2 Best Ways to Send PDF for Signature [2024 Guide]

Digital signatures are becoming common in private organizations and public institutions. Today, banks, insurance companies, and many other industries send PDFs for signature to other parties. In simple words, the world is transitioning from the traditional wet ink method to a fast digitalized signature approach. So, if you are also looking for how to send PDF for signature, then this guide is for you. Here, we are presenting the steps to send a PDF for signature in Adobe Acrobat and through its cost-friendly alternative.

Part 1. How to Send PDF for Signature with UPDF

To send PDF for signature, UPDF has two products can help you out. One is UPDF Sign which allows you to upload the document, send the PDF for signature for one or several persons per your needs. UPDF Sign allows you to set the signing order, track the process automatically, and the signed document is legally binding. If you do not need automatic process, you can also use UPDF on Windows and Mac to add the signature field, then, send it for signature.

Here, we will introduce these two methods in detail.

Way 1. Via UPDF Sign

For those who need to sign legally and automate the process of signing and tracking, especially for business, they can use UPDF Sign. Here is the guide to use it.

Step 1. Click the button below to visit UPDF Sign website. Click on the "Start Free Trial" to log in or create an account. In the free version, you can have three free signature requests to use. Once use up them, you can upgrade to pro version at a very low price here.

Step 2. In the home interface, click on the "Initiate Signature" button, upload the document, select "Just need my signature" if you need to sign the document on your own, and switch on the button after "Set signing order" if you have several recipients to sign the PDF and need to sign it in the correct order. Enter the information in the "Add Recipients". Add the message and update the document name, then click on the "Continue" icon.

Step 3. Now, you need to customize the signature field to collect the signature for each recipient. Click to select the first recipient, drag the signature field to the place where you need this recipient to sign. Then, select the second recipient and drag the signature field. Repeat the same steps if there are other recipients. When you are done, click on the "Finish" button to send the PDF for collecting signature.

Step 4. The recipient will receive one email and needs to click the link, click on the signature field, create a signature and sign it.

Way 2. Via UPDF on Windows or Mac

UPDF on Windows and Mac is an AI-powered PDF signer tool that offers a fast, easy-to-use, and cost-friendly way to send and sign PDFs. With UPDF, you can:

• Send PDFs for signature to single or multiple recipients via email, shareable link, or QR code.
• Sign PDF digitally or electronically using mouse, keyboard, or trackpad.
• Send PDF with 1 day, 7 days, or 30 days expiration time.
• Import and add digital signatures seamlessly.
• Create a fillable PDF form with 9 types of form fields, i.e., checkboxes, text fields, image fields, dropdown lists, etc.
• Convert non-fillable form fields into fillable fields with the "Form Field Recognition" feature.
• Enable or disable copy, download, and print permissions before sharing.
• Send and sign PDFs from Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS.

In short, UPDF offers an intuitive approach to easily sending PDFs for signature or effortlessly creating and filling forms. However, UPDF is more than a PDF signer. It is a complete PDF editor, which means you can also edit, annotate, convert, compress, merge, OCR, and do other PDF-related activities. In short, it is a perfect alternative to Adobe Acrobat.

Don't just read! Download UPDF and try its above features yourself. Alternatively, you can directly uprade to the Pro version at a discounted price to unlock all the features.

Follow the below steps to learn how to send PDF for signature using UPDF:

Step 1. Download and install UPDF on your Windows/Mac system. Launch it and click "Open File" to select and open the PDF file to send for signature.

Step 2. To send a PDF for signature, click the "Share" icon from the left sidebar. Use the "Share a Link" or "Share with Others" option to share the PDF as a link, QR code, or via email.

Note 

• The recipients can sign the received PDF through UPDF's signature tool under the Comment mode. From there, they can create different signatures using keyboard, mouse,  and trackpad (only available in the Mac app).

• To send PDF for a digital signature, you should add a digital signature field if it is not presented currently. To do so, click the "Prepare Form" icon from the left sidebar. Click the "Digital Signature" icon from the top toolbar and click on the place where you want to add a signature field.

That's it! This way, UPDF offers a modernized yet simple way to send PDFs for signature to any number of recipients.

To learn more about UPDF and why it is a perfect alternative to Adobe, watch this review video:

Part 2. How to Send PDF for Signature in Adobe Acrobat

Adobe Acrobat is a powerful PDF toolkit with a comprehensive PDF signature feature. It allows users and businesses to easily send PDFs for signature and track and manage all signed documents efficiently. All you have to do is specify the recipients, pin the signature location in the PDF, and send the file. Afterward, it can give you real-time updates on the document's status and instantly allow you to view and manage signed files.

Although Adobe Acrobat offers one of the best ways to send PDFs for signature, you can only send 2 PDF forms per month for free. Besides that, it comes with a hefty subscription plan ($19.99/month minimum for e-signature support). So, if you want to send PDFs for signature with a lower price, then UPDF and UPDF Sign are powerful alternatives to use.

If you still want to use Acrobat, then, follow the below guides.

Steps to Send PDF for Signature Using Adobe Acrobat

Adobe Acrobat provides two ways to send PDFs for signature. You can send the PDF using the Adobe Acrobat desktop app or using Adobe Acrobat online. Let's uncover the steps for both methods:

Method 1. Send PDF for Signature using Adobe Acrobat Desktop

Follow the below steps to learn how to send PDF for signature to single or multiple recipients with Adobe Acrobat:

Step 1. Launch Adobe Acrobat and open the PDF file.

Step 2. Click the "Request E-signatures" option from the right sidebar. If you don't see the option there, you can click the "Tools" tab from the top and access "Request E-signatures" from there.

Step 3. Enter the emails of all the recipients to whom you want to send PDF for signature. You can also add a custom message that goes along with the signature request. Once done, click "Request signatures".

Step 4. Now, create your form and signature fields. You can either accept an automatically-detected form and signature or drag and drop your own through the right pane. Once done, send the file.

This is how Adobe send for signature feature lets you send PDFs and track signatures efficiently. All the recipients will receive an email for the signature request. They can click the provided link to fill out the form and sign a PDF online.

Once done, you and the recipient can download a copy of the signed PDF. Moreover, Adobe Acrobat also offers a dedicated section from where you can track and access all signature files.

Method 2. Send PDF for Signature using Adobe Acrobat Online

Here's how to send a PDF for someone to sign using Adobe Acrobat Online:

Step 1. Go to Adobe Acrobat Online website and upload the PDF to send for signature.

Step 2. Once uploaded, add the recipients' emails and then click "Prepare document".

Step 3. Now specify the fields where you want the recipients to fill in details and sign. You can drag and drop files from the left sidebar.

Step 4. Once the PDF file is ready, click the "Review and send" button. Specify the agreement name, email subject, and message. Lastly, click "Send".

This way, you can easily use the web-based Adobe send for signature feature to easily send PDFs for signature.

Conclusion

Digitalized business operations have increased the use of digital signatures on PDFs. That's why we can see that tools like UPDF Sign, UPDF PDF Editor, Adobe Acrobat are offering comprehensive support for sending, signing, and tracking PDFs. Therefore, you can also follow the above steps to send PDF for signature. However, we will recommend opting for UPDF Sign or UPDF PDF Editor, as they offer a more intuitive interface and cheaper price. So, it's time to take action. Download UPDF, or visit UPDF Sign, and send PDFs for signatures right away.