How to Sign a PDF Without Printing It

Stop the Print-Sign-Scan Cycle

We've all been there: you receive a PDF that needs your signature. So you print it, sign it with a pen, scan it back in (or take a photo with your phone), and email it back. The whole process takes 10-15 minutes and requires a printer, a scanner, and physical paper.

There's a much better way. You can sign any PDF directly on your computer or phone in under 60 seconds, without ever printing a single page.

The Modern Way: Sign PDFs Digitally

Instead of printing, use an online PDF signing tool to add your signature directly to the digital document. Here's how with SigPDF:

1. Open sigpdf.com in your browser
2. Upload your PDF (drag and drop or click to browse)
3. Create your signature — draw it with your mouse/finger or type your name
4. Place it on the signature line
5. Download your signed PDF

That's it. No printer, no scanner, no paper waste. The entire process takes less than a minute.

Why Going Paperless Matters

Save Time

The print-sign-scan cycle takes 10-15 minutes. Digital signing takes under 60 seconds. Over a year, if you sign even one document per week, that's over 10 hours saved.

Save Money

Printer ink, paper, and scanner maintenance add up. A single ink cartridge costs €20-50, and the average office worker uses 10,000 sheets of paper per year.

Better for the Environment

The paper industry is one of the largest contributors to deforestation. Every PDF you sign digitally instead of printing is paper saved.

Better Document Quality

Scanned documents often have poor quality — skewed pages, shadows, blurry text. A digitally signed PDF maintains perfect quality because it was never converted to a physical medium.

Easier to Share

A digitally signed PDF can be emailed immediately. No waiting for the scanner, no dealing with large scan file sizes, no trip to the post office.

What About Documents That "Require" Printing?

Some organizations still send documents with instructions like "print, sign, and return." In almost all cases, you can:

1. Sign the PDF digitally
2. Email it back
3. If they ask about the signature, explain it's an electronic signature

Electronic signatures are legally valid for nearly all documents under the ESIGN Act (US), eIDAS Regulation (EU), and equivalent laws worldwide. The few exceptions — like some real estate transfers and court filings — will explicitly state that a wet-ink signature is required.

If you're unsure, ask the requesting party: "Can I return this with an electronic signature?" The answer is almost always yes.

Method Comparison: Digital vs Print-and-Scan

| Aspect | Digital Signing | Print-Sign-Scan | |--------|----------------|-----------------| | Time | 30-60 seconds | 10-15 minutes | | Equipment needed | Any device with a browser | Printer + scanner | | Document quality | Perfect | Degraded (scan artifacts) | | Cost | Free to minimal | Ink + paper costs | | Environmental impact | None | Paper + energy waste | | Legal validity | Yes (ESIGN, eIDAS) | Yes | | Works from phone | Yes | No | | Works from anywhere | Yes | Only where you have a printer |

Works On Any Device

One of the biggest advantages of digital signing is that you can do it from anywhere:

• Desktop or laptop — Draw with your mouse or trackpad
• Phone — Draw with your finger directly on the touchscreen
• Tablet — Use a stylus for the most natural handwriting experience

You don't need to be near a printer. Received a contract while traveling? Sign it on your phone and send it back immediately.

Tips for Transitioning Away From Printing

1. Set your email app to open PDFs in your browser rather than downloading them. This makes it faster to sign and return.

2. Bookmark your signing tool so it's one click away when you need it.

3. Tell your contacts you accept and send digitally signed documents. Most people are happy to skip the printing step too.

4. For recurring documents (like monthly timesheets or approval forms), create a template workflow so you can sign and return in seconds.

Start Signing Without Printing

Ready to ditch the printer? Open SigPDF and sign your next document digitally. It works on any device, doesn't require an account, and your files never leave your browser.

Sign a PDF Now — No Printing Required →