How to sign a file electronically

Here, we show you how to sign an electronic form so that you can sign and return any terms and conditions forms, contracts, or other documents that we might need you to sign.

Click on the images to view them larger.

Preview (Mac OS only)

Preview comes as standard on the Mac. These instructions will show you how to add your signature.

1. Open the PDF file in Preview.
2. From the View menu, select Show Markup Toolbar.

3. Click the signature button on the markup toolbar.

4. Use a trackpad, a webcam, or an iPhone, if you have one, to input your signature.
   • Trackpad: use your finger to sign your name.
   • Webcam: sign your name on a piece of white paper and hold it up to the camera. You might need to move the paper around until Preview recognises your signature. Once recognised, your signature will appear in the box.
   • Apple iPhone: for best results, unlock your phone and hold it horizontally (landscape) before clicking the iPhone button in Preview. The phone will automagically show a screen on which to sign your name; sign using your finger. Every time you lift your finger, the box will display what you have written on your phone.

5. When you’re happy with your signature, click Done on the box.
6. Your signature will show up as an option in the drop-down menu for the signature button, ready for use. Click it to select it. It will appear in a box on your form.
7. Hover your mouse cursor over the signature box, and click and drag it into position. If it is too large or too small, click and drag one of the blue circles at the corners diagonally until it is the right size.

8. Preview sometimes has difficulty recognising form fields, so text cannot be added directly. To work around this, select the text button.

9. A text box will appear on the page. Check the font and colour are suitable; adjust using the font button if not.

10. Click and drag the text box to a text field, and enter the appropriate data. You can make the text box wider by dragging the blue circles. Click outside the box to finish. Repeat this step for all text fields.

11. Save the file and send it back to us at hello@pandammonium.co.uk. Thanks!

Adobe Acrobat Reader DC

These instructions were written for Adobe Acrobat Reader DC on Mac OS, but they should work on Windows as well. If you don’t have a copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader DC, you can download it for free from Adobe’s website.

1. Open Adobe Acrobat Reader DC on your desktop or laptop.
2. Go to the Tool tab and click Openunder the Fill & Sign tool.

3. Click Select a File and choose the file you wish to sign.
4. Choose Fill and sign. (The Request signatures option has limits on its use.)

5. Make sure the text option is selected.
6. Hover your mouse over the text form fields. A box will appear on the line. Click on the box and type in the relevant data for that field. Repeat for each field.

7. For your signature, click the Sign option. You will be prompted to Add Signature or to Add Initials. If you have already saved a signature, it should appear instead of Add Signature. Select either your existing signature or Add Signature.

8. A box will appear in which you can put your signature. You can either type it (select Type), write it by hand (select Draw) or select an image file that contains your signature. If you choose to handwrite your signature, don’t worry if it’s messy – it can be hard to write and draw with a mouse! You can clear it and start again if you think it’s really bad.
9. Tick or untick Save signature to save your signature in Acrobat or to discard it after this use.
10. Click Apply.

11. Your signature will appear at your mouse cursor; hover the cursor over the signature field and click to stamp it into place. Click outside the box to finish.

12. Save the file and send it back to us at hello@pandammonium.co.uk. Thanks!