How to sign a PDF on Mac with Preview or Chrome

To sign a PDF on a Mac, open a copy in Preview, show the Markup toolbar, and use Sign to create or place your signature. If you prefer a Chrome workflow, Sign PDF lets you draw a signature or upload an image of one, then download the edited PDF.

Choose the app that fits how you want to supply the signature. You do not need to install a Chrome extension just to use Preview.

Choose the workflow before editing

• Use Preview to capture a signature with your Mac's trackpad or camera.
• Preview also supports a nearby iPhone or iPad, subject to Apple's device requirements.
• Use Sign PDF to draw directly on the PDF or upload a signature image in Chrome.
• If the recipient specifies a signing system, use that system before choosing either workflow.

Keep an unchanged copy of the PDF. If it came from email, save a local copy with a clear name before starting. That makes it easier to distinguish the original from the file you intend to return.

Place a signature in Preview

Apple's Preview guide describes capturing a signature with a trackpad, the Mac's camera, or a nearby iPhone or iPad.

1. Open the PDF copy in Preview.
2. Select Show Markup Toolbar if the toolbar is hidden, then select Sign.
3. Choose an existing signature or create one. With Trackpad, follow the prompt and sign with your finger. With Camera, hold a signature on white paper level with the guide line.
4. Select the signature to place it on the PDF. Drag it onto the requested line and adjust its size with the handles.
5. Save the PDF copy and reopen it to check the placement.

Apple's device option requires compatible Continuity features; it is optional. Use the trackpad or camera route if you do not want to involve another device.

If the form also asks for a printed name or date, check those fields separately. A signature on one line does not complete the rest of the form.

Use Sign PDF if you prefer Chrome

The Sign PDF listing describes drawing or uploading a signature, adding text, page navigation, and downloading the edited file.

Install it from the Chrome Web Store, open the extension from Chrome's toolbar, and add the local PDF through Select Files or drag-and-drop. Draw on the signature line or upload your signature image and position it. Add a name or date if requested, review the relevant pages, then choose Download.

For more detail, use the guide to drawing a signature on a PDF or adding a signature image. The extension describes local processing and offline use after installation. Those statements concern the local PDF workflow; retrieving a document from an online source is a separate step.

Check the copy you will return

Open the saved or downloaded PDF and find each requested signature location. Check that the mark fits the line and does not cover nearby text. Review any name or date entries at normal reading size as well as at a closer zoom.

Give the checked copy a distinct name, for example form-signed.pdf. When attaching it to a message, confirm the attachment name rather than selecting whichever file appears first in the folder.

Sign PDF adds a visible electronic signature, not a certificate-based digital signature. If the recipient asks for a signing certificate or a particular service, follow that requirement before sending the file. The two workflows here address placing a visible mark on a PDF; they do not establish the recipient's acceptance.

Sources

• Apple: fill out and sign PDF forms in Preview on Mac
• Sign PDF in the Chrome Web Store