With Smallpdf eSign, you can freely create, sign, and request digital signatures in just a few clicks.
With Smallpdf eSign, you can freely create, sign, and request digital signatures in just a few clicks.
Have you been asked to sign a document with a digital signature? If you’re wondering how to do so, the Smallpdf eSign tool is available for you to create a digital signature and sign any PDF document. It’s really easy to use, and you’ll have that document signed in seconds.
How to Create a Digital Signature Online
Go to the Smallpdf eSign page.
Upload the document that needs signing.
Click “Your Signature” to create a new signature.
Afterward, drag your signature onto your document.
Hit “Finish & Sign” and download your document.
Create a digital signature with Smallpdf, in less than a few seconds
How Do Digital Signatures Work with Smallpdf?
When you sign your PDF as a Pro user, we create what’s called an “advanced electronic signature”—the technical name for digital signatures. With it comes an LTV-enabled timestamp, which you can validate using a PDF reader such as Adobe Acrobat or Adobe Sign.
When validating the signature, you’ll see Smallpdf as the signee. You’ll also see a timestamp documenting the time the signature was created. And last, but most certainly not least, you’ll be able to see that the document hasn’t been changed since the time of signing. Because of this, don’t update or alter the content of your legal documents once you sign them so as not to invalidate the signature. Converting a document, for example, from PDF to Word, after digitally signing it will also break the digital signature seal.
If you are a free user, electronic signing is available for limited free use, although you won’t be able to validate the signature. Think of it as a plain image without a digital fingerprint. Depending on your local legislation and the purpose of your document, you may or may not need to create a digital signature. For more information on digital signatures, check out our blog article, “Digital Signatures Explained.”
Other Things You Could Do
After uploading your PDF into eSign, you can add text or a date field to the document, in case you want to add the time and place next to the signature field. If you need to request signatures, the “invite signees” functionality lets you invite others to sign your document using a digital signature. You just add their name and email address, and we’ll send them a request to sign your document.
If you have a Pro account, signees will also have access to digital sealing when signing PDFs with our service. As long as one party is a Smallpdf Pro member, you’ll get a digital signature instead of an electronic one.
If you’re still in the draft phase of your contract, you can also take advantage of our 20+ tools to prepare your PDF any way you’d like before you upload it to the eSign tool. For instance, you can compress a large contract before signing it so that it’s email-ready. You can also merge multiple documents into one instead of requesting multiple signatures, which can get tiresome.
As you can’t change the document once it is signed, remember to carry out all modifications before creating a digital signature and signing the PDF.
And lastly, our ultimate goal is to enable smooth sailing for users in any document management matter. Please keep checking back to our eSign tool as we continuously add improvements to our digital signing process. Also make sure to check out the rest of our blog for more how-to tutorials.
