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Catalog enabled {{ engineBadge }} {{ pageCountLabel }} {{ signatureBadge }}
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Browse or drop one PDF before placing a visual signature.
{{ hasFile ? selectedFile.name : 'Drop a PDF here' }}
{{ hasFile ? selectedFileSummary : 'Files stay in this browser; no upload request is made.' }}
Choose how the visible signature mark should be created.
Use the name or short mark that should appear on the PDF.
Draw inside the pad, then place the mark on the selected page.
{{ hasDrawnSignature ? 'Drawn signature captured.' : 'Draw a signature before stamping the PDF.' }}
Browse or drop one PNG or JPG signature image.
{{ hasSignatureImage ? signatureImage.name : 'Drop a signature image' }}
{{ hasSignatureImage ? signatureImageSummary : 'PNG with transparency or JPG, up to 5 MB.' }}
Choose the page that should receive the visual signature.
page
Bottom right is common for approval blocks and forms.
{{ normalized.signatureWidth }} pt
Scale the visible signature mark before stamping.
Choose the text printed below the visible signature.
Use a dark color for reliable contrast on scanned forms.
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Fine-tune the signature anchor without changing the base placement.
pt
Fine-tune the signature around existing form fields.
pt
Leave blank to append -signed to the source filename.
Maximum source PDF size for one local signing pass.
MB
Field Value Copy
{{ row.field }} {{ row.value }}
PDF page Signature source Placement Anchor Box Label Copy
{{ row.page }} {{ row.source }} {{ row.placement }} {{ row.anchor }} {{ row.box }} {{ row.label }}
Check Status Detail Copy
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Tags: File Tools, Productivity
File to PDF Converter Prepare images, Markdown, HTML, text, and Office-style files for PDF output with local preflight, layout warnings, and review exports.
PDF Page Numberer Add page numbers to a PDF in your browser, choose ranges and label styles, then check placement coordinates before downloading.
PDF Compressor Compress a PDF in your browser with a local rewrite, production-size estimates, and warnings for image-heavy, encrypted, or oversized files.
PDF Page Deleter Delete PDF pages in your browser, verify source-to-output renumbering, catch range or fidelity warnings, and download a cleaned copy.
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Signing a PDF can mean two very different things. In everyday office work, it often means placing a visible mark near a form line so the next person can see who acknowledged the document. In higher-assurance workflows, it means creating a certificate-backed digital signature that a PDF reader can validate for signer identity and document integrity.

That distinction matters because a copied page mark can look official without carrying the evidence people may expect from a signing platform. A typed name, drawn stroke, or uploaded signature image can be useful for internal approvals, school forms, intake packets, quotes, draft sign-offs, and other low-friction workflows. It is weaker evidence for contracts, regulated forms, financial approvals, identity-sensitive records, or documents likely to be disputed.

Term What the reader sees What it can support What it does not prove by itself
Visual signature A name, drawn mark, or image on the page. Routing copies, informal approvals, draft sign-off, and visible acknowledgement. Signer identity, document integrity, or long-term validation.
Certificate-based digital signature A visible or invisible signature that a PDF reader can validate. Integrity checks, signer-certificate review, timestamps, and controlled post-signing changes. Legal sufficiency in every workflow, because rules still depend on the recipient and jurisdiction.
E-signature service workflow Usually a visible signature plus email, identity, consent, audit, or certificate evidence. External agreements when the service and process match the recipient's requirements. That every copied visual mark has the same evidence as the service record.

Many ordinary documents do not need formal cryptographic proof, but they still need careful placement. The mark should land on the intended page, sit close to the relevant signature line or approval area, avoid covering form text, and leave enough context for a human reader to understand who acknowledged what. A label line with a name or date can help routing and review even though it does not create certificate evidence.

Visible PDF page mark changes the stamped copy, while certificate evidence belongs to a separate signing workflow.

Risk rises when the recipient needs proof rather than a visible cue. Stronger signing workflows record consent, authenticate the signer, preserve integrity, and keep validation evidence such as certificates, timestamps, or audit records. Jurisdiction and recipient policy still matter, so a copied visual mark should not be treated as universal legal proof.

