The Hassle of Signing Digital Documents
When someone emails you a PDF contract or a tax form that requires your signature, the standard workflow is deeply inefficient. Most people print the document, sign it with a physical pen, scan it back into their computer (or take a crooked photo with their phone), and finally email the massive image file back to the sender.
Alternatively, users search online for “free PDF signer” and upload highly sensitive legal documents to random, unverified web tools, or they purchase an expensive subscription to Adobe Acrobat just to scribble their name twice a year.
If you own a Mac, you do not need to do any of this. The default PDF viewer included with every version of macOS, the humble Preview app, contains a highly secure, built-in tool that allows you to digitally capture your real signature and stamp it onto any document in seconds.
How to Capture Your Signature
Before you can sign a document, you must teach your Mac what your signature looks like. You only have to do this once. macOS will securely store it in your Keychain and sync it across all your Apple devices via iCloud.
- Double-click any PDF file to open it in Preview.
- Look at the top toolbar and click the Show Markup Toolbar icon (it looks like a small pen tip inside a circle). A secondary toolbar will appear.
- Click the Sign icon (it looks like a small signature with an ‘x’ next to it).
- Click Create Signature.
A new window will appear offering you three distinct ways to capture your signature:
Method 1: Trackpad (Fastest)
If you have a MacBook or an Apple Magic Trackpad, select this option. Click “Click Here to Begin,” and then literally sign your name on your trackpad using your finger or a rubber-tipped stylus. Press any key on your keyboard when you are finished. It takes a little practice to make it look natural, but you can click “Clear” and try as many times as you like.
Method 2: Camera (Most Accurate)
If you want a perfect reproduction of your pen-and-paper signature, this is the best method. Take a blank piece of white paper and sign your name with a thick black pen. Select the Camera option in Preview, and hold the piece of paper up to your Mac’s webcam. Preview will instantly scan the ink, strip away the white paper background, and convert it into a flawless digital asset.
Method 3: iPhone or iPad
If you own an iPhone or iPad, select this option. Your mobile device’s screen will instantly turn into a blank canvas. You can use your finger (or an Apple Pencil on the iPad) to sign your name on the mobile screen, and it will magically appear in real-time on your Mac.
Once you are happy with the capture, click Done.
How to Sign a PDF
Now that your signature is saved, signing a document takes three seconds.
- Open the PDF in Preview.
- Click the Show Markup Toolbar icon.
- Click the Sign icon. You will now see a preview of your saved signature in the dropdown menu.
- Click your signature. It will appear as a large graphic in the centre of your document.
- Click and drag the signature to the correct signature line on the document.
- Click and drag the blue corners of the signature box to resize it so it perfectly fits the provided space.
Saving and Sending
Once the signature is placed, simply press Command + S to save the document. The signature is now embedded into the PDF. It cannot be easily edited or moved by the recipient.
You can now reply to the original email and attach the signed PDF, having completed the entire process without using a single sheet of paper, a printer, or a drop of ink.
Conclusion
macOS Preview is arguably the most underrated application on the Mac. By utilizing its built-in signature capture tool, you can permanently eliminate the print-sign-scan workflow, allowing you to execute contracts and authorize documents instantly from anywhere in the world.