How to add a signature field to a PDF form
Most intake forms, waivers and agreements end with “Signature: ________”. If you want people to sign the PDF on screen instead of printing it, you have three practical options: a typed-name field anyone can fill in, a real signature field made in a paid PDF editor, or simply leaving a clear space and letting people sign with the free tools they already have. Here is how each one works.
First, what kind of “signature” do you need?
People mean different things by a PDF signature, and the tools differ:
| Type | What the signer does | What you need to set up |
|---|---|---|
| Typed name | Types their full name in a box, usually with a date next to it | An ordinary text field. Works in every PDF reader. |
| Drawn or image signature | Draws with a mouse, trackpad or finger, or adds a picture of their signature | Nothing special: free apps let people place a signature anywhere on the page |
| Signature field | Clicks a dedicated signature box and signs inside it | A signature form field, made in a PDF editor such as Adobe Acrobat |
| Digital-ID signature | Signs with a digital ID | A digital signature field, and a signer who has a digital ID |
For most small-business forms, a typed name plus a date, or a drawn signature in a clearly marked space, is what people actually use. We don’t give advice on which kind of signature a particular form needs; if that matters for your form, check with whoever asked you to collect it.
Option 1 (free): a typed-name field in LibreOffice
LibreOffice’s form controls don’t include a dedicated PDF signature field, but a labelled text field does the job for a typed signature.
- Open your form in LibreOffice Writer (or the PDF in LibreOffice Draw).
- Turn on View → Toolbars → Form Controls and click Design Mode.
- Draw a Text Box on the signature line and another on the date line.
- Right-click each one, choose Control Properties, and give them clear names such as
signature_nameandsignature_date. - Change the printed label to say what you want, for example “Signature (type your full name)”.
- Export with File → Export As → Export as PDF, ticking Create PDF form on the General tab.
LibreOffice also has Insert → Signature Line. That is different: it adds a signature-line graphic that a signer can sign with a digital ID inside LibreOffice. It is not a field your clients fill in in a PDF reader.
Need the basics of adding fields first? See how to add fillable fields to a PDF.
Option 2 (paid): a signature field in Adobe Acrobat
In Acrobat, open the PDF and go to All tools → Prepare a form. Acrobat detects fields automatically, and you can add more from the form components. Adobe’s help lists an e-signature field among the field types, and its Acrobat Sign documentation also describes digital signature fields for people who sign with a digital ID. Form editing is part of Acrobat’s paid plans, so check Adobe’s current pricing first.
One thing to know: Adobe’s Prepare a form screen has an option called “This document requires signatures”. That sets the form up for Adobe’s own e-signature sending service. You don’t need it just to put a signature box on a form you publish on your website.
Option 3 (free for your clients): let them sign where the line is
Even without a signature field, most people can sign a PDF with free software:
- Adobe Acrobat Reader (free): the Fill & Sign tool lets people type, draw or add an image of their signature and click to place it. Newer versions may label it E-sign.
- Preview on a Mac: open the Markup toolbar, click the Sign button, create a signature with the trackpad, camera or an iPhone or iPad, then drag it into place.
So a well-placed, clearly labelled signature area plus a date field works for many forms. Tell people in one line how to sign, for example: “Type your name, or sign with Fill & Sign in Adobe Reader or with Preview on a Mac.”
Tips for signature areas people get right
- Make it big enough. A drawn signature needs more height than a line of text.
- Put the date next to it. A separate date field avoids “signed, but when?”.
- One signature area per signer. Label each one: client, parent or guardian, staff.
- Add a printed-name field under a drawn signature so you can read who signed.
- Test it in Adobe Reader and Preview, and on a phone, before you publish.
Or have it set up for you
When we convert a form, the signature line becomes a signature area with a date field next to it, alongside every other field on the page. We keep your wording and layout, set the tab order, and test in Chrome and Firefox. $29 covers 1–3 pages and $59 covers 4–10. You share a link to the blank form; there are no uploads. We add fields only and don’t review the wording of waivers or agreements.
FAQ
Can I add a signature field to a PDF for free?
You can add a typed-name field for free with LibreOffice, and your clients can draw or type a signature with free apps such as Adobe Acrobat Reader’s Fill & Sign or Preview on a Mac. A dedicated signature form field usually needs a PDF editor such as Adobe Acrobat.
Can people sign a fillable PDF on a phone?
Often, yes. The Adobe Acrobat Reader mobile app can capture a signature, and some other PDF apps can too. Test your form on a phone before you publish it.
Does LibreOffice’s Signature Line create a field clients can sign?
No. Insert → Signature Line adds a graphic that someone signs with a digital ID inside LibreOffice. For a field clients fill in, use a labelled text box.
Is a typed name a valid signature?
We don’t give legal advice. Whether a typed or drawn signature is enough depends on your form and who needs it, so check with them.
Rather not do it yourself?
We add a signature area along with every other field on your blank form. $29 for 1–3 pages, $59 for 4–10, usually back within 24 hours.