Millions of people are using electronic signatures to sign documents online. Still, a lot of people are yet to use this technology for the first time. We created this tutorial for our audience who find it difficult to use electronic signatures. 


Today, we will cover some interesting things about electronic signatures and explain how you can use them. We will also share our recommended solution to help you use this technology securely. It means you just need to follow the instructions and you will be ready to adopt an electronic signature to make your work easier.

Before we go ahead and discuss the steps involved, let us understand a few things about this technology.

What is Electronic Signature? How does it work?

An electronic signature is the digitalized form of a simple signature that lets you sign a digital document easily. The technology is used to simplify the document signing process for individuals and businesses. The basic idea is to add a new form of data on a document page to bind it legally.

That is why electronic signatures are completely legal and make an agreement valid. The working of these signatures is similar to the physical ones. You simply embed an electronic signature on a document and sign it using a digital solution. It is an excellent way to create documents with usable contract templates and sign them digitally.

There is no need to worry about the legal aspect of these signatures as all the institutions accept them as a legal way to sign a document. 

Now the main question is- Which platform to use for electronic signatures? It is important as you do not want to use an untrusted platform to sign confidential documents. 

Here is what you can do:

CocoSign

CocoSign is the platform that lets you electronically sign PDF documents online. However, it is not limited to PDF as you can sign any document you want. All you need to do is sign up on the platform and use its free membership plan to sign your documents. If you are a business and require regular services, we recommend you subscribe to the Business membership of the platform.

Upon visiting its website, you will find out that the platform is quite easy to use. All the features are available on the homepage and you can start by uploading the document that you wish to sign. 

Although the free membership comes with limited features, you can still use it to download up to 3 signed documents. Thus, use your downloads accordingly.

Easy Method to Sign a PDF Electronically

Here we will discuss the easiest way to help you sign a PDF online. The process is the same for all other file formats as well. Thus, you can follow this guide to sign all your business documents online.

Follow these steps:

Step1- Register on CocoSign

First things first. Start by registering for a free account on CocoSign that lets you access all the premium tools for 14 days. The membership is free for new users who want to try its services.

Click on the 14-day trial button and enter your information to create an account. You can also register with your Google or Facebook account to skip this method. 

Verify your account using the verification link received on your email address.

Step2- Sign or Send

The next option is to choose whether you want to sign your document or share it with others to sign. The user interface is quite simple and you can click on the option that you want to proceed with. Once you click on an option, you will need to follow the same step for both of them.

Note- If you choose to send the file over email to sign, the person will receive a link to the application that allows them to sign the document. 

Step3- Choose File

In this step, you can upload the document that you wish to sign. You will find different options to upload documents on the platform. The easiest one is to upload it directly from your device. The other options include cloud storage platforms such as Google Drive, OneDrive, and Dropbox. 

Thus, you can choose the most convenient option to upload your file here.

Step4- Add Signatures

Now you can add your signatures to the document by clicking on the signature tool. Even in this step, you will have different options to embed your signature on the document. 

Here are the available options to do it:

Type- You can type your name and choose the font to use as your signature. This method is the most convenient as you do not need to use any other device to add your signatures. Simply type your name and choose where you want to place the signature on the page.

Draw- This option lets you use touchscreen devices to draw signatures wherever you want. This option is convenient when you are using a mobile phone as it comes with touch screens.

Upload Scanned Signatures- This option is a bit complicated as you will need to do your signature on paper and scan it with the scanner. After that, you can upload that signature directly to your document.

With the above methods, you can easily sign any document you want. 

Step5- Download

After making all the changes, click on the complete button and let the platform prepare a document for further use. Once the loading is completed, click on the download button and save the file on your device. Another option is to send the signed document directly to someone’s email address.

It is convenient when the sole purpose of signing a document is to share it with someone else. 

Conclusion

You no longer need to use editing tools to cut and paste your signature on a PDF. The method we discussed in this article is easy to use and works without paying any membership fee. You can adopt this technology in your business operations to manage documents online.

It saves a lot of paper and helps you become a digital company without putting in a lot of effort.