There are several answers to the question, “How to make an electronic signature?” and we will discuss the best methods to try today.

To make an electronic signature, you can 

write it manually and scan it, create a copy using Word, or use various programs

. Having an electronic signature can be necessary, especially in today’s digital world, where signing documents digitally is common.

Aside from necessity, there are other advantages to knowing how to make an electronic signature, such as convenience and efficiency. So, in today’s article, we’ll explain the four methods you can use for creating electronic signatures and answer some common questions you may have.

An electronic signature, or e-signature, is a 

 digitally, including contracts, agreements, and other documents.

That said, the appearance of electronic signatures can vary depending on the method you use to create them. For instance, signing a piece of paper and scanning it will likely create the most accurate copy of your signature compared with an online tool.

While the terms electronic and digital are often used interchangeably to refer to an online signature, there is actually a distinct difference between electronic and digital signatures.

and can be in the form of an image or a scan. Because of this, it can sometimes be difficult to authenticate e-signatures since anyone can upload someone else’s signature. 

How to Make an Electronic Signature: 4 Key Methods Explained

From scanning your physical signature to using different tools, there are 

several ways to make an electronic signature

Let’s discuss the step-by-step process for each one:

Making an electronic signature using Word is one of 

the most convenient methods on this list 

since you can also use the tool to sign the document directly.

Here’s how to make an electronic signature in the browser version of Word:

First, you need to run the program and click on the 

you want to use and start creating your signature. This step may be easier using a drawing pad, but if you don’t have one, a mouse would work as well.

. This will save your electronic signature as an image and allow you to 

After making an electronic signature, you can open your file in 

 and attach your signature to the document.

If you want to create an e-signature for free, you can simply 

write on or sign a piece of paper and scan it 

using your phone. This method for making an electronic signature also yields a near-perfect copy of your physical signature since you are scanning it directly.

However, this method is not as secure as the others on this list because if the scanned image gets leaked, then anyone can use your signature to sign documents. 

Scanned signatures are also not ideal when signing PDFs

 since these are in an image format and not a digital signature format.

best way to make an electronic signature online is 

to use a dedicated e-signature maker like PDF.net. As an online PDF e-signature tool, PDF.net allows you to create e-signatures and sign documents digitally without downloading any additional software.

upload your file on our tool and select one of these three options

. With this method, you can type out your name or initials and choose a signature style from the options provided.


type out your name or initials and choose a signature style from the options provided

. By drawing your electronic signature, you can accurately replicate your physical signature.


By drawing your electronic signature, you can accurately replicate your physical signature.

. If you have already made an electronic signature by scanning it or using Word, you can simply upload the image to add it to your document.


upload the image to add it to your document

resize your signature, change its opacity, and adjust its placement 

on the document before downloading your file. Using PDF.net is a guaranteed way to create secure PDF signatures since our tool is protected by the latest HTTPS encryption, so you won’t have to worry about any data breaches.

Aside from a PDF signature tool, you can also use a 

drawing tool and select the pen and ink color 

you prefer. While you can choose any color, since electronic signatures are often used in professional documents, it’s best to select black.

When you’re satisfied with how it looks, 

One of the advantages of using this method is that you can closely replicate your physical signature depending on the tool that you use. However, keep in mind that since you are creating an image of your signature, it’s important to keep it secure to avoid any unauthorized copies.

Are Electronic Signatures Legally Binding?

Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act

(ESIGN Act). This means that any online file bearing your electronic signature will be treated the same as a document that you physically signed.

However, to be legally binding, the e-signature process must have the following:

So, if you want to sign a PDF legally with an e-signature, it’s crucial to follow these regulations; otherwise, the document may not hold up in court.

3 Key Benefits of Using Electronic Signatures

Now that you know how to make an electronic signature, you may be wondering what 

Signing documents with electronic signatures is 

significantly more efficient than doing so physically, 

since you won’t have to print them out, mail them to the signer, and then wait for them to be received.

When you use an electronic signature, you can send an email and have the signed document back within minutes. This is especially useful for businesses that often deal with documents that require signatures, like contracts or invoices.

, which is highly convenient for remote workers or global teams. Since you don’t need to physically have the document to sign it, you have the flexibility to approve international business transactions and agreements even on the go.

Using an electronic signature to sign documents means that 

only you and the sender will see the content of the file

, which means you can be assured of the security of the transaction. Moreover, electronic signatures are much more difficult to forge and tamper with than physical ones.

