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Open the PDF in Preview, show the Markup toolbar, click Sign, choose your saved signature, and drag it onto the document. Resize it with the handles, then save the PDF using Preview’s normal save command.

What this Preview workflow does

Preview’s Markup tools let you place a stored signature as an annotation on a PDF. The signature is selected from Preview’s Sign control, positioned with the pointer, and resized with on-screen handles. You do not need to buy software or a signing service to place an existing signature with this method.

The labels described here come from Apple Support’s current “Fill out and sign PDF forms in Preview on Mac” guide, consulted October 13, 2026. Apple’s documentation covers the placement workflow and the ways to create, reuse, and delete signatures, but it does not provide a version-by-version comparison of macOS interface labels. If your Mac uses slightly different wording, look for the same Markup and Sign controls.

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Before you start

  • Have the PDF stored somewhere you can open in Preview.
  • Confirm that a signature has already been saved in Preview. If none is available, follow the creation instructions below.
  • Decide where the signature belongs and whether the document has a form field or a blank area intended for signing.
  • Keep the PDF open until you have confirmed the signature’s position and saved the result.

Preview can also annotate images, and Apple’s deletion instructions use either a PDF or an image. The placement steps in this article focus on PDFs.

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Step-by-step: place a saved signature in a PDF

  1. Open the PDF in Preview. Double-click the file if Preview is your default PDF app, or open Preview first and choose the PDF from its file dialog.
  2. Show the Markup toolbar if it is hidden. In the Preview window, click Show Markup Toolbar. The toolbar contains the controls for adding annotations, including signatures.
  3. Click Sign. This opens the signatures that Preview has stored on the Mac.
  4. Select the saved signature. Click the signature you want from the list. If you have captured more than one, check the appearance before placing it so you use the intended version.
  5. Drag the signature onto the PDF. Keep the pointer on the signature and move it to the required location, such as a signature line or designated box.
  6. Resize it with the handles. Select the placed signature and drag its handles until it fits the available space. Make sure it remains readable and does not cover nearby text, dates, or checkboxes.
  7. Save the PDF. Use Preview’s normal save command after the signature is positioned. Apple’s instructions establish the placement workflow but do not specify a particular keyboard shortcut for saving.

After saving, leave the document open long enough to verify that the signature is still in the intended location. If it is misaligned, move or resize it before saving again.

If the Sign list is empty

Preview can create a saved signature from the same Sign control. Apple lists three capture methods. Choose the one that matches the equipment and writing surface you have:

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Capture method What you use How it works Important condition
Trackpad The Mac’s trackpad Choose the trackpad option from Sign and write your signature with your finger or a compatible stylus. No phone or camera is required.
Camera Your Mac’s built-in camera and a sheet of white paper Write the signature on white paper and hold it in front of the camera when Preview asks you to capture it. The paper-and-camera method depends on the Mac having a usable built-in camera.
iPhone or iPad A nearby iPhone or iPad Choose the mobile device from the Sign workflow, sign on that device, and tap Done when finished. The device must meet Apple’s Continuity system requirements.

These are alternative ways to create a stored signature; they are not purchases required to place one that already exists. If more than one iPhone or iPad is available, Preview lets you choose the device before you sign.

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Create a signature with the trackpad

  1. Open a PDF or image in Preview and show the Markup toolbar.
  2. Click Sign, then choose the option to create a signature.
  3. Select the trackpad capture method.
  4. Write your signature on the trackpad as Preview indicates and accept the result when it looks correct.
  5. Return to the PDF’s Sign control, select the new signature, and place it with the steps above.

Use a steady, familiar version of your signature. If the preview is not satisfactory, cancel or recapture it before placing it on the document.

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Create a signature with the built-in camera

  1. Start the signature-creation workflow from Sign in the Markup toolbar.
  2. Choose the camera method.
  3. Write the signature on white paper.
  4. Hold the paper in front of the Mac’s built-in camera so Preview can capture it.
  5. Accept the captured signature, then select it from Sign when you are ready to place it.

