How to Create and Sign PDFs in the iOS Mail App
Did you know that your iOS device has a built-in PDF creator? And did you know that it also lets you mark up and sign PDFs without the need for a third-party app? No? Well, let this AppAdvice article help you be in the know.
In my line of work as a freelancer, I often receive documents, like contracts and release forms, that require my signature. Fortunately, it’s seldom the case that I have to print out a document, sign it with an actual pen, scan the signed paper, and then email the scanned document with my signature. In most cases, I just need to affix my digital signature to the documents.
Master the trick of creating and marking up PDFs without ever leaving the Mail app on iOS
Especially on iOS, putting one’s digital signature on a document is easiest when that document is in PDF format. But the thing is, on many occasions, what gets emailed to me is a Word document, which I need to convert to PDF first before I can digitally sign on my iPhone. Thankfully, I’ve mastered the trick to create and sign PDFs without ever leaving the Mail app on iOS, which you, too, can learn, for whatever purpose you might need it for, by reading the rest of this article.
The Markup feature that figures prominently in the steps below is available only on iOS 9 or later.
If attachment is already in PDF
If the Mail attachment that you need to sign is already in PDF format, then you’re in luck. The steps to marking up a PDF attachment and then replying with the marked-up version are pretty straightforward.
In the Mail app, open the message with the PDF attachment you want to sign.
Tap and hold the attachment, and then tap the “Markup and Reply” option at the bottom row of the share sheet (the one with the toolbox icon).
You can also tap the attachment to open it, and then tap the toolbox icon at the bottom.
In the Markup screen, tap the signature tool at the bottom.
If it’s your first time to use the signature tool, enter your signature using your finger, and then tap Done. If not, you’ll be prompted to choose an existing signature or add a new one.
Resize and reposition your signature on the document, and then tap Done.
The signed version of the document is automatically attached to a new message in reply to the original message. Type your message (if any), and then tap Send.
If attachment is not yet in PDF
If the Mail attachment that you need to sign is in a format other than PDF, say, Word .doc, you first have to convert it to PDF before you can mark it up. Admittedly, the steps are somewhat more involved, but they’ll cease to be so once you get the hang of the procedure.
In the Mail app, open the message with the attachment you want to sign.
Tap the attachment to open it.
Tap the share icon, and then tap the Print option at the bottom row of the share sheet.
On the Printer Options screen, pinch outward on the print preview. A PDF version of the document is then automatically created and displayed for viewing.
This PDF creation trick is discussed in detail here.
Tap the share icon, and then tap the Mail option at the top row of the share sheet.
The PDF version of the document is automatically attached to a new email message. Tap and hold the attachment, and in the contextual menu, tap Select and then Markup.
In the Markup screen, tap the signature tool at the bottom.
If it’s your first time to use the signature tool, enter your signature using your finger, and then tap Done. If not, you’ll be prompted to choose an existing signature or add a new one.
Resize and reposition your signature on the document, and then tap Done.
The attachment is now the signed PDF version, ready to be sent. Enter the email address of the recipient, enter a subject, type a note, and tap Send.
Your message will not be sent in reply to the original message. As a result, the conversation thread will be broken, but the important thing is you’re able to get back to the recipient with the required document bearing your signature.
And that’s how you create and sign PDFs, all without leaving the Mail app on iOS. Aside from affixing your signature, you can also annotate PDFs using the other tools accessible at the bottom of the Markup screen: draw, magnify, and add text. So be sure to insert those in your workflow accordingly should the necessity arise.
If you have comments and suggestions, please leave them below.