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Did You Know?: Digitally Sign PDFs with Apple’s Preview App
Whenever I hear that I need to sign and return a document, there’s always a moment of panic since I don’t have a printer at home and don’t want to go to a copy shop just to print one thing. That’s why digital signature services have usually been useful. Then again, these services often also require you to create an account and, in some cases, pay if you’re using it more than a time or two. Luckily, if you have a Mac computer, there may be an even easier way to digitally sign documents — and you likely already have the app it takes to do so.
In Preview (Mac’s default app for viewing photos and other files such as PDFs), you can create and use digital signatures. To do this, go to Tools, select Annotate, and then Signature. This is where you’ll be able to apply signatures you’ve already made but, when you’re first creating, you’ll choose Manage Signatures.
There are actually a few different ways you can load a signature into Preview. First, you can use your trackpad — which honestly feels like an Etch A Sketch. In other words, it’s not a great option if you want your signature to resemble anything realistic.
A second option is a better one: using an iPhone or iPad to sign. I was impressed that, after selecting my iPhone as the device I wanted to sign on, the signature interface loaded on my phone even through the lock screen. Then, nearly immediately after I signed, the image was ready on my laptop. Surprisingly, this method worked pretty darn well and resulted in a totally passable signature. However, there’s still one other option to mention.
If you want to digitize an analog version of your signature, Preview also makes it easy to do so. By selecting Camera, you’ll be able to hold up a piece of paper with your John Hancock on it and the app will scan it. It even does the mirroring for you so that it comes out the right way.
Once you’ve captured a signature you’re happy with, simply save it and it will be available when you need it. You can also create and save multiple signatures, so this could be useful for spousal signatures or perhaps initialing.
Although this isn’t a new feature by any means, I’m willing to bet there are at least a few people who don’t even realize this helpful option exists — or forget about it like I occasionally (albeit temporarily) do. So, the next time you need to sign a digital document, give one of these Preview options a shot!
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