Signing a PDF in Preview on a Mac
Preview signs PDFs and does it well enough that most Mac users never look further. Markup, the signature button, and you can capture one with the trackpad, the camera, or an iPhone. It is genuinely convenient and it is free. What it produces is an image placed on a page, and for a lot of documents that is the end of the story, so this page starts by saying how to do it properly rather than talking you out of it.
Sign a PDF with verification →
Drop your document here and sign it now. PDF, Word and Excel all work: a .docx or .xlsx is laid out in your browser exactly as it was written, so there is nothing to convert first. Add a signature, a date, a company stamp or a watermark, then download it sealed. Free to start, no account, and the file is never uploaded to open it.
Signing a PDF in Preview on a Mac, step by step
- Capture the signature in Preview once, Open Markup, click the signature icon, and choose Trackpad. Press any key first, then draw with one finger, then press a key again to finish. Draw larger than feels right: the trackpad is small and the result is scaled down.
- Or capture it with the camera instead, Sign a white card, hold it to the camera on the blue line, and Preview lifts the ink and drops the paper. This is usually better than a trackpad signature by a wide margin.
- Place it, and know what you have, Drag the signature onto the page and resize it. It is an annotation, so it can be moved or deleted by anybody who opens the file, and the PDF holds no record of when it went on.
- When the document matters, seal it, Drop the PDF here instead, sign it, and the signature is printed into the page with a time, a signer record and a verification link that anybody can open.
What you get
- The trackpad technique that most people get wrong the first time, in one paragraph.
- Nothing to install on the Mac either way.
- When it matters, a signature that is part of the page rather than a movable annotation.
- A tamper-evident SHA-256 seal and a public verification page, which Preview does not offer.
- The same flow in Safari or Chrome, and on a MacBook, iMac or Mac mini.
Frequently asked questions
How do I sign a PDF on a Mac in Preview with the trackpad?
Open the PDF, click the Markup icon, click the signature icon, choose Trackpad, then click the prompt and press any key before you draw. Sign with one finger, slowly and large, then press any key again. Not pressing a key first is why most attempts do nothing at all.
Why does my trackpad signature look terrible?
A trackpad is a few inches wide and your signature was designed for a pen. Two things help: draw much bigger than the final size, and try the camera method instead, where you sign paper and hold it up. The camera capture is better nine times out of ten.
Is a Preview signature legally binding?
It can be. Under the ESIGN Act and eIDAS what matters is intent to sign and the ability to associate the signature with the signer, not which application drew it. The weakness is evidential: Preview records no time, no signer identity and no way for the recipient to check the file has not changed since.
Can somebody remove a signature added in Preview?
Yes. It is an annotation, so it can be selected and deleted in Preview or any editor, and there is nothing in the file to show it ever existed. Flattening or sealing the document is what prevents that.
Do I need to install anything to sign with verification instead?
No. It runs in Safari or Chrome, the file is read in the browser, and there is nothing to download.
What PDF Verified is, and what it is not
Electronic signature law is settled in broad terms and specific in the details. The ESIGN Act, UETA, eIDAS and their equivalents recognise electronic signatures across more than 190 countries, and what decides a particular case is intent to sign plus evidence connecting the signature to the signer, which is what the audit certificate records. Certain document types carry their own formalities wherever you are: deeds, wills, some property instruments, and anything requiring a witness or a notary. Sign only what you are authorised to sign, since applying another person signature without their authority is forgery whatever tool is used.
PDF Verified is a tool for preparing, signing, stamping and checking documents. It is not a law firm, a compliance service or a forensic examiner, and nothing here is legal, financial or compliance advice. Requirements differ by country, by document type and by the party asking, so check what applies to your document before you rely on it, and take advice where the document matters. You are responsible for the documents you create, sign and send, and for having the authority to do so: signing or stamping in somebody else name, or as an organisation you do not represent, is forgery whatever tool is used. To the extent the law allows, we accept no liability for how a document made with this tool is used or relied on. The full position is in our terms of service.