How to Sign A PDF on Mac

These days, people conducting business rarely bring paper documents with them. Instead, they would be carrying only their phones or laptops, which would be the only thing you see.

Online paperless documents are quickly becoming popular with many businesses, transactions, and agreements, primarily because of their convenience, easy process, and cost-effectiveness. When it comes to signing and sharing documents between involved parties, it’s quite expected for this to happen, as it guarantees authenticity and security from start to end.

For Mac users, signing documents, particularly PDF files, is made much easier by using a built-in software called Preview. It allows you to quickly create and save your electronic signature by placing directly on your PDF document.

But other than the Preview feature, there are still other ways to electronically sign a pdf file. If you want to know more, this article will give you all the important details.

Why Should I Sign PDFs Electronically?

The Portable Document Format, or PDF, is a versatile and standard file format created by Adobe that basically gives people an easy, reliable way to present and share documents – regardless of the hardware, software, or operating systems used by the viewer.

They can be signed electronically, and the reasons why people should sign PDFs electronically are provided below.

Electronic signatures are widely accepted and more secure than traditional paper-based signatures.
Compared to a written signature, electronic signatures are the quickest and easiest way to sign documents, most especially a PDF document.
Whether for business or personal transactions, e-signatures are considered legal, trusted, and lawfully binding in many countries.
No printing is necessary for a virtual signature, which means you save time, money, and effort (as well as paper and trees in extension).
Using practically any device, you can work efficiently and securely from anywhere.

Can I Sign A PDF on Mac?

Yes, you certainly can–luckily enough for you, it’s easier to sign a PDF on Mac. Mac users have the advantage of pre-installed software like Preview, which is not available to other operating systems such as Windows.

3 Easy Ways to Create A Signature on Mac

In this section, we will show you three simple methods for making a signature on a Mac. Click the Show Markup Icon resembling a crayon or pencil in the Preview app on your Mac. If the Markup toolbar isn’t showing, select the View option and click Show Markup Tool. A Create Signature option should show in the toolbar, and click on the signature icon.

1. Trackpad

To create a signature via trackpad, click Trackpad > the text as prompted and sign your name on the trackpad using your finger. Press any key and then select Done. You can also hit Clear and redo your signature until it’s perfect.
Note: If your Mac has a Force Touch trackpad, you may have to press your finger more firmly on the trackpad as you sign to produce a heavier, darker line.

2. Camera

To create a signature with your Mac’s built-in camera, click Camera. Write your signature eligibly on white paper and hold it up to face the mac’s camera, ensuring that the signature is leveled with the blue line in the window. Click Done when your signature appears in the window.

3. iPhone/iPad

If you want to create a signature through iPhone or iPad, click Select Device to choose which iOS or iPadOS device you want to connect to. Use your finger or an Apple Pencil (for iPad only) to write your signature on your device, then click Done.

Other Methods to Electronically Sign PDFs on Mac

1. Preview
2. Apple Pages
3. Microsoft Word

How to Input Your Digital Signature on Your Mac

In the first place, you won’t really need a third-party app or online service to sign your important documents — there’s a conveniently built-in macOS tool to help with that. To sign PDFs, you can capture your signature via your trackpad, the built-in camera on your Mac, or your iPhone or iPad. Here’s how:

Step 1

Open Preview on your Mac and select the document or PDF file you want to sign.

Step 2

Click on the Show Markup Toolbar button, located in the rightmost button on the toolbar before the Search tool, to reveal the Markup Toolbar. Then, click the Sign button.

Step 3

Follow the on-screen instructions to create your signature using your trackpad, iPhone, or iPad or holding up a signed piece of white paper to your camera to capture it as a regular picture.

Step 4

Once the signature is captured, select it from the Sign drop-down menu and add it to the PDF.

Step 5

From there, it’s all about resizing your signature by dragging on the adjustment handles and placing it where it needs to be. After that, you can save your PDF and consider the job done.

Quick note: If you use iCloud Drive, your electronic signature will automatically be available on your other Mac computers. You are also able to create multiple signatures at once.

Best Digital Signatures Software for Mac

In this section, we have included a few mobile applications and websites that provide online document signing services and other related features suitable for mac OS. The electronic signature provider will instruct you to upload the document, sign the document online and download the signed document. The documents that can be uploaded can be PDF, Word, IMG, TXT, XLS, and more.

1. EverSign

Features include

• The first document is free
• Auto-expiration options available
• Audit trails that keep track of the document signing process
• Templates
• Multi-business management
• Contact management
• App integrations
• API support.

2. DocuSign

Features include:

• Mobile app support
• Custom field creation
• Reusable templates
• Multiple-user routing
• Security requirements such as privacy and data residency rules and audit trails
• Enable electronic signatures within a variety of solutions

3. Adobe Acrobat

Features include:

• Ability to sign PDF documents from any device
• The ability to send documents to multiple users
• Real-time tracking and integrations with HR platforms
• Custom branding options

4. HoneyBook

Features include:

• Data Security
• Customizable Templates
• Electronic Signature
• Document Storage
• Reminders
• Authentication
• Access Controls/Permissions

5. Foxit eSign

Features include:

• Electronic Signature
• Data Security
• Reminders
• Task Progress Tracking
• Access Controls/Permissions
• Authentication
• Customizable Templates
• Document Analytics
• Document Storage
• Mobile Signature Capture
• Multi-Party Signing
• Audit Trail

Key Takeaways

The ability to create, save and add e-signatures to your PDFs is readily available to mac users. Deciding to sign your documents electronically can serve many benefits, namely for its validity, safety, and security, as well as its quick and easy process.
Because there is no printing, transportation, or an extra layer of physical security for traditional, paper-based signatures, there is less hassle and a noticeably lower expense rate. You can create your e-signature in Preview, the integrated software for Mac, or you can use a trusted and dedicated document management platform to perform the same operation, resulting in your very own safe and verified digital signature to use on any document.