Initials are often used to acknowledge specific pages, corrections, clauses, or attachments. You can add them to a PDF in the same way you add a compact signature, then place the initials only where the document requires them.
Docento's PDF editor lets you draw initials, type them in a signature-style font, or upload an image. The editor runs in your browser, and saved signature images remain in local browser storage on your device.
Check what the document requires
Before adding anything, read the instructions carefully.
The document may ask you to:
- Initial every page.
- Initial only selected clauses.
- Initial next to a correction.
- Add initials and a date.
- Use a full signature on the final page.
- Complete the document through a specific electronic-signature platform.
Initials do not automatically replace a required full signature. They also do not provide the identity verification, timestamp, or audit trail of a dedicated signing platform.
If the document is legally important or the instructions are unclear, ask the sender what form of signing they accept.
Open the PDF in Docento
To begin:
- Open Docento.app.
- Choose the PDF from your device.
- Wait for all pages to appear in the editor.
- Review the document before placing initials.
The file is processed in the browser rather than uploaded to Docento for editing. Still, make sure you are using your own device or a trusted shared device because saved initials remain available in that browser until deleted.
Create your initials
Select the signature tool and choose one of three methods.
Draw
Draw your initials with a mouse, trackpad, touchscreen, or stylus. This works well when you want them to resemble your handwritten initials.
Tips:
- Use two or three clear strokes.
- Leave some empty space around the initials.
- Clear and redraw if the result is hard to recognize.
- On a phone, rotate the screen if a wider drawing area helps.
Type
Enter your initials and choose a signature-style font. This produces a clean result and is easier when drawing with a mouse feels awkward.
Typed initials are a visual mark. They are not a certificate-based digital signature.
Upload
Upload an existing image of your initials. A transparent PNG normally gives the cleanest result because it does not show a white box over lines or coloured backgrounds.
Do not upload a large photograph containing unrelated background. Crop it first and protect the source image as you would protect a signature.
For help preparing the image, see how to create a transparent signature for a PDF.
Place the initials on a page
After creating or selecting the initials:
- Click or tap the required location on the page.
- Resize the initials using the selection handles.
- Move them so they do not cover text, checkboxes, dates, or page numbers.
- Repeat the process for each required location.
Docento does not automatically apply initials to every page. This is intentional because many agreements require initials only beside specific clauses. Place and check each mark manually.
Keep the size consistent from page to page. The initials should be visible without dominating the document.
Add a date when requested
If the form requires a date next to the initials, use the text tool:
- Select Text.
- Click beside the initials.
- Replace the placeholder with the required date.
- Resize and align the text.
Use the date format requested by the document. An international form may prefer an unambiguous format such as 14 July 2026 instead of 07/14/26 or 14/07/26.
Review every marked location
Before exporting, move through the document page by page and verify:
- All required locations have initials.
- No extra page was initialled accidentally.
- Each mark belongs to the correct person.
- Initials do not cover important text.
- Dates are correct and consistent.
- The final full-signature area is complete when required.
- The document has not changed since you reviewed it.
For a long agreement, compare your finished PDF with the sender's checklist.
Export the initialled PDF
When the review is complete:
- Select Export.
- Save the new PDF using a clear name.
- Open the downloaded copy.
- Inspect several initials and the final page.
- Confirm the PDF opens correctly before sending it.
Use a name such as:
lease-agreement-initialled-nikhil.pdf
Keep the untouched original until the completed document has been accepted.
Protect your initials
A saved initials image can be misused in the same way as a signature image.
- Do not share the image file casually.
- Delete saved initials from a public or borrowed browser.
- Lock your device.
- Verify the document and recipient before sending.
- Do not initial blank or incomplete documents.
- Keep a copy of the exact version you returned.
Docento stores saved signatures locally for convenience. Open the signature dialog and delete entries you no longer want stored in that browser.
Initials versus signatures
Initials usually show that a person noticed or accepted a specific part of a document. A full signature is normally used to execute or approve the document as a whole. The exact legal effect depends on the document, the parties' intent, and local law.
A visible mark added through a PDF editor also differs from a cryptographic digital signature. A digital signature can validate whether the file changed after signing and can be tied to a certificate.
Read digital signatures versus electronic signatures for the distinction. For important contracts, use the process specified by the sender or obtain appropriate advice.
Common mistakes
Avoid these problems:
- Using a full signature where only initials were requested.
- Initialling every page without checking instructions.
- Covering text with an oversized mark.
- Forgetting to add the date.
- Exporting before completing the final signature.
- Sending the original instead of the initialled copy.
- Assuming a visual mark includes an audit trail.
Takeaway
Create compact initials using Draw, Type, or Upload, place them manually in every required location, add dates with the text tool, and review the downloaded PDF before sending it.
You can complete the process with Docento's browser-based PDF editor, without installing desktop software or uploading the document for server-side editing.
