Adobe Acrobat Reader should be your application when you need to view, comment, edit, sign, or print a PDF document. Here’s how to use this PDF signature app.
- Open the PDF file in Adobe Acrobat Reader. Since the default Mac application for viewing PDFs is preview, use the right-click method to open the document in Adobe Acrobat Reader.
- Select “Sign Document” by typing or drawing a signature. Or go to the Tools tab and select Fill and Sign.
- Select “Add Signature” or “Add Initials” as appropriate for your document.
- In the next window you have the opportunity to enter your signature, draw it or add it as an image. If you choose the Type option, you can also choose the appearance of your signature from the Change Style drop-down menu.
- If you are satisfied with the result, click Apply.
Now you can place your signature anywhere in the PDF file. You can add as many versions of your signature as you like. If you do not want Adobe Acrobat Reader to save your signature, select Sign and remove it by clicking the minus sign next to your signature.
Use PDFfiller Sign PDF online
If you want to combine the best of both worlds, that is, get maximum functionality without wasting time downloading and installing new software, try PDFfiller. This free online tool gives you full PDF editing functionality and saves you a huge amount of time and money.
Follow these steps to sign a PDF using PDFfiller.
- Go to the PDFfiller website.
- Drag and drop the PDF file to open it. You also have the option to access your PDF using the document url.
- From the PDFfiller ribbon menu, choose Sign.
- In the Signature Wizard window, you have a set of tools that you can use to create your signature. Select Print or Draw Signature, Capture Signature with Mac Camera, or Download Signature from Your Computer.
- Once the signature is saved, it can be placed anywhere in the document. You can later edit or delete the saved signature in the “Sign” menu.
What is the best way to sign a PDF on Mac?
Choosing the best PDF signing tool is entirely up to you. Depending on your requirements and preferred methods, you can use the built-in Mac tools or download the full-featured PDF editor to access additional features.
Have you ever had to sign a PDF document on Mac? What method or tool did you use? Share your experience in editing PDF files in the comments below.
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