Keep the writing fully visible while Preview captures it. If the result is incomplete or hard to read, recapture the signature rather than trying to correct it after placement.

Create a signature with an iPhone or iPad

  1. From Preview’s Markup toolbar, click Sign and choose the option to create a signature.
  2. Select the iPhone or iPad method.
  3. If Preview shows more than one eligible device, choose the one you want to use.
  4. Sign on the selected device.
  5. Tap Done on the iPhone or iPad.
  6. Select the resulting signature in Preview and drag it onto the PDF.

This route depends on Continuity system requirements. If the mobile device does not appear, verify that it is a nearby, compatible device and that it satisfies Apple’s Continuity requirements; the consulted guide does not provide a broader list of troubleshooting steps.

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Managing several saved signatures

Tell signatures apart with VoiceOver descriptions

When creating a signature with VoiceOver, Apple says you can give the signature a description. A description is useful when several saved signatures look similar, such as a full signature and a shorter initials-style mark. Choose wording that identifies the intended signature without relying only on a small thumbnail.

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Use a saved signature on another Mac

Apple says saved signatures are available on the user’s other Macs when iCloud Drive is turned on for the relevant Macs. The same iCloud Drive condition must be met on each Mac where you expect the signature to appear. This availability is documented for other Macs; it should not be interpreted as a promise that the signature automatically appears on every Apple device or in every app.

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Delete a signature you no longer want

  1. Open a PDF or image in Preview.
  2. Show the Markup toolbar.
  3. Click Sign.
  4. Move the pointer over the saved signature you want to remove.
  5. Click the X that appears beside it.

Apple says deletion applies to apps that use Markup on that Mac. If iCloud Drive is enabled, the deletion also applies to other Macs using iCloud Drive, so remove a signature only when you no longer need it on those computers.

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Troubleshooting common problems

What you see Likely reason What to do
The Sign button is not visible. The Markup toolbar is hidden. Click Show Markup Toolbar in the Preview window, then look for Sign.
The Sign list has no signature. No signature has been captured on this Mac or synced to it. Create one with the trackpad, built-in camera, or a nearby iPhone or iPad, or check whether iCloud Drive is enabled on the Macs that should share it.
The iPhone or iPad option does not show your device. The device may not meet Continuity requirements or may not be available to Preview. Use the trackpad or camera method, or check the device against Apple’s Continuity system requirements.
The signature is in the wrong place. It was dragged before the target area was correctly identified. Select it and drag it again to the intended line or box.
The signature is too large or too small. Its initial size does not match the document’s signing area. Use the handles around the placed signature to resize it, then check that surrounding text remains unobstructed.
The signature disappears when you reopen the file. The edited PDF may not have been saved after placement. Return to the open document, place the signature again if necessary, and use Preview’s normal save command before closing the file.
Deleting it on one Mac removes it elsewhere. iCloud Drive is syncing Markup signatures between Macs. Apple documents this behavior; recreate the signature on a Mac where it is still needed.

What kind of signature this creates

Apple’s guide describes adding a signature through Preview’s Markup controls. That establishes a signature annotation workflow, not a legal determination. The cited guidance does not say that every signature placed this way satisfies a particular jurisdiction’s electronic-signature rules, nor does it establish that the result is a certificate-based digital signature.

If a recipient, employer, bank, court, or government agency requires a specific type of electronic or digital signature, check that organization’s requirements before relying on a Preview annotation. A request for a certificate, identity verification, audit trail, or qualified signature may require a different signing process.

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A practical final check

  • The PDF is open in Preview, not merely in a browser preview.
  • The Markup toolbar is visible and the Sign control opens your saved signatures.
  • The correct saved signature is selected.
  • The signature sits on the intended line or field and does not cover unrelated content.
  • The size is appropriate for the document.
  • The PDF has been saved after placement.
  • If the signature was created on another Mac, iCloud Drive is enabled on the Macs that need access.
  • If the document has formal signing requirements, those requirements have been checked separately from Preview’s annotation features.

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