How to sign a scanned document or a photo of one

Somebody has sent you a scan, or you have a photo of a page taken on a phone. It is an image, so there is no field to click and nothing to type into, and the usual advice is to print it and start the paper loop over. You do not have to: the scan is placed on a page, you put your signature and the date where they go, and the result is sealed as a signed PDF.

Sign PDF online → · Free PDF Signer

What you can do

How to sign a scanned document or a photo of one

  1. Upload the scan or photo. JPEG, PNG, HEIC from a phone, or a PDF that is really just a picture of a page.
  2. Straighten and crop if the photo was taken at an angle, so the page reads as a page rather than a snapshot.
  3. Draw or type your signature and place it on the line. Add the date, and initials on the pages that need them.
  4. Seal and download. The signed file carries a hash, so a later change to the image is detectable.

Ready? Sign PDF online now, free, no signup, and your file is auto-deleted after an hour.

Frequently asked questions

Is signing a scan legally binding?

The format of the page is not usually what decides that. What decides it is intent, identity and integrity, and a sealed signature with an audit trail records all three more clearly than a photograph of a signed page does. Where a document has a specific legal form to follow, check that form rather than relying on this: a scanned deed and a scanned invoice are not the same question.

Can I sign an image of a document?

Yes. The image becomes the page, and the signature is placed on it as a real object rather than merged into the pixels, so it stays crisp at any zoom.

Can I make the scan searchable first?

A scan is pixels, so the words in it are not text until something reads them. Signing does not change that. If you need the text, run OCR before signing rather than after, because any change after signing breaks the seal, which is exactly what the seal is for.

Is it free to sign a PDF online?

Yes. You can fill in and sign a PDF for free with no account, you only pay when you download a finished document ($1.50 per document pay-as-you-go, or unlimited on any paid plan). sign a scanned document works the same way.

Is signing a PDF online secure?

Yes. Files are uploaded over 256-bit TLS, processed in your browser session, and automatically deleted after one hour. Each signature is bound to the document with a SHA-256 tamper-evident seal, so any later edit is detectable.

Are electronic signatures legally binding?

Yes, electronic signatures are legally binding for ordinary business documents in 190+ countries under the US ESIGN Act and UETA, the EU eIDAS Regulation, and equivalent laws worldwide. Courts look for intent, identity and integrity, all of which PDF Verified records.

Do I need to install anything?

No. Everything runs in your browser on desktop or mobile, no app, plugin or download required.

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.

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