How to Insert a Signature in Word or on iPad

To add a signature line in Word, click where it should go, select Insert > Signature Line > Microsoft Office Signature Line, fill in the signer’s details, and select OK. To add your actual handwritten signature, scan it, save it as a picture, and insert it with Insert > Pictures. A true digital signature, which proves the document hasn’t changed, also needs a signing certificate.

These steps follow Microsoft’s Insert a signature in a Word document and Add or remove a digital signature in Microsoft 365 files articles. There are three kinds of “signature” in Word, and the right one depends on whether you just need a place to sign, a picture of your signature, or certificate-based verification of the signer and document integrity.

How to insert a signature line in Word

1. Click where you want the line.
2. Select Insert > Signature Line.
3. Select Microsoft Office Signature Line.
4. In the Signature Setup box, type a name in Suggested signer and, if you like, a title in Suggested signer’s title.
5. Select OK.

Result: a signature line with an X appears in your document, ready to print and sign by hand or to sign digitally. If you only want a plain rule to sign on, see how to add a solid line in Word.

How to add your handwritten signature

Microsoft says you need a scanner for this; a clear phone photo saved as an image file also works for many people.

1. Write your signature on a piece of paper.
2. Scan the page and save it as a .bmp, .jpg or .png file.
3. Open the image in Word, select it, and on the Picture Format tab select Crop to trim it.
4. Right-click the image and choose Save as Picture to keep a clean copy.
5. To add it to a document, select Insert > Pictures and choose the file.

Result: your signature appears as a picture you can move and resize. If it lands in the wrong spot, you can delete the picture in Word and insert it again. You can also sign with a pen or finger using Word’s drawing tools; see how to draw on Word.

Save your signature block for reuse

Microsoft suggests saving your signature picture with typed details, like your job title and phone number, as AutoText:

1. Type the text you want under the inserted picture.
2. Select the picture and the typed text.
3. Select Insert > Quick Parts > Save Selection to Quick Part Gallery.
4. Name the block, choose AutoText in the Gallery box, and select OK.
5. To use it later, select Insert > Quick Parts > AutoText and pick the block.

Result: your full signature block drops into any document in a few clicks.

Add a Typed Name as a Signature

For an ordinary typed signature block, click at the signing location, type your name and any required date or title, select the name, and choose a font and size from Home. To position a separate block, choose Insert > Text Box > Draw Text Box, draw the box, type the name and format it. Use Shape Format > Shape Outline > No Outline if you do not want a border.

Save and reopen the document to check placement. A script font, typed name or text box is editable document content; it does not provide certificate-based verification. Ask the recipient which signing method is required. Use the digital-signature steps below when that is the requested method.

Draw a Handwritten Signature in Desktop Word

When an ink drawing is the accepted signing method, open an editable copy in a desktop Word version offering Draw, select that tab, choose a Pen and set its color and thickness. In Word for Windows, use Print Layout if inking is unavailable in another view. Write with a supported pen, finger with Draw with Touch enabled, or mouse when supported; stop drawing or choose the selection tool before ordinary editing. Microsoft documents these ink controls and version differences. Inspect the signature’s size and placement, save a separate copy and reopen it or its exported PDF to check the result. The Draw tab is separate from Insert; an older Word version without it can use the signature-image method above. A drawn mark or PDF export does not provide certificate verification or guarantee that the file cannot be edited.

How to add a digital signature

Microsoft describes a digital signature as an electronic, encrypted stamp of authentication that confirms where a document came from and that it hasn’t been changed. You need a signing certificate from a certification authority, which Microsoft says is typically valid for one year.

• Sign a signature line: right-click the line and select Sign. Type your name next to the X, use inking to write it, or select an image of your signature, then select Sign.
• Add an invisible signature: go to File > Info > Protect Document > Add a Digital Signature, choose a commitment type, enter a purpose, and select Sign.

Result: Microsoft says a digitally signed document becomes read-only to prevent changes, and a Signatures button appears at the bottom of the document. To remove a signature, right-click the signature line and select Remove Signature. To clean up old certificates, see how to remove certificates from Windows 11.

Which signature should you use?

You need	Use
A place for someone to sign on paper	Signature line
Your signature on letters or forms you send	Handwritten signature image
Proof of who signed and that nothing changed	Digital signature with a certificate

Create and Insert a Handwritten Signature on iPad

Create an image only when the recipient accepts an inserted handwritten signature. On iPad, open a blank note in Notes and use its drawing or Markup tools to write with your finger or Apple Pencil. Capture the drawing as a screenshot: press and release the top button with a volume button, or top with Home on a model with a Home button. Open the screenshot preview if needed, crop to the signature and save the image to Photos. Check the saved image is readable. Apple’s screenshot guide explains capturing, cropping and saving. A Notes PDF export is not automatically a PNG or JPEG.

In Word for iPad, open the editable document, tap where the signature belongs and use Insert > Pictures. Choose the saved image, resize it using the picture handles and check its position before saving and reopening the document. Allow the photo access needed to select that image if prompted. Microsoft’s iPad picture instructions cover insertion. In Pages, use its Insert Media button > Choose Photo or Video, select the signature and drag a blue dot to resize, following Apple’s Pages image guide. A signature picture is different from a certificate-based digital signature; for a PDF or a formal signing request, use the recipient’s supported signing workflow.

Frequently asked questions

Is a picture of my signature legally binding?

That depends on where you are and what the document is for. If authenticity matters, a certificate-based digital signature gives verifiable proof that a picture can’t. Check with the person or organization asking for the signature.

Can other people fill in the document after I sign?

Not with a digital signature, which makes the file read-only. For forms people complete before signing, see how to make a Word document fillable.

Does this work on a Mac?

Microsoft’s signature article has a separate macOS tab; check it for the Mac menu names before you start.

Add a Plain Blank Signature Line in Word

For a plain line intended for handwriting on a printed document, place the cursor at the signing area in desktop Word, choose Insert > Shapes > Line and drag across the page. Hold Shift while drawing to keep it horizontal. Select the line and use Shape Format’s outline color and weight controls if needed. Leave room for the signer’s name and date, save the document and check Print Preview before printing. This is a drawn shape, not an Office Signature Line or a certificate-based signature. Use the separate instructions above when the recipient requests one of those methods. Microsoft’s line and shape instructions explain inserting and adjusting a line.