Troubleshoot and remove signatures from PDF docs.

Want to get rid of a pesky signature line at the bottom of your document? Learn how to remove signatures from your PDF files.

Need to learn how to remove a digital signature from PDF files? Signed PDFs are difficult to edit by design. You don’t want anyone to tamper with an already-signed document. But, depending on how you saved the file, you might still be able to remove a signature from your PDF.

Is deleting signatures the same as removing signatures from PDF files?

Removing and deleting a signature from a PDF are the same action. In order to remove a signature from a PDF, you must be the person who signed the document.

Can I remove a digital signature that isn’t mine from PDF docs?

To delete a signature from a PDF, you must be the owner of that signature. You will need to ask the person who signed to edit the document. There are other methods for removing a digital signature from a PDF as well.

Can’t I just redact a signature?

You can technically redact a signature in a PDF, but it does not look professional to black out or blur text in a blank space that needs to be signed. There are other ways you can delete a signature from your PDF without it looking messy. Read on to learn how to remove a signature from a PDF.

Possible reasons why you can’t remove signatures from PDF files.

For security reasons, you’re only allowed to remove your own signature. If someone else has already signed the PDF, the only way to remove their signature is to ask the signer to edit the document.

If you’re having trouble removing your own signature, try updating your Digital ID in your PDF editor.

1. In Adobe Acrobat, simply navigate to your profile and click Preferences > Signatures.
2. Click the More button under the section labeled “Identities & Trusted Certificates.”
3. Select the Digital IDs category and ensure your ID matches the signature on the PDF.

(In some cases, the document’s owner may choose to lock the PDF for additional security. Once the document is locked, nobody can edit it. You can’t remove a signature from the PDF, not even your own.)

Learn how to delete a signature from PDF docs.

Deleting a signature in Adobe on both Mac and Windows doesn’t have to be difficult. With the following tips and tricks, you can delete an electronic signature from a PDF in no time. Provided the document isn’t locked, you can then remove your own signature from the PDF by simply right-clicking the signature and choosing the Clear Signature option.

This should remove the signature, allowing you to edit or re-sign the PDF. You can even re-sign the PDF online using a browser-based PDF editor like Acrobat online services. Just upload the document, add your signature, and download the new file.

Remove a signature from PDF docs on Mac.

4. You can easily remove a signature from a PDF on a Mac by using the following steps:
   Open Adobe Acrobat and select File from the top menu. Select Open from the dropdown list to open the PDF from which you want to delete the digital signature.
5. When the PDF has opened, locate the page that has the digital signature you wish to remove.
6. After finding the signature, press and hold the Control key while clicking your desired field and choose Clear Signature from the pop-up menu.

Remove a signature from PDF docs on Windows.

You can quickly remove a signature from a PDF on Windows by using the following steps:

7. Open Adobe Acrobat and select File from the top menu. Select Open from the dropdown list to open the PDF from which you want to delete the digital signature.
8. When the PDF has opened, locate the page that has the digital signature you wish to remove.
9. After finding the signature, press and hold the Control key while clicking your desired field, and choose Clear Signature from the pop-up menu.

More ways to work with your PDFs.

You’ve learned how to delete a signature in PDF files, so what’s next? The possibilities are endless with the Adobe Acrobat suite of document tools. Here are more resources to work with PDF files:

10. Store important documents physically by learning how to print a PDF on a Mac.
11. Printed a PDF and want to scan it to your phone? Learn how to scan PDFs on an iPhone.
12. Have multiple documents with signatures? Combine them and scan multiple pages to one PDF.

Discover what more you can do with Acrobat online services to edit and sign PDFs securely.