What is a handwritten signature (and how to master one)

A handwritten signature is a unique hand-drawn mark used to express identity and intent. Though it has existed since well before the common era, it is finally moving from its traditional physical shape to a digital one. This change is backed by a MarketsandMarkets report, which projects the digital signature market to grow from $13.4 billion in 2025 to $70.2 billion by 2030.

If you’re wondering how to create a handwritten signature for digital documents, keep reading our guide. 

What a handwritten signature is

A handwritten signature is a unique mark that a person creates by hand. Its main purpose is to validate the signer’s identity and demonstrate their agreement or acknowledgment.

This kind of signature is typically written with a pen on paper, which is why it’s also referred to as a wet-ink signature or simply a wet signature.

Handwritten signatures widely vary in appearance. However, they often include a stylized version of a person’s name and initials with a few distinctive marks.

While traditionally handwritten signatures have been used solely on physical documents, that isn’t the case anymore. Online, you can draw them on a screen, scan or take a picture of a paper version, or generate digitally — then save as a signature image. Once digitized, the signature can be inserted into PDFs, DOCX, and other electronic documents. At that point, it functions as an electronic signature.

Handwritten vs electronic vs digital signature

While exploring signatures, you’ll likely come across three terms: handwritten, electronic, and digital. Many people use them interchangeably, even though these are different concepts. Let’s quickly compare them:

So, a signature drawn on paper is simply the traditional starting point. When you bring it online via a signature generator, it becomes a signature image — a type of electronic signature.

However, an electronic signature is a broad category. And digital signatures fall under it, too. They are a technical method that adds encryption and verification to the electronic signing process.

How to create a handwritten signature online

The most straightforward way to achieve a natural signature look is to draw it right on a screen. You can do this through a handwritten signature generator, such as CreateMySignature. Here are the steps you should take:

1. Open a signature generator and select the option to draw your signature by hand.
2. Draw your signature. Use your mouse, trackpad, stylus, or touchscreen to create your handwritten signature.
3. Customize your signature. While drawing, you can choose different colours, including black, blue, and red. If you’re not satisfied with the result, you can undo the actions or clear the canvas completely to start over.
4. Save your signature. Once you’re happy with how your signature looks, click the download button. Our generator will process your drawing and save it as a transparent PNG file.

How to digitize an existing paper signature

Let’s say you already have your wet-ink signature written on paper. You can easily take this physical mark, turn it into a digital version, and reuse it in online documents. Here’s how:

1. Write your signature down. Take a clean sheet of paper and a high-contrast pen (black, blue, and generally dark ink works best). Sign your name.
2. Scan or photograph your signature. A scanner is ideal, but a smartphone picture works as well. Make sure the lighting is bright and even. Keep the camera right above the paper to avoid distortion.
3. Crop and edit the image. Remove the excess blank paper around your signature. You also want to adjust brightness and contrast to make the signature sharper.
4. Remove the background. Use a graphic editor or a free online background remover to convert the white space into a transparent PNG. Save this image to your device.

If drawing and scanning feels too resource-intensive, there’s a simpler path. CreateMySignature features an AI-powered signature generator. Just select a color, type in your name, and your custom signature style is ready.

Where you can use a handwritten signature

You can use your handwritten signature across various digital documents once you save it as a signature image. In particular, you can apply it to:

• PDF documents. Open the doc in a reader and place your signature image on the designated signature line. Learn more in our guide on how to sign a PDF.
• Microsoft Word documents. Drop the PNG directly into your text. See the exact tips in our tutorial on how to add a signature in Word.
• Google Docs. Insert the file into the cloud documents.
• Online forms and contracts. Complete the applications,  NDAs, onboarding documents, in-office reports, and so on with a simple signature copy and paste.

As you can see, because it’s an online signature, you can reuse it throughout different files.

Are handwritten signatures legally valid

A digitized handwritten signature can be a valid electronic signature.

In the United States, all forms of electronic signatures are considered legally valid under the Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act (ESIGN Act) passed in 2000. According to this federal law, electronic contracts and signatures have the same legal standing as paper-based ones.

However, electronic signature legality and enforceability depend on several factors:

• Intent to sign the document
• Consent to do business electronically
• Proper recordkeeping

A simple image of a handwritten signature is usually enough for most everyday documents. 

Create a handwritten signature right in your browser

Use CreateMySignature to draw and customize your handwritten signature in seconds. No need to print and scan anything — just save the file and start signing.