So, you got a Word document that needs your signature sooner rather than later. No need to bother printing it out, signing it with a pen, and scanning the signed document! Instead, you can handle the entire signing process on your device.

How you can sign Word documents: 4 ways

Be warned: there’s more than one way to add a signature to a Word document. Which one should you use? Well, that depends on three things:

• Your operating system: Are you using Windows or Mac? The Mac users among you probably already know that Signature Line doesn’t show up in Word on Mac.
• Input: Do you have a transparent PNG with your signature ready for use?
• Placeholder needs: Will your document require a formal placeholder for another signer?

Read on to discover four methods for adding an electronic signature in Word for Windows and Mac.

Method 1: Convert Word to PDF and sign electronically

Sometimes, it’s better to save the Word file as a PDF and sign the PDF with an e-signature tool. That’s usually the case if you need multiple people to add their signatures or want a verifiable record of the whole process.

Here’s how to turn your Word document into a signed PDF with CreateMySignature:

1. Open the document in Word and save it as a PDF via File → Save As.
2. Head to CreateMySignature using the browser of your choice.
3. Create your signature using one of the proposed methods:
4. 1. Draw your signature using your trackpad or mouse.
   2. Type in your name and select a cursive font from the tool’s library.
   3. Generate a unique handwritten signature using your name with AI.
4. Select the signature’s color (blue, black, or red).
5. Click Sign Your Document Online and upload your PDF file.
6. Drag the signature to the spot where it’s supposed to go.
7. Click Download Document to save your signed PDF to your device.

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Method 2: Insert a scanned signature image (works on any platform)

Don’t have a ready-to-insert image with your signature? That’s not a problem. You can jot it down on a piece of paper, take a photo or scan it, and insert it as a picture, no matter the OS or Word version.

Note: If you already have a signature image you want to use, skip steps 1 and 2.

Here’s how to insert a handwritten signature in Word on Windows and Mac:

1. Get a plain white sheet of paper and put your signature on it.
2. 1. Tip: Use a dark pen to create the highest contrast possible.
2. Capture it by doing either of the two:
3. 1. Take a photo of the signature. Get as close as possible (without the photo going out of focus) and make sure the paper is well-lit. Avoid using raw formats like HEIC on iPhones.
   2. Scan the paper. Make sure to select the highest quality possible and save the scan as a JPG or PNG. Do NOT save it as a PDF or other, more “exotic” image formats (BMP, TIFF).
3. Open the file you need signed in Word.
4. Scroll to the part of the document where your signature belongs. Click once to place the cursor there.
5. Go to the Insert tab and click Pictures → Insert Picture From… This Device.
6. Navigate the File Explorer (Windows) or Finder (Mac) to locate and open the signature image on your device.
7. The image will get placed where your cursor was. Click it and head to the Picture Format tab that appears at the top of the screen.
8. With the image selected, use the round handles to resize it until it fits naturally on the page.
9. Use the Crop tool to remove extra space around the signature.
10. Click Color and select the black-and-white 75% option in the dropdown menu (Recolor section).
11. 1. Alternative: Use the Remove Background feature to get rid of the background.
11. Optional: If you don’t want to repeat the whole process every time you need to sign a document, save the image as a Quick Part or AutoText.

Method 3: Use the Signature Line feature (Windows only)

Be warned: this method works only for Windows users. Word on Mac doesn’t have the Signature Line feature. If you’re a Mac user, check out the workarounds we listed in Method 3.

Here’s how to use the Word Signature Line, step-by-step:

1. Open the document you need signed in Word.
2. Click once where the signature should go to place the cursor there.
3. Head to the Insert tab at the top of the screen and click Signature Line.
4. Enter the signer’s name, title, and email address in the dialog box that opens.
5. Optional: Edit the instructions for the signer and allow them to add comments.
6. Optional: Disable “Show sign date in signature line.”
7. Click OK to place the signature line. It’ll appear with an X marker on the line to indicate where to sign.

To sign the document using Signature Line:

1. Right-click on the signature line and click Sign in the menu.
2. Enter your name as prompted in the dialog box.
3. Click Select Image… next to the field with your name to add an image with your signature.
4. Click Sign to apply the signature and save your document.

This method is usually slower than Methods 1 and 3 if you need to add your own signature. That makes it more suitable for multi-party signatures or requesting a signature from someone else.

Method 4: Add a signature on Mac (three workarounds)

If you’re a Mac user and you want to attempt the second method, you’re in for a bad surprise: the Signature Line is nowhere to be seen. That’s not a matter of interface differences. Word on Mac doesn’t have this feature at all.

Luckily, you have three workarounds to choose from.

Workaround #1: Preview’s Markup

1. Create a new document in Word and save it as a blank PDF.
2. Open this blank document in the Preview app.
3. Make the Markup toolbar visible by clicking the pencil icon if needed.
4. Click the signature icon.
5. Select your preferred input method and follow the instructions to create the signature:
6. 1. Use your trackpad to draw the signature directly on the Mac.
   2. Take a photo of your handwritten signature with the built-in camera.
   3. Draw your signature using your finger on your iPhone or iPad.
6. Export the file as a PNG. Choose PNG in the Format pop-up menu when saving.
7. Repeat the steps from Method 1 to insert a signature in Word.

Workaround #2: Insert from iPhone or iPad (Microsoft 365 or newer)

1. Open your document in Word for Mac.
2. Click once to position the cursor where your signature should be.
3. Go to the Insert tab.
4. Click Insert from iPhone or iPad, then Add Sketch under your connected iPhone or iPad.
5. Draw your signature using your finger or Apple Pencil on the selected device.
6. Confirm you’re happy with the signature.
7. Adjust its size and position in Word if needed.
8. Save your signed Word document.

Workaround #3: Pages export

1. Open Pages and create a new document.
2. Select the pen tool and adjust thickness, transparency, and color as needed.
3. Draw your signature using your trackpad or Apple Pencil.
4. Export the image as a PNG file.
5. Follow the instructions laid out in Method 1 to use this PNG image to sign your document.

Save your signature for reuse in future Word documents

No one wants to waste time jumping through the same hoops every time they need to sign a Word document. Luckily, thanks to the Quick Parts gallery, you don’t have to repeat all those steps laid out above. You can do it just once and make your signature reusable with a click.

Here’s how to create a reusable signature in Word:

1. Insert a signature to your Word document using Methods 1, 2, or 3.
2. Select the part you want to reuse in the future: e.g., the signature itself or the signature together with your name and title.
3. Open the Insert tab and click Quick Parts → Save Selection to Quick Part Gallery…
4. In the dialog box, enter the name for your new building block. Leave Insert content only in Options as-is.
5. Optional: Choose the gallery and category and add a description.
6. Click OK.

To reuse the signature saved in Quick Parts:

1. Place the cursor where you want to add the signature.
2. Open the Insert tab at the top of the screen and click Quick Parts.
3. Pick the signature from the dropdown menu and click on it.
4. Voilà! Your signature is now in place.