The safest boundary is simple: use a visual signature for readable acknowledgement when the surrounding workflow already establishes trust, and use a certificate-based or approved e-signature workflow when identity, tamper evidence, timestamps, or audit records are required.

How to Use This Tool:

Start with one readable, unencrypted PDF and one visible signature source. The stamping work happens in the browser session, so review the downloaded copy before sending it onward.

  1. Choose Source PDF with Browse PDF, drop a PDF into the source area, or select Load sample when you want a safe test file first.
  2. Pick Signature source. Use Type a signature for text, Draw on the pad for mouse, trackpad, stylus, or touch input, or Upload signature image for one PNG or JPG file.
  3. Set Signature page and Placement. Page numbers are one-based; a requested page above the PDF page count resolves to the last page and shows a warning.
  4. Adjust Signature width, Label line, and Ink color. Typed and drawn signatures use the selected ink color. Uploaded images keep their original colors.
  5. Use Advanced only when the first placement is close but not exact. Horizontal offset moves the mark right or left, Vertical offset moves it up or down, and Browser work limit controls the maximum source size for one rewrite pass.
  6. Select Create signed PDF. If Visual Signed PDF Ready appears, use Download PDF, then inspect the stamped page in a PDF reader.
  7. Fix warnings before relying on the output. Common blockers include a missing signature source, a non-PDF file, an encrypted or unreadable PDF, a signature image above 5 MB, a source above the selected work limit, or a PDF above 500 pages.

Interpreting Results:

Visual Signed PDF Ready means the browser rewrote the PDF and produced a downloadable copy with a visible page stamp. It does not mean the signer's identity was verified, the document has a certificate validation chain, or later edits will be detected by signature-validation software.

Result area What to trust What to verify
Visual Signed PDF A downloadable PDF was created after local stamping. Open the file and confirm the visible mark is on the intended page.
Signature Summary Source page count, signature source, target page, placement, output filename, output size, and visual-only signature model. Check Signature model before sending the document outside a trusted workflow.
Signature Placement Resolved page, signature source, placement, anchor coordinates, stamp box size, and label text. Compare the target page and anchor area with the actual PDF page after download.
Readiness Checks PDF loading state, size limits, signature readiness, page resolution, local processing, and certificate-signing status. Treat warning rows as stop signs until the detail explains a harmless condition.

A clean result table is not a substitute for visual inspection. Zoom in on the stamped page, make sure the mark does not hide form text, and keep the original PDF when the signed copy may be questioned later.

Technical Details:

PDF visible content is drawn in page space. Default PDF user space starts at the lower-left corner, with the x-axis moving right, the y-axis moving up, and 72 units equal to one inch. A 144 pt visible signature is therefore about two inches wide before viewer zoom, printer scaling, or page rotation affects how it appears to a reader.

A visual signature stamp modifies page appearance. Typed text is drawn as an italic text object, drawn strokes are converted to transparent PNG image data, and uploaded PNG or JPG signatures are embedded as image content. A certificate-backed digital signature follows a different model: it stores signature data that a PDF reader can validate against certificate and document-integrity evidence.

Transformation Core

Input path Stamp content Scaling behavior Main caution
Typed signature Signer text is placed as italic PDF text using the chosen ink color. The font size is fitted to the selected signature width, with a bounded readable size. A typed name is visible acknowledgement, not identity proof.
Drawn signature The drawing pad is converted to transparent PNG image data. The image keeps its aspect ratio and is scaled to the selected width. An accidental or weak stroke still becomes the visible mark unless the pad is erased.
Uploaded image One PNG or JPG signature image is embedded into the page. Image colors are preserved and the width drives the final size. Images above 5 MB are rejected before stamping.
Label line Signer name, date, both, or no label can be printed below the mark. The label adds height to the stamp box before placement is resolved. The label improves human review but does not create certificate evidence.

Placement Rule

The base position starts from the selected page corner or center, a 42 pt page margin, the stamp width, and the estimated stamp height. Offsets are then added. The final anchor is clamped so the whole stamp box stays within the page box instead of disappearing beyond an edge.

x = clamp ( baseX + offsetX , 0 , pageWidth - stampWidth ) y = clamp ( baseY + offsetY , 0 , pageHeight - stampHeight )

The anchor is the lower-left corner of the complete stamp box, including the optional label line.

