Signature generator

How to make your signature

1. Draw it on the pad with a mouse, trackpad, finger or stylus. The line swells and thins with your speed (and pressure, with a stylus), like a real pen. Pick black or blue ink and a pen thickness; Undo takes back the last stroke.
2. Or type your name and choose from 24 handwriting styles. Adjust the size and slant until it looks like you.
3. Or upload a photo of your signature on paper. The paper is removed and the ink kept, so it comes out clean on a transparent background.
4. Download a PNG (transparent, high resolution, trimmed to the ink) or an SVG, copy it, or save it to My signatures for next time.

Need it on a document? Sign a PDF with it straight away, or add it to your email signature.

Tips for a signature that looks right

• Sign big, then let it shrink. Use most of the pad. Your signature is trimmed and scaled, so large, relaxed movements look more natural than small careful ones.
• Sign at your normal speed. Hesitant, slow lines look shaky. A quick, confident stroke gives the thin-thick rhythm of real ink.
• On a phone, use your finger, not the edge of your nail. Turn the phone sideways for a wider pad.
• Blue or black? Black is safest for documents that will be printed or copied. Dark blue makes it obvious that a page carries an original signature, which is why many people sign contracts in blue.
• Keep it consistent. Use the same signature on everything you sign, so it is recognisable as yours.

What a transparent PNG is, and why it matters

A PNG image can have a transparent background: only the ink is visible, and whatever is behind it shows through. Placed on a letter, an invoice or a form, the signature sits on the line like real ink instead of in a white box.

JPG images cannot be transparent. If you convert the PNG to JPG, the background turns solid white (or black). Keep the PNG as it is, and insert it as a picture. More on cleaning up a photo of your signature is on the transparent signature page.

Adding your signature to Word, Google Docs or Gmail

• Microsoft Word: Insert → Pictures → This Device, and pick the PNG. Then set Wrap Text to “In Front of Text” so you can drag it onto the signature line.
• Google Docs: Insert → Image → Upload from computer. Choose “In front of text” in the image options to move it freely.
• Gmail: Settings → See all settings → Signature, then use the image button in the signature editor. For a full signature with your name, title and links, use the email signature generator.
• Apple Pages, Keynote, Canva: drag the PNG in. Or use Copy and paste it straight into the document.

Is a signature made here legally valid?

In many countries, an electronic signature is legally valid for most everyday agreements. In the United States, the ESIGN Act and the UETA say a signature cannot be denied legal effect just because it is electronic. In the European Union, the eIDAS regulation says the same about simple electronic signatures, and the United Kingdom treats them similarly.

What usually matters is that you meant to sign, that both sides agreed to do business electronically, and that it can be shown who signed. A signature image placed on a document is a simple electronic signature. Some documents need more: wills, many property and family-law documents, notarised papers, and some government forms may require a wet-ink signature or a certificate-based digital signature. More on that difference is on the Sign a PDF page.

This is general information, not legal advice. Rules differ by country and by type of document; for anything important, check what the other party or a lawyer requires.

Private by design

Your signature is made in your browser and never uploaded: there is no server that receives it. Saved signatures live in this browser’s local storage, on this device only, and you can delete them at any time. A signature is personal, so it should stay with you.