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How to Sign a PDF Online for Free with SignPaperless

Need to sign a PDF quickly? Learn how to sign a PDF online for free with SignPaperless, including when to use a free PDF signing tool and when you need a complete eSignature workflow.

3 min read

If you just want to sign a PDF and send it back, you don’t necessarily need a full document-signing workflow. A free tool can do that job fast. The real question is which free tool you use and what you want to do with the document after that.

If you just want to add your signature or initials to an existing PDF, you can sign PDF online for free using SignPaperless. Knowing the difference will help you make the right choice, not use a basic free tool for a business process that needs so much more.

When and Where to Use the SignPaperless Free PDF Tool?

The SignPaperless free PDF tool is ideal for personal, occasional, or one-off signing needs.

For instance, you get a PDF from a school, government agency, client, landlord, or service provider, and you just need to sign your part and send it back. You already have the document; you know where you have to sign. No one else has to go through a signing workflow through the tool. This is where the free PDF signing tool SignPaperless comes in.

You can use it when you want to: 

  • Sign an application or authorization form
  • Add initials to an existing PDF
  • Sign a simple agreement before returning it.
  • Complete personal or administrative paperwork
  • Sign a document received by email
  • Make a quick signature addition without setting up a signing workflow.

How Is SignPaperless Free PDF Different From Other Free Platforms?

Not all free PDF signing tools works in a similar way. But many free PDF signing tools require the user to upload their document into the tool before the editing or signing process can begin. SignPaperless' free PDF tool is different because it is intended for a specific purpose, signing a PDF, without making the user go through an account creation process.

This is important because the tool is useful for simple signing tasks, but it lacks the ability to fulfill a different, very important need. The difference between SignPaperless' free PDF tool and the SignPaperless eSignature platform is that the former is for you to sign a PDF, and the latter is for you to send a document to others to sign.

So, when comparing SignPaperless to a different free PDF signing tool, the question should not be "What can this tool do?" but rather "Can this tool do what SignPaperless can do?"

What You Don't Get With a Simple PDF Signing Tool But SignPaperless Offers

When using a simple free tool, you may be able to easily add your signature, but you won't get the following features, whereas SignPaperless offers them:

  • Ability to send the document to others for signatures
  • Letting others sign your document
  • Setting signing preferences and rules
  • Tracking who has signed your document
  • Sending reminders to signers
  • Ability to use document templates or recurring document rules
  • Organizing signed documents in one place
  • Ability to use business features such as document management, reminders, and other tools.

Procedure of Signing a PDF Online

After you are done choosing a platform like SignPaperless, the rest of the process is quite simple.

  1. Uploading PDF: Like most of the online PDF signature tools, SignPaperless also follows a pattern to make the workflow smooth, but unlike free tools, SignPaperless directly processes the document, and you need not upload it. At present SignPaperless supports documents up to 20 MB. 
  2. Adding the Digital Signature: Now when it comes to adding the signature, you have a variety of options to choose from. You can type your name or you can sign using your mouse or the touchscreen. Other than that, you can also choose to upload an existing image of your signature. SignPaperless offers all three features to their users. 
  3. Download and Share: Once you make sure that everything is in order, then you can download the signed PDF. Thereafter, you can choose to share, upload, or store the document.

Take Away thoughts

Knowing how to sign a PDF online for free is helpful if you have a simple document to sign. A tool for PDF signature online can help you get it done fast and conveniently without having to waste time on software.

In short, a free tool is best for when you simply need to sign a PDF yourself. Use a dedicated eSignature tool like SignPaperless when you are signing as part of a larger workflow and want to keep it going.

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