It’s safe to use electronic signatures 

as long as you use secure e-signature software 

for business and other private documents. PDF.net, for instance, has the necessary security measures in place to keep your document protected while using our tool.

That said, while electronic signatures are safe, it’s essential to be wary of the documents you sign as well as the program you use to do so. It’s best to avoid suspicious platforms and to verify the source of the document before signing it to ensure that your electronic signature isn’t leaked.

When you need to e-sign a document or make an electronic signature to use for future purposes, turn to PDF.net. As a complete 

effortlessly create signatures online and add them to documents 

In addition to security and convenience, here are the other advantages of using our online PDF tool to create an electronic signature:

. Unlike other tools like Word or Paint, you don’t have to install any software to use PDF.net; simply upload your file, make an electronic signature, and add it to your document.

. PDF.net supports multiple file formats, including PDF, DOC, and DOCX, so you can make an electronic signature and use it to sign any document without having to worry about 

. As an online tool, PDF.net can be used on virtually any device and web browser as long as you have a stable internet connection.

#1. How do I make an electronic copy of my signature?

To make an electronic copy of your signature, you can 

sign a piece of paper and scan it or use an online signature tool

. Then, you can upload the signature to a PDF tool that will allow you to sign documents digitally.

#2. What types of documents can I sign with an electronic signature?

sign all types of documents with an electronic signature

. This includes personal and professional documents, contracts, and other online agreements. However, there are some states in the U.S. that may require a physical signature on certain documents, such as wills and trusts, real estate agreements, and marriage or birth certificates.

#3. Are online PDF tools safe to use for signing documents?

generally safe to use for signing documents

. PDF.net, in particular, uses advanced end-to-end encryption to protect your file’s privacy so you can upload your electronic signature and sign PDFs securely.

How to Make an Electronic Signature: 4 Easy Methods Explained

The best PDF editors are those that boast multiple editing capabilities, a user-friendly design, and cross-platform compatibility. 

, PDF Expert, Foxit PDF Editor, and PDF Pro. These programs are all quite simple and easy to use while offering a comprehensive suite of features that can be helpful in both professional and personal settings.

A reliable PDF editor allows you to make edits and adjustments to your document in a few clicks, which can be useful for creating presentations, presenting contracts, or preparing other files. So, in today’s article, we’ll round up the best PDF editors in 2025 and provide an overview of their pros and cons to help you decide.

From their convenience to their wide range of features, the best PDF editors in 2025 should 

make it easy for you to edit, rotate, annotate, and 

Without further ado, let’s take a look at the 10 best PDF editors for the year:

First on the list is PDF.net, one of the 

best PDF editors known for its efficiency and ease of use. 

This online PDF editor allows you to rotate, sign, annotate, merge, and 

 files in seconds, making it an extremely convenient tool.

Moreover, PDF.net allows for instant file conversions and PDF compressions without affecting their original formatting or quality, so you can confidently edit your documents and not worry about a blurry outcome. The tool is also protected by advanced HTTPS encryption that keeps your files safe while in use.

With its intuitive and user-friendly design, PDF.net is the best document editing software for 

beginners and professionals looking for a comprehensive tool 

that can do it all. While this tool isn’t free, you are paying a premium for its quality and security.

Visit our website today to learn more about our paid plans and discover all the features you can access.

 is the right tool for you. As a cloud-based program, Smallpdf allows you to edit your files on any device with an internet connection.

This online software has a range of features, including merging, rotating, extracting, and deleting PDF pages that you can sample with their limited free trial. For more comprehensive access to their tools, however, you would need to subscribe to Smallpdf Pro.

 is a popular web-based PDF editor known for its 

straightforward approach to PDF management

. With its simple drag-and-drop functionality and collaborative interface, Ilovepdf is a must-have for users looking for a quick and hassle-free solution to most PDF-related tasks.

While Ilovepdf is mainly cloud-based, it also offers a downloadable desktop app that allows you to work offline and integrate it with other PDF tools. This versatility makes it one of the best PDF editors for Windows.

 is arguably one of the best PDF editors for Macs, iPhones, and iPads, as it’s 

. This premium PDF editor boasts a range of features that allow you to annotate documents, edit text, and convert PDFs to other formats in seconds.

