Signing a PDF on an iPad with an Apple Pencil
An iPad with an Apple Pencil produces the best electronic signature available on any consumer device, better than a trackpad by a distance and better than most dedicated signature pads. The stylus reports pressure and tilt, the screen is large enough to sign at natural size, and the result looks like ink because it was made the way ink is made. It works in Safari with nothing installed.
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 on an iPad with an Apple Pencil, step by step
- Open the document in Safari, From Files, Mail, iCloud Drive or a link somebody sent. PDF, Word and Excel all open directly.
- Rest your hand and sign at natural size, Palm rejection means you can write the way you write on paper. Sign at the size you would on a page rather than filling the screen, because the stroke weight is set by how you actually move.
- Redo it once, The second attempt is nearly always better than the first, and it takes four seconds. It is then stored and reused, so this is the only time you have to like it.
- Seal and share, Download it or share it straight back into the email. The signature is printed into the page, with a time, a signer record and a public verification link.
What you get
- Pressure and tilt come through, so the signature has weight rather than being a uniform line.
- Palm rejection, so you sign with your hand on the glass like you would on paper.
- No app, no account, and nothing asking for access to your files.
- The signature is stored once and reused on every later document.
- Word and Excel sign directly, and come back in their own format if you want them.
Frequently asked questions
How to sign a PDF on an iPad with an Apple Pencil, without installing anything?
Open the document in Safari, choose to draw the signature, and write with the Pencil exactly as you would on paper. Safari handles the stylus input directly. Apps that ask you to sign up before you can sign one document are solving their problem rather than yours.
Does Apple Pencil pressure actually make a difference?
Yes, and it is the thing people notice. A pressure-sensitive stroke thickens where you press and thins where you lift, which is what makes handwriting look like handwriting instead of a traced outline.
Can I sign with a finger instead?
You can, and it is fine. Zoom in first. A finger has no fine control at page scale, so signing into a zoomed view and letting it place at the right size is the trick.
Is an iPad signature legally binding?
The device does not decide that. Under the ESIGN Act, UETA and eIDAS what matters is intent to sign, association with the signer, and a record that can be retained. The seal, the timestamp and the audit certificate on the finished file are what supply the last part.
Will it work with a third-party stylus?
Yes, though the cheaper ones report no pressure, so the stroke comes out at a constant weight. It still signs perfectly well.
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.