Dear Lifehacker, I’m tired of printing out a document and scanning it back in just to put my signature on it. Is there a better way to do this? I know there are a lot of apps out there, but there are so many I don’t even know where to start. Sincerely, Signing Sally
Picture: bofotolux/Shutterstock
Dear Sally,
Scanners are totally unnecessary when it comes to signing a document these days. There are a lot of ways to sign documents electronically, and which is the “best” depends on your general needs. Here are a few of our favourites.
Are Electronic Signatures Worthwhile?
Signing something with your computer is much more convenient than signing a hard copy. Unfortunately, the whole world is not as tech-savvy as you, and there may be certain people or businesses that don’t accept electronic signatures, even though they’re legally valid. I’ve been electronically signing documents for a while now and have yet to encounter a problem, but just know that your mileage may vary. You may still need to sign the occasional hard copy or fax a document.
The other thing you might want to consider is security. If you’re signing a particularly sensitive document, you might prefer to print it out and sign a hard copy instead of storing it in the cloud or sending it over email. However, it’s important to note that physical signatures are hardly secure either — any waiter or cashier could steal your signature from a receipt if they wanted to, and your documents are only as secure as the receiving company makes them. However, sending a sensitive document online is different than sending a signed waiver for your next 5K race, so it’s up to you how much you actually want to put on the internet.
Don’t confuse electronic signatures (a broad category which includes using a simple image of your signature) with digital signatures (which cryptographically attach your identity to a document using a method that cannot be forged). Many companies may allow you to sign using a secure digital signature, but this is a different realm altogether. For this article, we’ll just stick to the simple electronic signatures you’ll come across in personal use. [clear]
HelloSign Signs Documents Straight From Gmail
If you get most of your documents through your email, the HelloSign Chrome extension is an easy way to sign them right from your browser and send them back to your recipient. After installing the extension, you’ll get the option to sign any PDF that comes your way in Gmail. It’s really one of the easiest methods we’ve seen yet, since it’s integrated right into your email inbox.
SignNow Signs Documents From Your iPhone and iPad
If you prefer something a bit more portable, we’re big fans of SignNow on iOS. It can grab documents from your email or Dropbox, let you sign and initial them right from your touch screen, add a date and send it back to your recipient (though if the document is sensitive, make sure you use a secure sharing method, or print it out and sign it instead). It even lets you save multiple signatures, so you and your spouse could sign a document from the same device in no time.
SignNow is a free app that lets you sign up to five documents a month. You can sign up for a premium plan for more, or try DocuSign Ink, which lets you sign as many documents as you want (but only allows you to save one signature at a time).
DocuSign Ink Signs Documents from Android Phones and Tablets
SignNow has an Android app as well, but it isn’t quite as polished as the iOS version, and it doesn’t let you save multiple signatures. So, on Android, we recommend DocuSign Ink. It’s an incredibly simple app that lets you import documents from email or Dropbox, sign them right from your touchscreen, add the date and send it to your recipient. If the document is sensitive, make sure you’re sending it to them securely, or print it out and sign it instead.
DocuSign Ink is a free app and allows for as many signatures as you want, though it does have premium accounts that offer more business-oriented features.
Alternative: Use the Apps You Already Have
These are great apps if you’re starting from square one, but if you already have a PDF annotation app (like Preview on the Mac, the pro version of PDF-XChange on Windows, or just plain ol’ Adobe Reader), chances are it already has some document-signing features built-in. We especially like the built-in signing feature in Nitro Reader.
Whether you want to sign things in Gmail, on your tablet or on the desktop is up to you, but like you said, there are more apps out there than we could even count. These are our favourites based on simplicity and price (since most of the above are free or very cheap), but try a few out to see what works for you.
Cheers
Lifehacker
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