+PDFNova

Sign PDF on Desktop

Add a typed signature to a document and download it straight away.

Drop your PDF file here

or browse your device

A single PDF file, up to 100 MB. Files are processed on this device.

A desktop or laptop is the best place to run this. More memory means larger documents, a faster processor means quicker work on operations that re-render pages, and drag and drop from a file manager makes adding files immediate.

None of that requires installing anything. The tool runs in whichever browser you already use, so there is no software to download, no licence tied to this particular machine and nothing to reinstall the next time you change computers.

Drag files straight from Finder, File Explorer or your Linux file manager onto the upload area. Or use the keyboard throughout — every control is reachable with Tab and operable with Enter or Space, including the upload area itself.

Most documents that need signing do not need a cryptographic certificate — they need a name on a line so the other party can see who agreed to what. Internal approvals, delivery notes, consent forms and simple agreements all fall into this category, and printing, signing and rescanning them is a waste of an afternoon.

This tool types your signature onto the page in an italic face, draws a rule beneath it the way a printed signature block reads, and hands the document back. Sign the last page by default, or name any page in the document.

How to sign a PDF file

  1. Add your PDF

    Drop in the document that needs signing.

  2. Type your signature

    Enter your name as you want it to appear on the document.

  3. Choose the page

    Leave the page at 0 to sign the last page, which is where signature blocks usually live, or enter a specific page number.

  4. Set the size

    16 point suits most documents. Increase it if the signature needs to stand out.

  5. Sign and download

    Press Sign PDF, check the placement in the preview, and download the signed copy.

Why use this sign pdf tool

Drag and drop from your file manager

Drop files straight from Finder, File Explorer or any Linux file manager, several at a time.

Full keyboard navigation

Every control is reachable with Tab and operable from the keyboard, with visible focus throughout.

Room for larger documents

Desktop memory headroom handles big files comfortably, and page-rendering operations finish considerably faster.

No printing or scanning

The signature goes straight onto the digital file, so the document never has to leave the screen and never loses quality to a scanner.

It looks like a signature block

The name is set in an italic face with a rule underneath, sized to the text, rather than being dropped onto the page as plain body copy.

Sign any page

Signature blocks are usually on the last page, which is the default, but you can name any page when yours is somewhere else.

Features

  • Typed signatureSet in Helvetica Oblique with a rule drawn beneath it.
  • Any pageSign the last page by default or specify one.
  • Adjustable sizeFrom 8 to 48 point.
  • Bottom-right placementPositioned where signature blocks conventionally sit.
  • Preview before downloadConfirm the placement before committing.

When people use this

Approving an internal document

Sign off a policy, a purchase request or a timesheet without the print-sign-scan round trip.

Returning a simple agreement

Add your name to a straightforward contract and send it back the same day.

Acknowledging receipt

Sign a delivery note or handover document and return it as a PDF.

Completing a consent form

Fill in a school, medical or membership form and return it digitally.

Getting the most out of it on a computer

Drag and drop is the fastest way to add files. Select several in your file manager and drop them onto the upload area together — they are added in one go, and for tools that accept multiple files you can drop more on afterwards to append to the list.

The whole interface is keyboard-navigable. Tab moves between controls in a sensible order, the upload area responds to Enter and Space, and focus outlines are always visible so you can see where you are. Nothing requires a mouse.

A desktop's memory headroom is the real advantage. Files up to 100 MB are comfortable on a machine with a few gigabytes free, where a phone would struggle. Operations that re-render pages also finish several times faster on a desktop processor.

How signing works

The document is loaded with pdf-lib and Helvetica Oblique is embedded. The tool measures the width of your name at the chosen point size, positions it so it sits inset from the right edge of the page with a guaranteed minimum left margin, and draws it into the page content stream.

A thin horizontal line is then drawn immediately below the text, spanning exactly the width of the name. Nothing else on the page is altered, and the rest of the document is written back unchanged.

Privacy

Your files are not uploaded. When you add a PDF file, your browser reads it from your device into the memory of the tab you are looking at, and the sign pdf operation runs there using your own processor. Nothing is transmitted to any server at any point.

That means there is no file for anyone to store, no retention policy to trust, and no deletion schedule to take on faith. The document exists only in the memory of an open browser tab, and it is released the moment you close it, reload the page, or press start over.

The site uses standard anonymous analytics to count page views and how often each tool is used. Those events record which tool ran and whether it succeeded — never a file name, never file contents, and never anything that could identify a document or the person processing it.

No account is required, so no personal information is collected. There is no profile, no history and nothing tied to an identity, because no identity was ever created.

Security

The strongest security property this tool has is structural: your file never travels anywhere, so there is no transmission to intercept and no server-side copy to breach. This is not a policy that could change — it is a consequence of where the code runs.

You can verify it in about thirty seconds. Open your browser's developer tools with F12, select the Network tab, and use the tool. You will see the page's scripts load — including the PDF libraries, which are fetched on demand the first time a tool runs — and then nothing further. No request carrying your document is ever made.

For a stronger test, disconnect from the network once the page has loaded. The tool will keep working exactly as before, which is only possible because nothing is being sent.

Uploaded files are validated in the browser before anything runs: the extension must match what the tool accepts, the file must not be empty, and it must be within the size limit. Malformed documents produce a clear error and a retry option rather than a silent failure.

What this tool does not do

Being clear about limits is more useful than a feature list that quietly omits them. Typed signatures only, one page per run, with no cryptographic signing, certificate, timestamp or audit trail.

If you need capabilities beyond that — redaction, PDF/A conformance, OCR, or scripted batch processing across thousands of documents — dedicated desktop software genuinely earns its licence fee, and this is not trying to replace it. For the specific job of producing a signed PDF, everything you need is on this page.

Frequently asked questions

Can I drag files in from my file manager?
Yes. Drag one or several files onto the upload area from Finder, File Explorer or any Linux file manager. For tools that take multiple files, dropping more later appends them to the list.
Can I use this entirely from the keyboard?
Yes. Tab moves through every control in order, the upload area opens the file picker with Enter or Space, and all buttons and form fields are keyboard-operable with visible focus indicators.
Is a desktop faster than a phone for this?
For operations that re-render pages — compression and image conversion — considerably so, often several times. Structural operations like merging and rotating are fast enough everywhere that the difference is hard to notice.
Is this a legally binding electronic signature?
It is a typed signature, not a cryptographic digital signature backed by a certificate. Many jurisdictions accept typed signatures for everyday agreements where both parties intend to be bound, but this tool makes no legal guarantee. If you need a qualified electronic signature with an audit trail and identity verification, use a dedicated e-signature service.
Can I draw my signature or upload an image of it?
Not yet — the tool currently places typed text. Drawn and image-based signatures are a planned addition.
Where exactly is the signature placed?
At the bottom right of the chosen page, inset from the edge, with a horizontal rule drawn directly beneath it. The horizontal position is calculated from the width of your name so it never runs off the page.
Can I sign more than one page?
One page per run. To sign several pages, run the tool again on the file you just downloaded, choosing a different page each time.
Can other people tell the document was signed here?
No branding, watermark or metadata identifying this tool is added. The signed file contains your document and your signature and nothing else.

Browse every PDF tool, or read the help and FAQ pages. Details of how files are handled are in the privacy policy.