What the Signature Generator does
This signature generator lets you draw your signature with a mouse, finger or stylus, or type your name in a handwriting style, and download it as a transparent PNG or an SVG. Choose the ink colour and line thickness, undo a stroke you do not like, and compare your typed name in several styles. The drawing happens on a canvas in your browser and the file is created there - nothing is uploaded.
Drawn strokes are smoothed with curves through the points your hand passes, so a shaky mouse line comes out clean, and the thickness can follow a stylus's pressure (or, with a mouse or finger, your drawing speed) the way ink does. Typed signatures use handwriting fonts already installed on your device; no font is downloaded or shipped. An image of a signature is useful for letters, forms you print and invoices, but it is not a certified electronic signature - the page explains the difference below.
How to use it
- Choose Draw and sign inside the box. On a phone, use your finger; on a laptop, a trackpad works but a mouse or a stylus is easier. Sign larger than you would on paper - it is scaled down later.
- Use Undo to remove the last stroke, Redo to bring it back, or Clear to start again.
- Or choose Type my name, enter your name and pick a handwriting style. The result pane shows your name in every available style - tap one to use it.
- Pick an ink colour and thickness. Leave "Vary the thickness like ink" on for a natural line, or turn it off for an even, pen-like stroke.
- Download the PNG (transparent background, three times the on-screen size so it stays sharp) or the SVG, then insert it into your document.
Reading the results
The chequered pattern behind the preview shows the transparent background: only the ink is in the file, so the signature sits cleanly on top of any document colour or signature line.
A drawn signature's SVG is made of vector paths and stays sharp at any size. A typed signature's SVG wraps the PNG instead, because the handwriting fonts on your device are licensed to your device and cannot be put inside a file you share.
The file contains only the image. It carries no date, identity check or tamper protection, which is exactly why it is not the same as a digital signature.
Worked example: adding a signature to a letter
Draw the signature once in blue-black at thickness 3 with the ink effect on, then download the PNG. The sample signature on this page comes out at about 1,310 × 390 pixels - enough to print sharply at about 11 cm wide at 300 dots per inch.
In a word processor, insert the PNG above your typed name and set the image to "in front of text" so the line under it shows through the transparent background. In a PDF editor, use its image or stamp tool. Keep the original file private: anyone with a copy of the image can paste it.
Formulas and scoring rules
- Smoothing
segment i runs from mid(p(i−1), p(i)) to mid(p(i), p(i+1)) as a quadratic Bézier curve with control point p(i)The curve follows the hand's path without overshooting; the first and last segments start and end on the real points.- Line width with pressure
width = thickness × (0.45 + 1.1 × pressure), pressure 0 to 1A stylus reports pressure; for a mouse or finger the tool uses speed instead - faster strokes are thinner, between 0.15 and 0.85.- Export size
PNG = drawing bounds + margin, × 3 for sharpness; SVG viewBox = the same bounds
Signature image, electronic signature and digital signature
An image of your signature is just a picture. Many people use one on letters, invoices and documents they print, and some organisations accept it, but it proves nothing by itself about who placed it there or whether the document changed afterwards.
Legal electronic signatures are a separate thing. India's Information Technology Act, 2000 recognises electronic signatures such as a Digital Signature Certificate issued by a licensed certifying authority or Aadhaar-based eSign; the EU's eIDAS Regulation defines simple, advanced and qualified electronic signatures; the US ESIGN Act gives electronic signatures legal effect for many transactions. Which one a document needs depends on the document and the law that applies, so for contracts, tax and government filings use the method the recipient asks for. This tool does not create any of them.
Getting a clean result
Sign slowly and larger than usual; the smoothing works best with steady movement. If your trackpad skips, a cheap stylus or a phone held flat gives a better line. For typed signatures, the styles available depend on your device: Windows has fonts such as Segoe Script, Macs and iPhones have Snell Roundhand and Bradley Hand, and other systems fall back to their own cursive font.
Limitations: what the result does not prove
- The output is an image, not a certified electronic or digital signature, and it carries no proof of identity or tamper protection.
- Typed styles depend on the fonts installed on your device, so the same choice can look different on another computer; download the PNG to keep the exact look.
- Pressure needs a stylus and a browser that reports it; with a mouse or finger the ink effect is based on speed.
- Nothing is saved between visits. Download the file before you close the tab.
Privacy: where your data goes
Everything you paste, type or drop is processed in this browser tab. It is not uploaded, logged, stored or sent to analytics. Session recording and tag-manager scripts are switched off on this page.
Standards and sources
- Controller of Certifying Authorities, India - digital signatures under the IT Act, 2000
- Regulation (EU) No 910/2014 (eIDAS) on electronic identification and trust services
- Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act (ESIGN), Public Law 106-229
- W3C Pointer Events Level 3 (pressure and coalesced events)
Frequently asked questions
How do I make a transparent signature PNG?
Draw or type your signature here and choose Download PNG. The file contains only the ink on a transparent background, so it can be placed over a document or a signature line without a white box around it. The preview's chequered pattern shows where it is transparent.
Is a signature drawn online legally valid?
A drawn signature image is not a certified electronic signature, so its weight depends on the document, the people involved and local law. Many informal documents accept one; contracts, tax returns and government forms often need a recognised method such as a Digital Signature Certificate, Aadhaar eSign or a qualified signature under eIDAS.
Can I create a signature from my name?
Yes. Choose Type my name, enter it, and pick from the handwriting styles shown. They use fonts already on your device, so nothing is downloaded, and the result can be saved as a transparent PNG. A typed signature is still an image, with the same limits as a drawn one.
How do I add my signature to a Word document or PDF?
Download the PNG, then use Insert > Pictures in Word or Google Docs and set the wrap to "in front of text" so the transparent background shows the line beneath. In a PDF editor, use the add-image or stamp tool. Resize from a corner so the proportions stay right.
Is my signature uploaded or stored anywhere?
No. The signature is drawn on a canvas in this browser tab and the PNG and SVG files are created there. Nothing is sent to a server and nothing is kept after you close the tab, so download the file if you want to keep it.
What is the difference between the PNG and SVG files?
PNG is a picture made of pixels with a transparent background; it works almost everywhere. SVG is a vector file that stays sharp at any size and is useful for design tools and websites. A drawn signature's SVG is pure vector paths; a typed one contains the PNG image.
Last reviewed by the A2Z.Tools team against the sources listed above.
