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How to Electronically Sign a PDF Using Preview on Mac

MacRumors

MacRumors

macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
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23,882



When you receive a PDF document by email that you must sign, the process of printing out the file, signing on the dotted line with a pen, scanning the signed document and sending it back can be a rather tedious task. Fortunately, Apple has added the ability to electronically sign a PDF document using Preview, a program that comes preinstalled on every Mac running OS X Lion or later.

macrumors_pdf_signature_mojave.jpg

The steps involved to electronically sign a PDF using Preview on Mac are quite simple and will save you valuable time, especially if you have multiple documents, contracts, forms or other paperwork to sign. If you are worried that your virtual signature will look bad, rest assured that you can create your signature by using the trackpad or holding up your signature on paper to a Mac's built-in iSight camera.

Click here to read more...

Article Link: How to Electronically Sign a PDF Using Preview on Mac
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/how-to/digitally-sign-a-pdf-using-preview-on-mac/
W

WestonHarvey1

macrumors 68030
Jan 9, 2007
2,728
2,106
I've never figured out how to do this if you don't have a camera or trackpad. A simple image import feature would be nice but there isnt one last time I tried
 
T

ttss6

macrumors 6502
Mar 28, 2014
333
58
California
It's so clever to use Force Touch to show the varying pressure you put on your signature. Can't wait to try out the new MacBooks
 
Westside guy

Westside guy

macrumors 603
Oct 15, 2003
6,185
3,916
The soggy side of the Pacific NW
Just to be "that guy"...

While people often do refer to this as a "digital signature", it really isn't anything of the sort. A digital signature is a cryptographic entity that at some level proves that you are indeed who you claim you are. It generally doesn't involve anything resembling your on-paper signature.

Anyone can append a rasterized/digitized version of your written signature to a document - it doesn't have to be you. With a real digital signature, though, that can't happen unless you are sloppy with your private key(s).
 
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AlecZ

AlecZ

macrumors 65816
Sep 11, 2014
1,173
122
Berkeley, CA
Westside guy said:
Just to be "that guy"...

While people often do refer to this as a "digital signature", it really isn't anything of the sort. A digital signature is a cryptographic entity that at some level proves that you are indeed who you claim you are. It generally doesn't involve anything resembling your on-paper signature.

Anyone can append a rasterized/digitized version of your written signature to a document - it doesn't have to be you. With a real digital signature, though, that can't happen unless you are sloppy with your private key(s).
Click to expand...

This is exactly what I was going to say. I thought this article would be about RSA.
 
RedTomato

RedTomato

macrumors 601
Mar 4, 2005
4,151
434
.. London ..
Nice awareness-raising article but I am not sure why this is a Macrumors post. I've been signing PDFs on my 2013 mba for a while now so it isn't a brand new thing. Maybe new to Yoshemite though.
WestonHarvey1 said:
I've never figured out how to do this if you don't have a camera or trackpad. A simple image import feature would be nice but there isnt one last time I tried
Click to expand...

Yes you can import images. Just drag and drop the signature image file onto the PDF. You might need to be in signature mode first, I can't remember.
 
SlCKB0Y

SlCKB0Y

macrumors 68040
Feb 25, 2012
3,402
542
Sydney, Australia
RedTomato said:
Yes you can import images. Just drag and drop the signature image file onto the PDF. You might need to be in signature mode first, I can't remember.
Click to expand...

No, a PDF in Preview will not allow you to import/drop an image into it. The PDF has to be converted to an image, then you drop the image into it and convert back to PDF.

If you believe this to be wrong perhaps you could create some step by step instructions, because my own testing and a whole lot of googling and no one else has found out how to do this.
 
Carlanga

Carlanga

macrumors 604
Nov 5, 2009
7,131
1,406
Why the need to create a new thread about an old feature if nothing about its signature rendering quality was updated afaik?
 
C

C DM

macrumors Sandy Bridge
Oct 17, 2011
51,388
19,457
Carlanga said:
Why the need to create a new thread about an old feature if nothing about its signature rendering quality was updated afaik?
Click to expand...
One of those "The More You Know..." PSA type of things perhaps?
 
HiRez

HiRez

macrumors 603
Jan 6, 2004
6,123
2,164
Western US
RedTomato said:
Nice awareness-raising article but I am not sure why this is a Macrumors post.
Click to expand...
Yes, this capability has been in Preview for a long time. At least since Mavericks and I think even before that. There is something that changed though. You used to be able to edit (move, resize) or delete the signature later; now, once you save and close the file it's permanently baked in.
 
Carlanga

Carlanga

macrumors 604
Nov 5, 2009
7,131
1,406
HiRez said:
Yes, this capability has been in Preview for a long time. At least since Mavericks and I think even before that. There is something that changed though. You used to be able to edit (move, resize) or delete the signature later; now, once you save and close the file it's permanently baked in.
Click to expand...

Yeap, was a new feature in Lion.
 
BeyondtheTech

BeyondtheTech

macrumors 68020
Jun 20, 2007
2,142
695
WestonHarvey1 said:
I've never figured out how to do this if you don't have a camera or trackpad. A simple image import feature would be nice but there isnt one last time I tried
Click to expand...

SlCKB0Y said:
No, a PDF in Preview will not allow you to import/drop an image into it. The PDF has to be converted to an image, then you drop the image into it and convert back to PDF.

If you believe this to be wrong perhaps you could create some step by step instructions, because my own testing and a whole lot of googling and no one else has found out how to do this.
Click to expand...

If you can get a hold of a Mac that has a camera and have access to their Keychain, you can capture the signature there, then transfer it over to your Mac with this lack. Just make sure you delete it off the old one when you're done. Or if you have a few Macs and want to keep signatures handy on all of them, this is a neat method.

http://www.stuartcarnie.com/2011/08/transferring-preview-app-signatures-in.html?m=1
 
K

KALLT

macrumors 603
Sep 23, 2008
5,333
3,363
Has anyone actually been able to create a decent signature with the trackpad? It seems more gimmicky than useful to me and I doubt that it can be used for more than a simple paraph. You might as well draw an ‘x’, it wouldn’t make a difference legally anyway.
 
BeyondtheTech

BeyondtheTech

macrumors 68020
Jun 20, 2007
2,142
695
KALLT said:
Has anyone actually been able to create a decent signature with the trackpad? It seems more gimmicky than useful to me and I doubt that it can be used for more than a simple paraph. You might as well draw an ‘x’, it wouldn’t make a difference legally anyway.
Click to expand...

With a stylus, I have a long name and it came out decent and legible.
 
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