While PDF Expert has a free version, most of its excellent features, like 

 and Artificial Intelligence, are only available on their premium plan. However, their pricing is on the lower end among the other tools on this list.

utilizes artificial intelligence to elevate its editing features

. This means that in addition to the usual annotation, merging, and signing capabilities, this AI PDF editor can also help you improve file quality, summarize content, and enhance the text.

That said, because of its robust features, Foxit PDF Editor can be quite overwhelming for beginners, and its pricing plans may not be ideal for all users.

Foxit PDF Editor has two paid subscriptions:

 is an offline PDF editor that allows you to effortlessly 

to your preferred format. This tool boasts a clean and simple interface that makes it ideal for beginners and a range of features for annotating, watermarking, and signing documents.

While PDF Pro is paid software, it also has a free version that can help you experience its full set of features. That said, the free version often displays ads, and its premium plan can be quite expensive.

Need to convert files or remove PDF restrictions? Then, consider using 

, an all-in-one PDF maker and editor. This offline PDF editor boasts 

powerful editing features in a simple and easy-to-navigate program

, making it a great choice for both professional and personal users.

That said, EaseUS PDF Editor is a desktop application and not an online tool, so its use is limited to PC only. Plus, its free version only has limited capabilities, so you would need to subscribe to its premium tiers.

For users handling administrative tasks, 

 is one of the best PDF editors you can use. Its features allow you to seamlessly edit, collaborate, and e-sign documents so you can 

approve contracts and agreements with ease

. As a web-based tool, pdfFiller also supports integration with cloud-based storage services like Google Drive to streamline collaboration.

That said, pdfFiller may lack some of the advanced editing capabilities of the other PDF editors on this list. Moreover, its premium plan can be quite expensive for users who only need basic features.

When it comes to paid plans, pdfFiller offers three for individual users and two premium subscriptions for businesses:

. $20/month for straightforward editing capabilities and customer support

. $30/month for all Basic features, plus premium tools like reusable templates, smart document tags, and faster customer service

. $40/month for everything in Plus and access to the US Legal Forms Library, custom branding tools, and instant customer support

. $8/month per user. Requires a minimum of 20 users

. $15/month per user. Requires a minimum of 10 users

features a simple OCR engine and conversion capabilities

. It allows you to annotate PDFs, make edits to your documents, and sign files in a few clicks. This offline software also features a simple interface and is compatible with both Mac and Windows, enhancing its ease of use.

With its selection of tools and premium-price subscription plans, Nitro PDF Pro is one of the best PDF editors you can get. That said, it may not be ideal for casual users and is instead better suited for professionals and businesses.

Nitro PDF Pro has two paid subscriptions for individuals:

Best PDF Editors in 2025: Top Tools For Document Management

The answer to the question, “Can ChatGPT read a PDF?” is yes, and the methods to do so can range from direct file uploads to AI plugins. 


ChatGPT can read a PDF file in several ways, including through 

direct uploads to the chatbot, pasted text, and third-party plugins

. Using an AI tool like ChatGPT to read PDFs can streamline the way you process documents, helping you save time and improve efficiency.

However, not all PDF documents are the same; some will have unreadable text, while others may include non-text elements like graphs and images. So, in today’s article, we’ll discuss the different ways ChatGPT can read a PDF file so you can process your files with ease.

. For instance, you can only upload PDF files on ChatGPT 4.0; if you are using the older version of the tool, then you won’t be able to use it to read PDF files directly.

Moreover, if the document is password-protected or unclear, then you would need to extract the text from the PDF first before asking the tool to read it. That said, there are several workarounds on these issues to ensure that you can use ChatGPT to read PDFs.

How to Use ChatGPT for Reading a PDF File: 4 Main Methods Explained

From direct uploads to using an AI plugin, there are 

several ways that ChatGPT can read a PDF file

Each method has its own advantages and disadvantages, so let’s discuss each one in detail:

. But keep in mind that ChatGPT file input only works on ChatGPT 4.0 or the latest model of the AI tool.

First, open ChatGPT in your browser and click on the 

You can choose to connect your ChatGPT account to your 

to make it easier to upload documents, or you can simply choose a file from your device’s storage.

After uploading your PDF file, it will be attached to the chatbot, and you can 

Then, all you have to do is wait for the tool to generate its output.

If you don’t have ChatGPT 4.0 or you find that ChatGPT can’t read a PDF file directly due to other reasons, such as blurry images, you can just 

. While you can always fix blurry text in PDFs, this will take some time and may not be ideal for those who need the data right away.

