Though many organizations have moved on to electronic signature systems such as DocuSign, we all continue to receive documents requiring our signatures. Typically, one tends to print them, sign, scan to PDF and send it back! In the interest of saving paper, time, and effort, here are some ways to add your signature to PDF documents electronically.
Preview Application (Mac only)
If you have a laptop, you can write your signature with your finger on your laptop’s trackpad. If you have an iMac or laptop, you can write your signature on a piece of paper and hold it up to the camera. Either way, Preview will save this signature for future use.
- Open Preview. Go to Tools > Annotate > Signature > Manage Signatures.
- Click Create Signature and follow the prompts to save a signature via Trackpad or Camera.
- Open your PDF in Preview. To insert your signature, go to Tools > Annotate > Signature and select your signature. Click and drag the signature to the appropriate location on your document and resize from the corners as needed.
Adobe Acrobat (installed on College Macs and PCs)
Create a signature file
- Sign your name on a blank paper.
- Using the nearest scanning device, take a picture with your smartphone or tablet, or scan it on an MFD/copier. Email this image file to yourself.
- On your computer, download the image file and open it in the image editor of your choice to crop it just around the signature itself and adjust the brightness, if needed. For example:
Mac – Open your image in Preview. Go to Tools > Crop. Draw a box around your signature and click Crop. Go to File > Export and save your image file with the format JPEG, a logical name (e.g. signature.jpg) and in a location you will remember for future use.
Windows 7 – Open your image in Paint. Click Select, drag a box around your signature, then click Crop. Save your image file with the format JPEG in a location you’ll remember for future use.
Windows 10 – Open your image in the Photos app. Click anywhere on the image to reveal the toolbar, then click Get Creative with this photo > Edit > Crop and rotate. Clicking this places a rectangle with circles at the corners on your image. Drag the circles to where you’d like to crop your signature, then click Done. Save your image file with the format JPEG in a location you’ll remember for future use.
Insert your signature
- Open your PDF in Acrobat. Right click on the file > Add Image > choose your signature.
- Click and drag the signature to the appropriate location on your file and resize from the corners as needed.
To: Everyone
From: Lori Parmet, LTS, x2171
More info: Computing Help Desk, x3333 (faculty/staff) x7777 (students)
