How to fill out and sign PDF documents online

The market for eSignature is becoming more and more vibrant. Buying a particular solution can be tricky, so make sure to specify your budget, the editing features you need and the solution’s cross-platform/cross-OS capabilities: desktop, mobile, tablet and macOS, Microsoft, iOS, Android. Online editing and eSigning software significantly boosts and simplifies the contract management lifecycle and the processes associated with it. This article aims to help you understand the advantages of signing PDF documents online.

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Can all PDFs be filled out online?

In the context of completing e-workflows, there are two types of PDF documents; flat and fillable. Flat PDFs can be filled out by hand or with the help of special software solutions. Fillable PDFs have interactive fields and enable users to complete them.

The good news is that you can convert a flat PDF into a fillable one with the help of fill&sign solutions and their editors. All you have to do is upload a PDF document into the system and format it with fillable text, date and signature fields. Software tools save you a lot of time and effort by eliminating the need to recreate a document from scratch and enabling users to proceed with adding specific information to a ‘customized template.’

How to fill out PDFs online

To fill out PDFs use online editors, eSignature tools or workflow automation software. The latter have editors embedded into their multi-focused platform. Whichever you choose, make sure it features the tools you require; abilities to add fields, eSign, edit, etc. Really though, the process of filling out documents with different platforms is relatively the same.

Here is how a standard process for filling out a PDF online goes:

Select the tool or solution you want to use and launch it.
Upload a PDF from your internal storage or the cloud.
Open the PDF in the editor.
Tab or use arrows to navigate between the fields.
Complete the fields.
Once you fill in each field, click on Finish or Done.

You can fill out PDFs on desktops and mobile devices. A majority of platforms allow you to upload documents from the cloud, so you can fill forms out from anywhere.

How to sign PDFs online

eSignature tools have never been as popular as they are now, and they are continuing to grow. The business strives to get away from the outdated handwritten signatures and shift to advantageous innovative solutions for document management. Online solutions enable signing from anywhere and at any time, simultaneously keeping security in focus.

Here is how you can eSign PDFs online:

Select the platform you want to use.
Upload a PDF.
Add one or several signature fields.
Self-sign if needed and send signing invitations to recipients.

Apart from saving time and resources, eSignature solutions significantly accelerate document turnover. Keeping your funnel clear for more income-producing activities.

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What are the benefits of completing a PDF online?

The evolution of digital management has gradually forced us to switch from completing forms by hand to completing them electronically. To sustain their growth, businesses try to keep up with trends and replace the old-school offline tools like Adobe Acrobat Reader with innovative cloud-based platforms like signNow. Let us take a look at what it is like to work with PDFs online:

Remote 24/7 access to files —— Users can complete forms from anywhere and at any time.
Easy routing —— Multiple users can sign a PDF online faster and in a more organized manner.
Fewer errors —— A good editor detects and corrects mistakes.
Enhanced compliance —— An audit trail enables users to track changes made to the document and gives clear insight into the signing/editing process.
Cost-effective —— No spending on paper, ink, delivery, storage or for labor to store and handle hard copies.

Regardless of the industry, paperwork remains an inevitable part of any business’s workflow. Using innovations companies succeed in enhancing document workflows. Even a minor shift to online editing can result in significant gains.

How to fill out and sign PDF documents online with signNow

signNow is one of the most robust eSignature tools on the market today. It is easy-to-use, integrates with major platforms and has diverse functionality, such as becoming a hub for team collaboration and the ability to set complex signing orders for recipients. It has won multiple awards and has thousands of customers all over the United States and Europe. Apart from that signNow ensures all documents are secured and encrypted by industry-leading security and compliance standards.

Use the tips below to fill out and sign PDFs online with signNow:

Create a signNow account.
Import a PDF file.
Open the PDF in the powerful editor.
Add and customize diverse kinds of fields; text, signature, date and calculated or dropdown bars.
Insert data and signatures in the relevant fields.
Click Done when you are finished.

The interface is designed to be easy and clear to use. It detects the fillable fields so you can use the tab key or click the arrow when filling in fields and moving from one to the next. Since signNow is available on both desktops and mobiles, you can fill out and sign docs on the go, even while offline.

By signNow's Team

May 07, 2020

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