Someone's sent you a contract by email and asked you to “sign and return.” You don't have a printer. You don't want to install anything. You just want to put a signature on a PDF and send it back. The good news: it takes about 90 seconds in a browser, and the result holds up legally everywhere it matters.
Are electronic signatures actually legal?
Yes, for the vast majority of documents. The US ESIGN Act and state-level UETA grant electronic signatures the same legal weight as wet ink. The EU eIDAS regulation does the same across member states. The UK Electronic Communications Act and similar laws in Canada, Australia, and most other jurisdictions cover the rest of the developed world.
A handful of document types still need physical signatures — wills, some real estate filings, certain court documents. For contracts, NDAs, offer letters, leases, vendor agreements, employment paperwork, and almost everything else you'd sign at a desk: electronic is fine.
What makes an e-signature defensible isn't the visual mark — it's the audit trail. The timestamp, the signer's email, the document hash, the IP. Flint stamps all of that into the signed PDF itself so the evidence travels with the file.
How to electronically sign a PDF in Flint
Open the PDF
Create your signature
Place it on the page
What if I need someone else to sign?
Use the same tool with a different setting: Sign PDF lets you drag a signature box for a recipient instead of yourself, type their email, and send. They get a tokenised link, sign in their browser, and the signed PDF lands back in your library with an audit trail beside their signature.
Multi-party? Add every signer at once. Flint emails each one their unique link; you watch progress as each one signs; the final composite PDF is ready when everyone's done. It's the same workflow most teams use dedicated signature services for.
Things to get right
- Use your real name. A cartoon signature is fine on greeting cards; for contracts, a recognisable version of your real name is what holds up later.
- Add the date. Most signature blocks have a date line. Drop a date next to your signature in Flint before applying — easier than going back later.
- Initial every page if asked. Some counterparts want initials on each page. Save initials as a separate signature in Flint and drop them quickly.
- Keep the original. Flint saves the unsigned version as a previous version of the document, so you can always roll back if there's a mistake.
Frequently asked questions
Is a typed signature legally valid?
Generally yes. ESIGN and eIDAS define an electronic signature as “any electronic mark indicating intent to sign” — typed, drawn, or uploaded all qualify. The validity comes from intent + audit trail, not from how the mark looks.
What's the difference between an electronic signature and a digital signature?
An electronic signature is any digital mark of intent. A digital signature is a specific cryptographic method (PKI / x.509 certificates) that binds a signature to a document mathematically. Flint produces electronic signatures with a strong audit trail — sufficient for nearly all commercial and personal use. For the narrow cases that require PKI-bound digital signatures (some regulated industries, certain government filings), you'll need a certificate-issuing provider.
Can the recipient see who signed and when?
Yes. Each signature on a Flint-signed PDF is stamped with the signer's email and the signing timestamp directly on the page, plus an audit-log page appended to the back of the PDF with the full trail.
Can I sign on my phone?
Yes — finger or stylus to draw, or type your name and pick a handwriting font. The Flint editor is mobile-aware.
Is it free?
Signing in the browser is free. Downloading the signed PDF and sending signature requests require Pro.
Ready to sign?
Drop your PDF into Flint's Sign PDF tool and place your signature where it needs to go. If you need a counter-signature, add a recipient and we'll email them a unique signing link — no account required on their side.