Tutorial · 4 min
How to sign a PDF in your browser (without DocuSign)
Draw a signature, stamp it, and ship the signed PDF — no account, no upload, no SaaS subscription.
When the browser is enough
Most PDFs you sign each year — internal forms, school permission slips, a contractor invoice — don't need a certified e-signature. They just need a visible signature on the right page.
The 30-second workflow
- Open the Sign PDF tool.
- Drop your PDF.
- Draw your signature on the pad with a mouse, trackpad or finger.
- Pick the page, drag the position and size sliders, then download.
That's it. The signature is embedded as a transparent PNG onto the chosen page using pdf-lib. The whole flow runs in your browser.
When you actually need DocuSign
Use a certificate-based e-signature provider when you need:
- Non-repudiation with audit trails (financial, legal contracts).
- Multi-party signing with countersign order.
- Long-term validation (LTV) stamps.
For everything else, the browser signer is faster and free.