GUIDE · SIGNING
How to sign a PDF without Adobe, for free and without uploading it
You do not need an Acrobat subscription to sign a PDF, and you do not need to upload a contract to a website you have never heard of. Here are the options, and the trade-offs of each.
Your options
| Option | Cost | Uploads the PDF? | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adobe Acrobat | Subscription for full editing | Optional, cloud features upload | The standard, more than most people need for a signature |
| macOS Preview | Free | No | Mac only; signatures from trackpad or camera |
| Microsoft Edge PDF viewer | Free | No | Draw or type in the viewer's ink and text tools; limited placement control |
| Online e-sign services | Free tier, then monthly | Yes | Good for multi-party signing; the document lives on their servers |
| Inkmark | Free, every feature | No | Typed, drawn or image signatures, initials, dates and text; works in any modern browser |
If you only need to sign and send back a PDF someone emailed you, you do not need a subscription or an upload.
Sign a PDF with Inkmark
- Open Inkmark and drop the PDF in. With the browser extension, open the PDF in Chrome, Edge or Firefox and click the Inkmark button instead.
- Create your signature: type your name and pick one of eight handwriting fonts, draw it with a mouse, trackpad or finger, or upload an image of your signature.
- Click the page where it belongs. Move and resize it; on rotated or cropped pages it lands exactly where you put it.
- Add initials, the date or a line of text where the form asks for them.
- Download. Pages you did not change are kept as they were.
Typed signatures are embedded as real font text, and drawn signatures as vector paths, so they stay sharp at any zoom. If you tick Remember this signature on this device, it is saved in your browser for next time; otherwise nothing is stored.
What to check before you send it
- Is this a document type that allows a simple electronic signature? (Most do; see our validity guide.)
- Did you sign and initial every place the document asks for?
- Did you add the date if the form requires one?
- Open the downloaded file once and check every page before sending.
When you need something else
Inkmark adds simple visual signatures. If a document requires identity verification, a certificate-based (qualified) signature, or a workflow where several people sign in order, use a dedicated e-signature or trust service for that document.
Questions
Is a typed signature legally valid?
In many cases, yes: the US ESIGN Act and the EU eIDAS regulation accept simple electronic signatures for many agreements. Some documents and jurisdictions require more. See our guide on electronic signature validity, and confirm what your recipient requires.
Do I need an account?
Not with Inkmark. There is no sign-up and nothing is uploaded; the PDF stays in your browser.
Will the signed PDF have a watermark?
No. Inkmark is free with every feature and adds no watermark.
Can I sign a PDF that is already open in my browser?
Yes, with the Inkmark extension for Chrome, Edge or Firefox: open the PDF, click the Inkmark button, sign and download.