How to get the other party to sign an Excel quotation online: Export the PDF and initiate the signing

Key points of this article

After the quotation is finalized, export it to PDF. The format is fixed, and the content the other party sees is consistent with what you checked.
Set the print area and scale the columns to one page width before exporting to avoid the table being cut in half.
What is exported is the current calculation result. The total, tax amount and discount line must be checked one by one before sending.
The signed PDF and Excel originals must be distinguished by the same quotation number and date to facilitate subsequent reconciliation.
Whether the signature has legal effect depends on local regulations and contract agreements. If the amount is large, you should consult first.

People who do foreign trade, decoration or equipment procurement often use Excel to make quotations. After sending them out, they still need the other party to confirm and sign on them. If you send the form directly, the other party will either print it, write it by hand, take a photo and send it back, or they will make random changes in the form. The amount and format will easily become distorted.

This article talks about a process that can be followed: first organize the Excel quotation into a stable PDF, and then send the document to the other party for signature through online signing. After reading, you will know which settings should be adjusted before exporting, what should be filled in when initiating a signature, and how to check after receiving the signature. The same applies to other form software.

Should the quotation be signed directly, or signed after exporting the PDF? One sentence conclusion

For quotations that are sent externally and require the signature of the other party for confirmation, it is recommended to export them to PDF before initiating signing; while the form is still being modified, keep the original Excel copy as the manuscript and do not rush to export it.

your situation	Recommended practices	reason
The quotation has been finalized and sent to the customer for confirmation.	Initiate signing after exporting PDF	The PDF layout is fixed, and what the other party sees is consistent with what you checked.
It is still under internal review and the numbers may change.	Keep the original Excel file and do not export it yet	Each change must be re-exported, which can easily lead to version confusion.
All you need is that the other party writes a note in the form	Fill in directly in Excel and export	No signature process required, fewer steps
The table is very wide or divided into multiple worksheets	Adjust print settings first, then export	If you don’t adjust it, it will be split into multiple pages, and the signature position will be easily misaligned.
The other party requested to get the editable file at the same time	Both Excel original and signed PDF are provided.	Original for accounting, PDF for archiving and signature

Before you start: Confirm these points first

Whether the quotation content has been finalized. The signed version should be the final version. If you change it after signing, you will need to re-initiate the signing, and both you and the other party will need to check it one more time.
Whether the formula results in the table are correct. What is exported is the currently displayed value. If the formula references the wrong row or column, errors will still occur in the PDF. Signing will only fix the error.
Whether the signature needs to be legally valid. Whether the electronic signature is valid depends on the local regulations and the contractual agreements between the parties. When a larger amount or formal contract is involved, it is recommended to consult a professional first.
The other party’s email address or mobile phone number. The signature request will be sent to the contact information filled in by the other party. Please check the spelling before sending to avoid sending it to the wrong person.
Whether the file contains internal information. Costs, discount bottom lines, etc. should not appear in the external version. Before exporting, check for hidden rows, columns, and worksheets to make sure they are not exported as well.

Steps to adjust Excel table before exporting PDF

The following method uses the general setting idea of Excel. The menu location of each version may be different, just find it by the function name.

Set the printing area. Select only the cell range that needs to be displayed in the quotation to avoid blank columns and note areas from being printed together.
Scale the column to fit one page wide. Select in the page setup to fit all columns to one page wide so the table is not cut off on the right side and the signature page is neater.
Check column width and font. The #### that appears in the cell is usually because the column is too narrow. After widening it, read it again and the numbers and text must be fully displayed.
Check the formula results. Check the total, tax, discount and total price one by one to make sure the numbers agree with your calculations.
Fill in the header and footer. You can add the company name, quotation number and date to facilitate the other party to identify it at a glance when filing.
Check pagination with print preview. Check page by page to make sure the signature line does not fall where the end of the page is cut off.
Save as PDF. Use Excel's export or save as PDF function to generate a file with the quotation number and date stated in the file name, such as "Quotation_20240601_No.pdf" format.

Steps to initiate signing of PDF

Open OmniDoc. You can operate it on the omnidoc.top web page or use the desktop client. The download address is download.omnidoc.top. Find the entry where you send the signing request.
Upload the newly exported PDF. Confirm that the uploaded PDF file is not the original Excel file, and the file name is consistent with the quotation number.
Check whether the signature field is clearly visible. Open the PDF and read it over before sending. The signature position should be easy to find and not obscured by table lines or other content. If it's not clear, go back to Excel and make adjustments before re-exporting.
Fill in the signer’s information. Enter the other party’s name and email or mobile phone number, and check the spelling again.
Send a signing request. After sending, record the sending time, quotation number and signer to facilitate subsequent reconciliation.
Wait for the other party to sign online. Before the other party completes the signature, do not modify Excel and directly replace the file, otherwise the signature object and the file content will not match.
Retrieve the signed PDF archive. After the other party signs, download the signed PDF and save it together with the original Excel copy in the same folder with the quotation number.

Check each item after completion

After getting the signature copy, don't just check whether the signature exists, but also make sure that the content is consistent with the time it was issued.

Check items	How to see	What to do if there is a problem
Is the page complete?	Read page by page, the table is not truncated, and the page numbers are continuous	Return to Excel, adjust the page width, re-export and initiate signing
Amount and total	Check the total price, tax and discounts against the original Excel table	Correct formulas or data and re-export. Do not just make changes to the PDF.
Fonts and symbols	Check whether currency symbols, decimal points and special characters are displayed normally	Change to commonly used fonts and re-export
Signature position	Confirm that the signature field corresponds to the correct signer and that no content is covered	Adjust Excel layout, re-export and communicate with the other party to re-sign.
File version	Check whether the quotation number, date and signature record are consistent	If the versions are inconsistent, the new final version shall prevail. Re-initiate signing after confirming with the other party.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. What should I do if the exported PDF format has changed?

Usually the column width is not enough or is not set to one page width. Go back to Excel to adjust the print area and zoom ratio, check page by page with print preview and then re-export.

2. Can I directly paste a signature image in Excel instead of signing online?

You can insert a signature image into the form, but it is just an image and cannot explain the time and process of signing, nor is it convenient for the other party to complete the signature online. When a signature record needs to be retained, it is more appropriate to initiate a signature request.

3. There are formulas in the quotation. Will the numbers change after exporting?

What is exported is the current calculation result. Make sure all formulas have been calculated before exporting, and manually check a few key totals to make sure the numbers in the PDF are correct.

4. What should I do if the other party does not want to sign online and only wants to print and sign by hand?

You can print out the PDF for the other party to sign in handwriting, and then scan or take a photo for archiving. Please note that the scanned copy should be clear and complete, the signature line should not be cut off, and the original copy should be properly kept.

5. The quotation has been sent, what should I do if the amount changes later?

Don’t just make changes on the PDF. Go back to Excel, correct the data, re-export, use a new file name and mark the version, re-initiate signing, and inform the other party that the new version shall prevail.

📝 Summary

Organizing the Excel quotation into a PDF with a fixed layout and then initiating online signing is less error-prone than sending the form directly. Before exporting, set the printing area, page width and check the formulas. After exporting, check each item one by one to keep the signature version consistent with the final version. This process can be directly reused when electronically signing files such as Excel.

Open OmniDoc and work with your spreadsheet file