Sign a PDF in Acrobat Reader (Fill & Sign)

Adobe Acrobat Reader (the free desktop app) can fill a form and add your signature. You don’t need Acrobat Pro for this. When you save the file, the signature and any typed text become part of the PDF.

1. Open the PDF in Acrobat Reader.
2. Open Fill & Sign. In current Reader, that’s often a Sign icon on the toolbar, Tools > Fill & Sign, or Fill & Sign in a side pane. In the newer Acrobat layout, tools may appear on the left.
3. Click a detected field (a blue box when you hover) and type.
4. Select the Sign icon and choose a signature or initials. If you’ve saved one before, pick it and click where it should go.
5. The first time, type your name, draw it, or insert an image of a signature (JPG, PNG, GIF, TIFF, or BMP). Select Apply, then click to place it.
6. Use the arrow keys to nudge it, or the field toolbar to resize or delete it. Save the PDF when you’re finished.

If someone sent the file through Adobe Acrobat Sign, you’ll get an email link and a Click to Sign step instead. That’s a different flow. Fill & Sign also isn’t a certificate-based digital signature used in some legal or enterprise workflows.

Sources checked

• Sign PDFs in Adobe Acrobat Reader