When a PDF will not open in the signer, one of a few things is usually the cause. Each message below is exactly what PureSign shows, with the fix.
Drop your PDF here
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PDF up to 10 MB
Private by design. Your PDF is processed on your device and never uploaded.
Try the file in the tool above. The message tells you which of the causes below applies.
Remove a password, re-export a damaged file, or reduce the size, using the matching section below.
Drop the fixed PDF into the tool and continue signing.
The PDF needs a password just to open. PureSign cannot read it. If you are allowed to, open it in a PDF reader or your browser, enter the password, then save or print a copy as a new PDF without the password, and upload that.
The file is not a PDF, even if its name ends in .pdf. A Word file renamed to .pdf is a common case. Export the original to PDF properly instead of renaming it.
The file is damaged, was only partly downloaded, or is a type of PDF the reader cannot parse. Download it again, ask the sender to export a fresh copy, or open it in another reader and save a new PDF.
Guests and free accounts can open PDFs up to 10 MB, and Pro raises that to 100 MB. A compressed copy of the file usually fits.
Guests and free accounts can sign single-page PDFs, up to 10 MB. Multi-page signing is part of the Pro plan, which also raises the PDF limit to 100 MB. If your file has several pages and you only need one signed, split out that page first.
Guests and free accounts have a daily allowance of exports. The signer tells you when it is used up and when it resets.
This is fine. PureSign needs a page to put the signature on, not selectable text, so a scan of a paper form signs normally.
PureSign places a signature, text, a date, or a mark on top of the page. It does not fill the form's own fields, so use the Text tool to type into the blanks.
Adding a signature re-saves the file. A certificate-based signature already in the PDF can stop validating after that. Do not use PureSign if you need to keep it valid.
If you do not have the password, ask the sender for an unprotected copy. PureSign does not bypass passwords.
The file stays on your device, but the signer still needs a connection to load and to complete the download, so it does not work offline.
The PDF needs a password to open. Remove the password in a PDF reader you can open it with, save a copy, and upload that copy.
The file may be damaged, incompletely downloaded, or unusual. Download it again, or have it re-exported from the original document.
Yes. A scanned page works because PureSign only needs a page to place the signature on.
Guests and free accounts can sign single-page PDFs, up to 10 MB. Multi-page signing is part of the Pro plan, which also raises the PDF limit to 100 MB. If your file has several pages and you only need one signed, split out that page first.
No. Nothing is uploaded, but the tool needs a connection to load its parts and to finish a download, so signing does not work offline.
No. Your PDF is read and signed inside your browser tab and is never uploaded to our servers, whether you are a guest or signed in. The only file we ever store is a signature you choose to save to your vault after signing in.
Place a signature, initials, a date, or a check mark exactly where a PDF needs one.
Use a PNG, JPG, or photo of your signature you already have. Photos are cleaned up automatically.
Export the document to PDF, then sign it. Or insert a signature picture in Word.
Place your signature on any page. Text layers, fonts, and bookmarks stay intact.