Guardrail Bound or rule User meaning
Source PDF One file that starts with a PDF header and can be loaded without unsupported encryption. Wrong file types, empty PDFs, and unreadable protected PDFs stop before stamping.
Page count 500 pages maximum for one browser-side pass. Large documents may need a smaller extract or a dedicated signing workflow.
Browser work limit 10 MB to 200 MB, with 75 MB as the default source-size limit. The size gate reduces the chance of memory-heavy PDF rewriting in the tab.
Signature width 72 pt to 300 pt. Small marks can be hard to read; large marks can cover important form content.
Fine offsets -240 pt to 240 pt on each axis. Offsets adjust placement while the final anchor remains inside the page box.
Rotated pages Detected and reported as a placement warning. Inspect rotated pages carefully because the displayed page orientation can make a valid coordinate placement look unexpected.

Limitations and Privacy Notes:

The selected PDF and signature asset are processed in the browser session for stamping, and no server-side signing step is used for the PDF rewrite. Network access may still be needed before local PDF work starts if the browser has not loaded the PDF processing code yet.

  • Use an approved certificate-based or e-signature workflow when signer identity, tamper evidence, timestamps, or regulatory acceptance matter.
  • Do not rely on a visual mark as the only approval record for contracts, financial authorizations, regulated forms, or identity-sensitive documents.
  • Keep the original PDF and any separate approval notes, emails, or audit records that explain who approved the document and when.

Worked Examples:

A three-page internal approval form needs a typed acknowledgement on the final page. Choose Type a signature, enter the signer's name, set Signature page to 3, and keep Bottom right placement. After creation, Signature Summary should show Target page as page 3 of 3 and Signature model as visual page stamp only.

A purchasing form has a narrow signature line near the lower-left corner. Draw the signature, set Signature width to 120 pt, choose Bottom left, and use a small positive Vertical offset if the line sits above the margin. Signature Placement should show the resolved anchor and box size, but the downloaded PDF still needs a zoomed spot check.

A four-page PDF is loaded while Signature page is set to 9. The warning explains that page 4 will be used instead, and Signature Placement reports the resolved page. If page 9 was intentional, load the complete PDF. If the four-page file is correct, change the requested page before creating the stamped copy.

An 84 MB PDF fails when Browser work limit remains at 75 MB. Raising the limit to 100 MB can allow the run on a capable desktop browser, but a 501-page PDF still fails because Readiness Checks uses the 500-page cap.

FAQ:

Does this create a certificate-based digital signature?

No. The output is a PDF with a visible page stamp. It does not include a digital ID, certificate validation chain, revocation check, timestamp evidence, or PAdES profile.

Does my PDF get uploaded for signing?

No server-side signing step is used for the PDF rewrite. The selected PDF and signature bytes are processed in the browser session, although the PDF runtime script may need to load before local processing can begin.

Why was my signature image rejected?

The signature image must be PNG or JPG and no larger than 5 MB. Resize or compress the image, then choose it again with Signature image.

Why did the target page change?

If Signature page is higher than the loaded PDF page count, the tool resolves the target to the last available page and reports a warning. Set the page number again after the PDF is loaded.

Can I use a transparent signature image?

Yes. A transparent PNG usually works best when the signature should sit over a form line without a white rectangle. JPG is accepted when transparency is not needed.

What should I check before sending the stamped PDF?

Review Signature Summary, Signature Placement, and Readiness Checks, then open the downloaded PDF and inspect the stamped page at normal and zoomed views.

Glossary:

Visual signature
A typed, drawn, or image-based mark that appears on a PDF page.
Certificate-based digital signature
A PDF signature that uses a digital ID and validation data so a reader can check signer and document-integrity evidence.
PAdES
PDF Advanced Electronic Signatures, an ETSI standards family for PDF digital signature profiles.
PDF point
The default PDF placement unit; 72 points equal one inch in default user space.
Anchor
The lower-left coordinate where the complete visible stamp box is placed on the selected page.
Browser work limit
The selected source PDF size cap for one local rewrite pass.

References: