Benjamin Franklin signature

Printer, scientist, diplomat and founding father (1706–1790)

Inspired by Benjamin Franklin’s signature

A rendering in a modern handwriting font, made for this page. It is not the real signature; see where to view the original below. Where to see the original ↓Style: Pinyon Script, slant 4°

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Pinyon Script · 4°

Who Benjamin Franklin was

Benjamin Franklin (1706–1790) left Boston as a teenager and became a successful Philadelphia printer and publisher, an experimenter famous for his work on electricity, and one of the most important diplomats of the American Revolution. He helped draft the Declaration of Independence and, at 81, was the oldest delegate to the Constitutional Convention.

The story of the signature

Franklin’s usual signature was “B. Franklin”: an initial, his surname and, beneath it, a looped paraph, a flourish drawn under the name. It appears on letters, business papers and the great documents of the period.

He is often noted as the only founder to have signed all four of the documents that established the United States: the Declaration of Independence (1776), the Treaty of Alliance with France (1778), the Treaty of Paris with Britain (1783) and the Constitution (1787).

Franklin was also a postal official, first for the British colonies and from 1775 as the first Postmaster General appointed by Congress. Officials could send mail free by signing the cover, and Franklin is known for franking his letters “B. Free Franklin”, a pun on free postage and on liberty.

What makes it distinctive

Initial and surname

A short “B.” followed by the full surname: compact and easy to repeat.

The looped paraph

A large looping flourish under the name, which turns a short signature into a distinctive mark.

A sense of humor

“B. Free Franklin” shows that he was happy to play with his own signature.

How to give your signature a similar feel

Type your first initial and surname in the signature generator and try Pinyon Script, a classic English roundhand close to the hands Franklin’s generation learned. A Slant of about 4° keeps it formal.
Add a paraph by hand: on the Draw tab, finish your name and, without lifting the pen, swing back underneath in one or two loops. Keep the loops lighter than the letters.
Keep the paraph within the width of your name, so the signature stays compact enough for forms.
Browse the formal scripts in the signature fonts gallery for alternatives with strong capitals.

Where to see the original

These links lead to archives, libraries, museums and Wikimedia Commons.

Questions about Benjamin Franklin’s signature

How did Benjamin Franklin sign his name?

Usually “B. Franklin”, with a looped paraph underneath.

What does “B. Free Franklin” mean?

It is how Franklin franked mail he was entitled to send free as a postal official. The wording doubles as a play on freedom.

Which founding documents did Franklin sign?

The Declaration of Independence, the 1778 Treaty of Alliance with France, the 1783 Treaty of Paris and the Constitution. He is often cited as the only person to have signed all four.