Like it or not, that little piece of cotton and dead trees we use to print documents on are fast becoming a relic of days and years past. In the past, when we needed to formally accept a document and convey an understanding, we signed it with a pen and faxed it to where it was supposed to go. We are giving up more and more paper and fax. Instead, we sign things on our laptops and desktops and email them to those who need them. Here’s how to sign PDFs on a tablet in Windows 8.
It’s important to understand a few things before we get started. First, the device we are using is running Windows 8.1, the latest version of Windows 8. This means that what you’ll see in the examples here will look slightly different from what’s on your screen. If you’re worried about things that don’t match your machine, download the Windows 8.1 update. It’s free and available in the Windows Store. If you don’t see this title in the Windows Store on your device unlike if you’re already running Windows 8.1, look for the purple banner on the left that says “Download Windows 8.1”.
Next, you’ll want to import the PDF document you’re trying to download. In this example, we downloaded ours from Mail, the built-in email client for Windows 8. It’s entirely possible that the PDF you’re trying to sign is on a flash drive or in a different email service than the one we’re using. In that case, be sure to download the PDF to your Desktop before starting this tutorial. Let’s start.
Download PDF in Windows Mail
The fastest and easiest way to communicate with people has always been, and probably will always be, email. If someone is trying to get you a document for signature, ask them to email it. Here’s how to download PDFs from Windows Mail before signing them in Windows 8.
Go to the Start Screen by pressing the Windows key on your keyboard or the Windows button next to your device’s screen. Search for the app on the Windows 8 Start Screen. It is represented by a light blue Live Tile with an envelope on it. Click or tap on it.
Now that you’re inside Mail, search for the email containing your PDF you’re trying to sign.
If a PDF is attached to the email, you will see a bright orange square at the top of the email. Right-click this PDF with your mouse or place your finger on the orange square and hold to reveal a pop-up menu. Tap or click .
Double click or tap the button until you reach the desktop. Click or tap on the desktop. Then press the bottom right corner of your screen.
Now your PDF.
Signing the PDF
Go to Desktop by clicking the tile on your Start Screen. There you should see the PDF you downloaded.
In PDF to open. Instantly, an app you’ve probably never used before opens with the document you downloaded. It’s called Reader and is included by default in Windows 8.1. As long as you’re running Windows 8.1 on your tablet or convertible, you don’t need to download Adobe Reader or any other reader to sign or even look at your documents.
Find where you need to sign and use your document.
Now you need to save. Touch users should place their fingers on the bottom edge of the screen and swipe up from the right. users must be anyone on the screen. Both reveal the Application Bar.
Faucet .
Now email it back to the person you need to get the document to use the Mail app as an attachment or on a flash drive.
To be clear, this method is not necessarily limited to Windows 8 tablets or convertibles. The Reader app is available in all editions of Windows 8.1, with or without touchscreen. The trick is in the input methods your device has. If you have a touchscreen Surface or Surface Pro device, you should be able to sign documents just fine. If your device supports stylus via touchscreen or otherwise, you’re fine.
If it doesn’t have touch capability, you may still have to resort to downloading a third-party program like Adobe reader. In this case, signing the document works the same way, instead you have to use your touchpad or add your signature as text.
You can also make documents on your smartphone.
