# How to sign a PDF on a Mac

Open the PDF in Preview, show the Markup toolbar, click Sign, and pick or create your signature. It's built into every Mac, it's free, and the file never leaves your computer.

## Steps in Preview

1. Open the PDF. Double-click it, or right-click and choose Open With, then Preview.
2. Show the Markup toolbar. Click the pen-tip button near the search field, or choose View, then Show Markup Toolbar.
3. Click the Sign button. It looks like a signature on a line.
4. The first time, click Create Signature and choose how to make it (below). Next time, your saved signature is already in the list.
5. Click your signature. It drops onto the page.
6. Drag it onto the signature line and resize it with the corner handles.
7. Choose File, then Save. To keep the original untouched, choose File, then Export, and save a copy.

Menu names move a little between macOS versions. If a button isn't where we say, the Markup toolbar is the place to look. [Apple's own guide](https://support.apple.com/guide/preview/fill-out-and-sign-pdf-forms-prvw35725/mac) shows the current version.

## Three ways to create the signature

**Trackpad.** Click the Trackpad option, then sign on the trackpad with one finger. Press a key when you're done. It feels odd at first; sign a little larger and slower than on paper.

**Camera.** Sign your name in dark ink on white paper, hold it up to the camera, and Preview traces it. This usually looks the most like your real signature.

**iPhone or iPad.** If your phone or iPad is signed in to the same Apple Account and nearby, you can sign on its screen with your finger or a pencil and it appears on the Mac.

Your signatures are saved and shared with other apps that use Markup on that Mac. To delete one, click Sign, hover over it, and click the X.

## Filling in the rest of the form

Click into any form field and type. If the PDF has no fields, use the Text button in the Markup toolbar to add a text box over the line. Add today's date the same way.

## What Preview doesn't do

Preview adds an image of your signature. It doesn't lock the file, so anyone can edit the PDF after you send it, and it doesn't record when or where you signed. That's fine for a form you return yourself. For a contract where you need the other side's signature and a record of each step, use an e-signature service. See [how to sign a PDF](/guides/how-to-sign-a-pdf) for when each makes sense.

## Common questions

### Why can't I type into the PDF in Preview?

The PDF has no form fields, or it is a scanned image. Use the Text button in the Markup toolbar to place a text box where you need to write.

### Where does Preview keep my saved signature?

On your Mac, shared with other apps that use Markup. It isn't added to the PDF until you click it, and you can delete it from the Sign menu.

### Can I sign a PDF on a Mac without Adobe?

Yes. Preview is built into macOS and signs PDFs for free. Adobe Acrobat Reader also works on a Mac if you prefer it.