How to get a contract signed without printing it

Step by step

1. Fill in names and dates. Open Edit PDF, choose Add text and type the names, dates and amounts on the lines. Use Edit text if a word already in the document needs to change.Open Edit PDF
2. Sign it. In Sign PDF, draw or type your signature, or use a transparent signature image made with Make Signature Transparent. Drag it onto the signature line and add a date if needed.Open Sign PDF
3. Lock the entries. Run Flatten PDF with Form fields ticked, so typed entries and ticks become part of the page and can no longer be typed over.Open Flatten PDF
4. Check the returned copy. Later, add your version and the one that came back to Compare PDF. Added words show in green, removed words in red, and the visual view catches stamps and signatures.Open Compare PDF

Why fill in a form carefully before signing?

Check names, dates and amounts against your notes before you add a signature. Once the signature is drawn into the page, you correct a mistake by starting again from the original file, which is not changed.

Edit PDF writes new text in the same place, size and colour as far as it can. Lines do not reflow, so a longer entry will not push the text below it down.

How do I make a signature that looks right?

You can draw a signature with a finger, stylus or mouse, or type your name. For a more natural look, sign in dark ink on white paper, photograph it and turn it into a transparent image, then place that on the page.

The signature can be moved and resized, and the keyboard arrow keys work too. Place it on every page that needs one, and add a date stamp next to it if the contract asks for a date.

• Sign the final text, not a draft.
• Keep the signature on the line without covering printed words.
• Save the signed file under a new name and keep the original.

Is an online signature legally valid?

Sign PDF places a picture of your signature on the document. It is not a certificate-based digital signature, which proves who signed and shows if the file changed afterwards. Whether a simple signature is accepted depends on the country and on the type of document, and some documents need a witness or a different method.

For anything important, ask the other side what they require before you rely on it.

Why flatten a PDF and compare versions?

Flattening turns form entries into page content, so everyone sees the same thing and entries cannot be changed by typing over them. It is not a password; a full PDF editor can still change the file.

When the contract comes back, do not assume nothing changed. Compare PDF checks the words and the pages and tells you what was added or removed, so you can raise a difference before it matters.

Questions