Macs ship with Preview — a surprisingly powerful PDF tool that handles signatures without any extra software. Here are the three best ways to sign PDFs on macOS.
Method 1: Preview (Built-In, No Internet Required)
- 1Open your PDF with Preview (double-click or right-click → Open With → Preview)
- 2Click the Markup toolbar icon (pencil) in the top-right
- 3Click the Signature button (looks like a cursive signature)
- 4Choose Trackpad, Camera, or iPhone to create your signature
- 5Drag the signature onto the correct spot in the document
- 6Press ⌘S to save
Preview stores your signature in macOS Keychain — you only need to create it once and it's reusable across all documents.
Method 2: iPhone Continuity Camera
If you have an iPhone nearby, select 'Camera' in Preview's signature panel. Your iPhone screen will light up — sign on paper, hold it up to the camera, and Preview will capture it automatically. This produces the most natural-looking handwritten signature.
Method 3: Browser-Based (Best for Sharing / Privacy)
For documents you need to send to others, or if you want to add text annotations in addition to your signature, use Signpdf in Safari or Chrome. Open signpdf.top, upload your PDF, sign, and download.
- Works on any macOS version with a modern browser
- Supports typed signatures, drawn signatures, and image uploads
- Add text fields and date stamps alongside your signature
- Your file never leaves your Mac
Which Mac Method Is Best?
- Quick internal signing: Preview (fastest, offline)
- Best-looking signature: Preview + iPhone Continuity Camera
- Annotations + sharing-ready output: browser-based at signpdf.top
Need to sign a PDF on Mac right now? No downloads, no account.
Sign PDF in Browser →