That said, this method only works for shorter files, as 

Another way to get ChatGPT to read a PDF document is to 

. This can be extremely useful when the PDF has scanned documents, as these will often have unclear text or letters.

Once you have the converted file, you can upload it to ChatGPT by clicking on the 

Then, simply add a prompt and wait for ChatGPT to read the file.

use a ChatGPT plugin to read the text automatically

. AI PDF readers like Sider can be added to web browsers and allow you to process PDFs online.

After installing the plugin that you want, in this instance, we have Sider; you can click on the icon at the bottom that says 

and wait for the tool to finish processing the document.

3 Key Benefits of Using ChatGPT to Read a PDF

There are several benefits to using ChatGPT to read a PDF, such as:

One of the best advantages of using AI tools to read PDFs is their ease of use and convenience, as the 

software is highly intuitive and features a simple interface

. Even first-time users won’t have any problems using ChatGPT to read a PDF since the tool also suggests prompts you can use.

, such as summarizing text or analyzing data, conveniently located below the text bar, which can be easily accessed with one click.

provides instant results and allows you to process long documents in seconds

. With an AI PDF summarizer like ChatGPT, you can break down documents into easily digestible bullet points and understand the most important points discussed in the text without having to actually read them yourself.

ChatGPT is not just an AI-powered PDF reader; it 

can read a PDF and customize the output to your liking

. All you have to do is specify the type of output you want to see in your prompt. For instance, if you want to identify specific sections in the text or know how many images are in the document, simply state that in the prompt.

Additionally, if you’re wondering, “Can ChatGPT read a PDF and answer questions?” then you’ll be pleased to know that the answer is yes. With the right prompt, you can easily ask ChatGPT to answer questions found within the text as well as any questions about its content.

3 Common Limitations of Using ChatGPT to Read a PDF

While ChatGPT can read a PDF file, the tool’s AI PDF capabilities 

ChatGPT can read a PDF effortlessly, but only as long as the document is purely text. If your file has any images or is simply scanned pages, then the AI 

(OCR) or software that can convert the images into machine-readable code.

If you still want to extract data from PDFs with ChatGPT, then we recommend converting the PDF to text before pasting it into the tool.

trouble reading documents with complex formatting

, such as tables, graphs, and diagrams, as these elements can have unclear parts or complicated structures. Because of this, it’s best to fix a blurry PDF online first before uploading it to ChatGPT to ensure that the program can accurately read its content.

While most PDF summarization tools like PDF.net allow you to read password-protected PDFs as long as you know the code, 

ChatGPT doesn’t have the features necessary to bypass the file’s security measures 

and will have no option to input a password.

What you can do is open the file in a PDF reader and copy-paste the text into ChatGPT or create a duplicate of the file and upload that PDF to ChatGPT instead.

Effortlessly Convert PDFs to Word with PDF.net!


If ChatGPT can’t read your PDF and you need to convert it into Word, then look no further than PDF.net! As a 

, you can easily use our tool to convert your PDFs into your preferred file format before uploading them to ChatGPT.

Our PDF tool boasts the following features:

. Like ChatGPT, PDF.net features a simple, user-friendly interface that allows you to complete tasks in a few clicks. With our PDF tool, all you need to do is upload your file, and then you can convert it, merge it with other files, or 

. As an online software, you can use PDF.net on any device as long as you have an internet connection; there’s no need to download additional software. This means that you can use it to help ChatGPT read PDFs even on the go.

. Since documents can have sensitive, private information, PDF.net ensures our users’ protection by utilizing the latest HTTPS encryption in our software. Moreover, we don’t store any of your files, so once you are done using the tool, you can be assured that your document won’t be at risk of a data leak.

quite good at reading PDFs as long as the file is not password-protected or blurry

. In these instances, it’s better to copy-paste the text into the tool or to convert it into a different file format first.

; simply provide a detailed text prompt explaining exactly what kind of summary you want to see and wait for the tool to process this information.

#3. Can ChatGPT answer questions from a PDF?

Yes, ChatGPT can answer questions from a PDF after reading it. You can do this in two ways: the first is by 

including a section in your initial prompt 

for the AI to answer any questions found in the text, and the second is by 

once the tool has finished reading the file.

The answer to the question, “Can ChatGPT read a PDF?” is yes, and the methods to do so can range from direct file uploads to AI plugins. 

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