# How to Sign a PDF Electronically — Free, Legal, No Printing Required

The old workflow for signing a PDF was genuinely painful: download the file, print it, sign with a pen, scan it back in, email the scan. If your scanner was on the fritz, you photographed it on your phone. The end result was a blurry, slightly skewed scan of a signature on a document that had been unnecessarily turned into paper and turned back again.

Electronic signatures completely eliminate this. Here's how to do it right.

Is an Electronic Signature Legally Binding?

Yes — with some nuance worth understanding.

In the United States, the ESIGN Act (2000) and UETA give electronic signatures the same legal standing as handwritten signatures for the vast majority of documents.

In the United Kingdom, the Electronic Communications Act 2000 and the Law Commission's 2019 report on electronic execution confirm that simple electronic signatures are valid for most contracts and documents.

In the European Union, the eIDAS Regulation (EU 910/2014) defines three levels of electronic signature. A simple electronic signature (which is what you're creating when you draw or type your name in a PDF) is legally valid for general commercial purposes.

The exceptions — documents that typically still require wet ink signatures — include:

• Wills and testamentary documents (in most jurisdictions)
• Deeds (depending on jurisdiction — e-signing of deeds is allowed in England and Wales in most cases since 2021)
• Court orders and sworn affidavits (typically need formal notarisation)
• Some real estate transactions (varies by state/country)

For the vast majority of everyday documents — employment contracts, freelance agreements, NDAs, service contracts, consent forms, rental agreements — an electronic signature is perfectly valid.

How to Sign a PDF on PDF HUB 24

Go to [pdfhub24.com/sign-pdf](/sign-pdf)

Upload your PDF

Choose your signature method:

• Draw — use your mouse or finger on a touchscreen to write your signature
• Type — type your name and choose from signature-style fonts
• Upload — upload a photo or scan of your handwritten signature

Click where you want to place the signature on the document

Resize and position it correctly

Add your initials on other pages if required

Download the signed PDF

The whole process takes about two minutes on the first attempt, and under 60 seconds once you're familiar with it.

Three Signature Methods Compared

Drawing Your Signature

Drawing with a mouse isn't always pretty — most people's mouse-drawn signatures look worse than their actual handwriting. On a touchscreen (phone, tablet, or touchscreen laptop), it's much better. If you're regularly signing documents on a desktop computer with a mouse, using the upload method is probably cleaner.

Best for: Tablet users, touchscreen laptop users, anyone with a stylus.

Typing Your Signature

Some tools let you type your name and select a cursive font that looks like a signature. This is clean, consistent, and reads clearly — but it's obviously not unique to you in the way a handwritten signature is.

Best for: Quick, professional-looking signatures on routine documents where uniqueness isn't critical.

Uploading Your Signature Image

The cleanest method. Sign your name on white paper with a black pen, take a clear photo or scan it, and upload the image. The tool removes the background automatically, leaving just the signature to place on the document.

Best for: Professional documents where you want your actual signature.

Signing in the Right Place

Legal contracts often have specific signature lines, and it matters that your signature sits clearly on or near the designated line rather than floating somewhere random. Take a moment to position it correctly before downloading.

If a document has multiple signature pages or requires initials on each page, you can add multiple signatures during the same session.

Adding Date and Other Text Fields

Alongside your signature, many documents require:

• The date of signing
• Your printed name underneath your signature
• Your job title
• Your company name

You can add all of these as text overlays using the [Edit PDF](/edit-pdf) tool. Upload the signed PDF, add text fields for the date and any other required information, and download the final version.

Requesting Signatures from Others

PDF HUB 24's sign tool is for signing documents yourself. If you need to send a document to multiple parties and track whether each one has signed, you'll want a dedicated e-signature service (DocuSign, HelloSign, or similar).

However, for a simpler workflow — emailing someone a PDF and asking them to sign it — you can share the PDF and point them to pdfhub24.com/sign-pdf. No signup required on their end either.

Signing on Mobile

The sign tool works well on phones. Drawing your signature on a touchscreen phone is actually more natural than on a desktop computer. Visit pdfhub24.com/sign-pdf in your mobile browser, upload from your camera roll, and sign with your finger.

For professionals who need to sign documents quickly while travelling or between meetings, this is genuinely faster than any desktop workflow.