How do you add a signature in Word?

Option 1: insert your signature as a picture

This is the method most people use. All you need is a pen, white paper and a phone or scanner.

1. Sign a sheet of white paper with a dark pen.
2. Scan the paper or take a photo straight from above in good light. Save it as PNG or JPG.
3. In Word, click where the signature should go and choose Insert > Pictures.
4. Crop the picture with Picture Format > Crop and resize it to the size of a normal signature.
5. Want to remove the white background? Choose Picture Format > Color > Set Transparent Color and click the white area.

Save your signature for next time

In Word for Windows you can store the picture as a building block. Select the signature, with your typed name and job title below it if you like, and choose Insert > Quick Parts > Save Selection to Quick Part Gallery. Give it a name and pick AutoText as the gallery. From then on you insert it with Insert > Quick Parts > AutoText.

On a Mac, use Insert > AutoText > New.

Keep the file with your signature safe. Anyone who has it can put your signature under any document.

Option 2: draw with the Draw tab

If you have a touchscreen, tablet or stylus, open the Draw tab, pick a pen and draw your signature straight into the document. A mouse works too, but the result often looks jagged. Want to practise in the browser first? Try it on create a signature.

If you do not see the tab, turn it on with File > Options > Customize Ribbon and tick Draw.

Option 3: insert a signature line

With Insert > Signature Line > Microsoft Office Signature Line you add a line with the signer's name and title to the document. That is useful when someone will print the document and sign it by hand.

Signing that line digitally works in Word for Windows and requires a digital certificate. Most people do not have one, and the recipient needs Word to check the signature. In practice the line is usually just printed.

Why a signature in Word proves little

A picture of your signature counts as a simple electronic signature and is not automatically invalid. As evidence it is weak, for three reasons. Read more in is a scanned signature legally valid?

• The Word file can still be edited after signing, including the text above the signature.
• Anyone with a copy of the picture can paste it under another document.
• Nothing records who placed the picture or when.

Does someone else need to sign? Make it a PDF first

Do not send a Word file around for signing. Turn it into a PDF so the content is fixed. That is why BuiltSign works with PDFs and not with Word files. Here is how:

1. In Word, choose File > Save As and pick PDF as the file type.
2. Upload the PDF to BuiltSign and add a signature field for each signer, plus a date or text field where needed.
3. The signer gets a personal link and signs in the browser, without an account and without Word.
4. You receive the signed PDF with an audit certificate: who signed, when and the hash of the document. BuiltSign also requests a timestamp from an independent authority. How the recipient checks it is explained in how to check a digital signature.

Which option suits you?

For your own letter or quote, a picture in Word is enough. If someone else has to sign, or you want to be able to prove the signature later, have a PDF signed with an audit certificate, optionally with an ID check. Still looking for a signature style? See these signature examples.

This article is general information and not legal advice.

Frequently asked questions

Can I add a signature in Word without a printer or scanner?

Yes. Take a photo of your signature on white paper with your phone and insert it, or draw it with the Draw tab. If someone else has to sign, you do not need a picture at all: have the PDF signed in the browser instead.

How do I remove the white background behind my signature?

Select the picture and choose Picture Format, then Color, then Set Transparent Color. Then click the white area. This works best with a scan or photo taken in good light.

Is a signature in Word legally valid?

A picture of your signature counts as a simple electronic signature and is not automatically invalid. The evidence is weak, though, because the document stays editable and nothing records who placed the picture.

Can someone else sign my Word document?

Only if you send the file and get it back. You then cannot be sure the rest of the text is unchanged. Having a PDF signed on a platform prevents that, because the content is fixed.

Read also

• Is a scanned signature legally valid?
• What does a good signature look like? 6 examples
• How do you create a digital signature?
• How do you check whether a document was really signed digitally?