I need to sign a PDF contract and send it back to a client today, but I don’t have a printer or scanner at home. I’d like a free online option that doesn’t leave a watermark on the signed file, so what do people usually use?
had the same thing last month. tbh i dont really use those online sign sites cause of watermarks and stuff. i just wrote my name on a scrap of paper, snapped a photo then opened the pdf in word and dropped the pic in. client was fine with it.
Adobe Acrobat online Fill & Sign usually works free and doesn’t add a watermark, though it may require an account. Download the result and reopen it before sending to confirm the signature saved. Avoid random upload sites if the contract contains personal or payment details.
For a one-off, Adobe Acrobat’s online fill and sign tool is usually the simplest, and it should let you draw, type, or upload a signature without printing. Smallpdf and PDF24 also work for basic signatures, though check the final download before sending since free limits can change. If the contract is sensitive, I’d download the signed copy and keep it locally rather than leave it in the service longer than necessary.
I see this at the help desk all the time, lol. Easiest free route: sign a scrap of paper, snap a photo with your phone, then drop that image into the PDF using iLovePDF or Sejda, both free and no watermark. Sejda’s free tier does like 3 tasks an hour, wich is plenty for one contract. Just crop the photo tight or the signature looks floaty and weird.
I’ve had to turn supplier contracts around from home too. Adobe Acrobat’s free online Fill & Sign is usually enough for adding a signature without printing, and I’d download the finished copy before sending it back.
If it’s just your signature, honestly Word or even Preview (on Mac) can insert an image of your signature onto the contract, then export as PDF. No printer, no watermark, no faff.
- Sign your name on paper, photograph it, crop tightly, insert as image.
- Save a backup of the original contract before you start messing about, in case your edit goes sideways.
Avoid random “free sign online” sites that want your email just to download, half of them bury a watermark in the small print.
Dealing with forms without a printer is definitely a pain. At work, I usually just use pdfcap.com for signing stuff from the field. You just upload your contract, click the sign tool to draw or type your name, and place it where you need it. Then you can just download the file and send it right back without any watermarks.
@helen_wallabies I’d go with Adobe too, it’s the one I trust for client stuff. Make sure to download the signed file and open it again to check the signature stuck before sending. Have you had any trouble with the free version asking for an account?
@amy_celtic to be fair you can do this right on your phone too. if you open the pdf in the files app on iphone, tap markup and the plus sign to add a signature directly. honestly saves me so much time with work forms, not sure if android has the exact same thing though.