It comes as no surprise that people tend to sign their PDFs for business transactions as well as for legal purposes. However, manually signing lots of PDFs can be time-consuming. So, those people may sometimes want to digitally recreate their signatures for their PDFs and paste them into several documents. But PDFs generally don't allow you to do this. Don't worry; there are various methods available to duplicate signatures from one file to another.
There are a lot of situations where you might need to duplicate a signature from a file. Suppose you need to create a document that requires your signature, but you don't have a digital writing pad or scanner. Or perhaps you have received a big file from a client that needs to be signed on every page. In both cases, knowing how to copy your so-called “John Hancock” from other PDFs will come in handy.
In this article, you will see how to copy signatures from a file. The best part is you can carry out this task on any operating system, whether you use Windows, Mac, or Linux or you want to complete the job on an Android or iOS device. So, let's get started!
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How To Copy A Signature From A PDF
The easiest way to impersonate a signature from a file is via Adobe Reader. It's a handy tool that allows you to copy any text or image from PDFs without any difficulty. Moreover, many people, as well as businesses, use Adobe to sign their PDFs and contracts.
The steps to copy a signature from a file are as follows:
- Download or install Adobe Reader on your device.
- Open the PDF from which you want to replicate the digital signature.
- Click on the "Edit PDF" option.
- Draw a box around the text or image you want to copy and right-click on it.
- Once done, simply select "Copy Image" from the menu to copy it from the file.
- That's it, and you can now paste the signature wherever you want!
What You Need To Know About Copying A Signature From A PDF
Just like any other type of online process, there are a few things to keep in mind while copying a signature from a file. These are as follows:
- Make sure that the PDF is not protected by security features. If it is, you will not be able to copy it, and you may have to unlock the PDF first.
- Of course, if the signature is a scanned image, it may not be possible to duplicate it perfectly. In fact, the picture may be pixelated or blurry, and it may not be as clear as you would like. However, you can sharpen it using image editing software and then copy it.
- Once you have copied the image, you can paste it into other PDFs using our online editor or a Word document. Moreover, you can also save the sign as an image file.
- If you are copying a digital signature, make sure that it’s compatible with the PDF viewer you’re using. Not all PDF viewers support all types of digital signatures. You can obviously try converting it to a different format, such as PNG or JPEG.
- Obviously, you can zoom in on the file to make it easier to duplicate if the signature is small.
Which Programs Allow You To Copy A Signature From A PDF
Copying a signature from a file can be done in many different ways. The above-mentioned method is obviously the best and the simplest one, but it's not the only one that exists. The procedure will depend upon the device and the operating system you use. And in this section, we will be showing you different alternatives to do it.
Copy A Signature From A PDF On A PC
Although copying signatures from PDFs is possible from mobile devices, it's better to carry out the task on a computer operating system, be it a Mac computer, a Windows PC, or a Linux device. So, in this particular section, we will see how to duplicate a signature from different computer devices.
However, we still believe that the best way is already discussed above.
Windows
If you want to easily duplicate signatures from different PDFs on Windows, you need to download the appropriate version of Adobe Reader. So, you have to visit its website and look for the version that’s compatible with your device and the version of your operating system. Once done, follow the steps mentioned above!
Mac
Apart from Adobe Reader, you can also use the in-built "Preview" app to copy a signature from a PDF file on Mac. The steps are as follows:
- Open the PDF in Preview.
- Use "Command+Shift+4" to take a signature screenshot.
- Copy the signature with "Command+C."
- Open the target PDF, paste it, and adjust as needed.
- Save the file.
Linux
To duplicate a signature from a PDF file on Linux, you can follow these steps:
- Open the PDF using a PDF viewer such as Evince, Okular, or any other available on your Linux system.
- Take a screenshot of the signature region.
- Open the screenshot and select the signature.
- Copy the signature using the appropriate shortcut (usually Ctrl+C).
- Paste the copied signature into the desired file.
Copy A Signature From A PDF On A Smartphone Or Tablet
Lots of the time, we deal with PDFs on mobile smartphones or tablets. So, it's important to know if it's possible to duplicate signatures from a PDF file on a mobile. And therefore, we will discuss the same in this section.
Android
Android users are in luck since you have a ton of options to copy a signature from a PDF file. All you need is to go to the Google Play Store and search for a good PDF editor such as Adobe Reader. We suggest installing an editor with good reviews and ratings. You can also find apps that are completely free to use.
iPhone (iOS) Or iPad
The case with iPhone and iPad is pretty similar to that with Android devices. You have to find a good app on the Apple App Store that allows you to duplicate a signature from a PDF file. Moreover, you can also use the iOS version of Adobe Reader to carry out the task from your iPhone and iPad as well.