How to Sign a PDF on iPad

Sign a PDF on iPad in Safari

Turn the iPad to landscape first. On most iPad models the editor then shows its tool panel on the left and the page on the right, so you can see the signature line while you work; in portrait the panel sits above the page.

1. Open the PDF. Tap Drop your PDF here and choose the document in the Files picker (iCloud Drive, On My iPad, or a cloud service you have added to Files).
2. Write your signature. With the Draw tab selected, write in the white box with Apple Pencil or your finger, then tap Use This Signature. Clear wipes the box if the first try is off. Prefer not to draw? The Type tab turns your name into one of four handwriting styles.
3. Tap the signature line. The signature is dropped where you tap. Drag it to adjust, and pull the small blue square at its lower-right corner to change the size.
4. Fill in what else the form asks for. Add Initials, Add Date and Add Text put those items on the current page; Add Photo places a PNG, JPEG or WebP image, for example a scanned company stamp. If the PDF has form fields, they appear in the left panel under Form Fields, ready to fill in.
5. Save it. Tap Confirm & Download Signed PDF. Subscribers get the file immediately; otherwise you choose a plan first. Safari stores the result in the Downloads folder in Files, from where you can send it with Mail, Messages or AirDrop.

Apple Pencil tips for a cleaner signature

• Keep your palm off the white box. The pad follows the first touch it receives, so a resting hand inside the box can start a stray line. Rest it below the box instead.
• Sign at your normal size. The box is wide on an iPad. Write as you would on paper and shrink the result on the page afterwards; tiny signatures drawn small look jagged.
• Use Scribble for the text boxes. When the Initials or Text box asks for input, you can write in it with Apple Pencil: iPadOS Scribble converts handwriting in text fields into typed text.
• Pick the ink color before you sign. The color applies to the stroke you draw, so choose black, blue or red first.

Sign with Apple’s Markup on iPad

iPadOS can also sign a PDF on its own. Apple describes it like this in the iPad User Guide:

1. Open the PDF in Files, Mail or another app that supports Markup.
2. Tap the Markup button, then the Add button (+) in the Markup toolbar, then Add Signature.
3. Choose a saved signature, or sign a new one with your finger or Apple Pencil.
4. Tap Done, drag the signature into position and use the blue dots on its frame to resize it.

Markup keeps your signatures for reuse and lets you label them, for instance as initials. For forms, the AutoFill button fills blank fields from your contact card, and Add Text Form Box adds text where the form has no field.

When SigPDF is the better choice: you want a typed signature, initials and a date as separate items, or you sign on different devices and want the same steps everywhere. When Markup is enough: one quick drawn signature on a file that is already open.

Troubleshooting on iPad

• The PDF is refused as password-protected.Remove the password in the app that set it, or ask the sender for an open copy; encrypted PDFs cannot be signed as they are.
• Tapping the page places nothing. The signature is not confirmed yet. Tap Use This Signature, or choose one under Saved Signatures, then tap the page.
• The signature covers printed text. Drag it off, then use the corner square to make it smaller before moving it back onto the line.
• An extra signature appeared. Each tap on the page places one. Remove the extra with its red × or with Undo.
• You need a different signature. New Signature takes you back to the drawing step; the last five you created stay available on this iPad.

Working on a phone instead? The iPhone guide covers the smaller screen, and signing a PDF on a Mac explains Preview’s trackpad and camera options.