Digital signatures and electronic signatures are often confused but they are technically very different. Understanding the distinction helps you choose the right approach for contracts, forms, and official documents.
An electronic signature is any digital representation of intent to sign — this includes drawing your signature with a mouse or finger, typing your name in a signature box, clicking "I agree," or inserting a scanned signature image. E-signatures are legally valid in most countries under eIDAS (EU) and ESIGN/UETA (US) for everyday documents.
A digital signature is a cryptographic mechanism — specifically a public-key infrastructure (PKI) certificate embedded in the PDF. It mathematically proves: (1) who signed the document, (2) that the document has not been altered since signing. It requires a certificate from a trusted Certificate Authority (CA). Certified digital signatures are used for financial documents, regulatory filings, and government contracts.
For everyday documents — rental agreements, freelance contracts, consent forms, internal approvals — an electronic signature (drawn or typed) is legally sufficient and much simpler. For regulated documents requiring verifiable identity and tamper-evidence — tax submissions, court filings, pharmaceutical batch records — a certified digital signature is required.
Go to pdfeditor.onl/sign-pdf. Draw your signature with a mouse or finger, or upload a signature image. Place it on the document and download. This is a legally valid e-signature for most purposes.
Tip: Save a copy of the signed PDF and the original unsigned version. Many jurisdictions require demonstrable signing intent — keeping both files provides a record.
In most countries, yes — for private contracts, business agreements, and consent forms. The key legal requirement is signing intent, which a drawn signature demonstrates. Check local regulations for high-stakes transactions.
For most business contracts, a drawn e-signature is sufficient. Certified digital signatures with PKI certificates are required for specific regulated uses — tax submissions, court documents, and certain financial transactions.