How to Add a Digital Signature to a PDF Online

Need to sign a document quickly? Learn how to draw, type or upload your signature onto any PDF online.

Printing a document just to sign it, scan it back, and email the scan is a routine that most offices still run on, and it's a waste of time, paper and print quality for something that takes fifteen seconds to do digitally. Electronic signatures solve this by placing a signature directly onto the PDF, no printer involved.

Three ways to create your signature

DesiDocs gives you three genuinely different methods, and which one suits you depends on the document:

Upload: Sign a blank sheet of paper with a pen, photograph or scan it, and upload the image. DesiDocs automatically removes the white background so only your signature stroke shows on the page — no visible rectangle or paper texture around it. This gives the most authentic result if you want your actual handwritten signature.
Draw: Use your mouse, trackpad, or a touchscreen to draw your signature directly in the tool. Quick and requires no scanning, though quality depends on how precisely you can draw with a mouse.
Type: Type your name and it renders in a cursive, signature-style font. The fastest option, and perfectly adequate for internal documents, self-certification, or anywhere a handwritten look isn't strictly required.

Typing a signature and picking a cursive font

Step-by-step guide

Open the eSign tool: Navigate to Sign PDF.
Upload your document: Add the PDF you need to sign.
Create your signature: Pick Upload, Draw, or Type from the tabs above.
Place and resize: Drag your signature onto the correct spot on the page, and resize it to fit naturally rather than dominating the space around it.
Add more if needed: Sign multiple locations in one session — useful for multi-page contracts that need initials on every page plus a full signature at the end.
Download: Save your signed document, ready to email back immediately.

The signature placed on the page — drag to move, corners to resize

Which method should you use?

For a document that needs to look like your real handwritten signature — a bank form, a formal contract — Upload gives the closest match to signing on paper. For something quick and internal, Type is fastest and looks perfectly professional in a cursive font. Draw sits in between: no scanning needed, but the result depends on your hand-eye coordination with a mouse, so it tends to look rougher than the other two unless you're using a touchscreen.

Are electronic signatures legally valid in India?

Yes. Under the Information Technology Act, 2000, electronic signatures are recognized for self-certification, attestation of documents, internal corporate approvals, and most standard contracts. They are widely accepted by employers, educational institutions and many government processes. The one major exception is documents that specifically require a Class 2 or Class 3 Digital Signature Certificate (DSC) with cryptographic verification — certain regulatory filings, for instance — where a drawn or typed signature image isn't a substitute for a certified digital signature.

Privacy

Your document and signature image are processed on a secure server and automatically deleted within 30 minutes. Nothing is stored beyond that window.

Frequently asked questions

Can I sign a document on my phone? Yes, all three signing modes work on mobile, and Upload is often easiest since you can photograph a paper signature directly.

Is my drawn or typed signature saved for next time? No — each session starts fresh, so recreate your signature if you're signing another document later.

Can I add initials on every page of a long contract? Yes, place your signature or initials on as many pages as needed within the same session.

Does the signed PDF work if I print it? Yes, the signature becomes part of the page content and prints exactly as shown on screen.

Try it now with Sign PDF.

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