How to do your signature well is a question we quite often ask ourselves here at Oneflow. After all, have you ever seen a world leader’s ink on the dotted line of an important piece of legislation and thought, “I wish mine looked like that”. Well, wonder no more. We’re here to offer some tips on how to do your signature in the best way possible.
In this article, we’ll cover:
- How to do your signature well
- How to do your signature on paper
- How to do your e-signature
- How to do away with your signature
1. How to make your signature well
Some of us naturally have signatures that belong in the Louvre. Some of us, sadly, don’t. But learning how to do your signature well takes time and lots of practice. A great place to start is by just finding a blank piece of paper and a pen.
Think about how you want your desired signature to look and then just keep practicing. It might take a while, but in time, you’ll get there. After all, Rome wasn’t built in a day. Once you’ve done that, you can begin using your fancy new signature in everyday life.
Read also: How to autograph
2. How to make your signature on paper
We think that paper contracts should be a thing of the past. But we also know that we’re not quite there yet. In some places, paper still dominates. But this does have one advantage: you get to use your new signature! When it comes to how to do your signature, a wet signature can be used on everything in some places, from housing contracts to waivers when you use a zip line.
But there is a better way. If you don’t have a pen to hand, or are tired of having to sign and sort lots of different contracts. You can choose a better digital alternative.
3. How to make e-signature
More and more contracts are becoming digital – and we love that! Now all that signature practice can be useful for when a paper contract comes your way, but it’s still good to know how to do your e-signature.
The answer is there are lots of different ways to do it. But we’ll look at a few common ones here.
- PDF-generated signature – This might well be the most common one. You simply type your name into a field, and then the PDF converts it into a style. It’s normally cursive with your name clearly legible.
- Simple typeface – This is how to do your e-signature in the most basic way. It’s often done if you’re signing a contract using Google Docs or Word. You simply type your name on the dotted line, or delete the line and replace it with your name. Sometimes, this is enough. But sometimes you’ll also need to print out and use your wet signature. It’s far from ideal.
These are the two most common ways to do your e-signature. But there’s a better way for how to do your signature: do away with it altogether.
Read also: A basic guide on e-signatures and what makes them legal
4. How to do away with your signature
We think e-signing is the way forward. And a great thing about e-signing is that you can do away with traditional signatures altogether. How you sign using e-signing softwares varies between providers and countries, but this is how you generally sign contracts using e-signing software.
- Sign with a code – Nowadays you can get a special code sent to you via SMS or email. When prompted, all you have to do is enter that code. Then, just like magic, you’ve signed your contract. Nifty, no?
- Sign using an ID app – This one depends quite a bit on where you live, but some countries let you sign contracts using ID apps. For example; here in icy Sweden, we have something called BankID that does just that. When prompted, good e-signing software will ask you to open your ID app, enter your passcode or use FaceID, and then you’ve instantly signed your contract.
In addition to making the whole signing process frictionless. Good e-signing software also lets you remove endless email chains and paper trails. By storing and managing your contracts all in one place, great e-signing software helps you stay in charge. Equally, you can even get handy little reminders when a contract comes up for renewal.
The Key Takeaways
It’s super important to know how to make a signature. After all, we find ourselves signing things often enough. So if you’re dealing a lot with paper contracts, it’s never a bad idea to take the time to hone and perfect your signature. That wet signature could come in handy.
But increasingly, digital contracts are becoming the norm. This comes with simpler signing options. By being able to use a PDF-generated or simple typeface signature, you can sign things remotely and in an instant.
But you can find an all-in-one solution thanks to great e-signing software. Great e-signing software means you can sign anytime, anywhere, have all your contracts in one place, and even get notified when a contract comes up for renewal. Email chains, paper trails and even knowing how to do your wet signature can become a thing of the past.
