How to Add a Signature in Microsoft Word

If you need to sign a contract, a cover letter, or a legal document sent to you in Microsoft Word, you do not have to print it out, sign it with a physical pen, and scan it back into the computer. You can embed your signature directly into the digital document.

There are three different ways to accomplish this, depending on what hardware you have available and how formal the document is. You can use a digital drawing tool, scan a physical piece of paper, or use Word’s built-in “Signature Line” feature.

Method 1: The Digital Drawing Tool (Best for Touchscreens)

If you own a Windows laptop with a touchscreen (like a Microsoft Surface) or an iPad, this is by far the easiest and most authentic method. You simply draw your signature directly onto the screen.

1. Open your document in Microsoft Word.
2. Look at the Ribbon at the very top of the screen and click on the Draw tab. (If you do not see a Draw tab, right-click any blank space on the ribbon, select Customize the Ribbon, check the box next to “Draw” in the right-hand column, and click OK).
3. In the Draw tab, click on one of the Pen icons. (You can click the small downward arrow next to the pen to change the ink color to black or blue, and adjust the thickness).
4. Use your stylus (or your finger, or even your mouse if you are very steady) to physically write your signature on the screen above the signature line in the document.
5. When you are finished, click the Select button (the mouse cursor icon on the far left of the Draw tab) to stop drawing.

Method 2: The Scanned Image Method (Best for Desktops)

If you are on a traditional desktop PC without a touchscreen, drawing with a mouse usually looks terrible. Instead, you can sign a real piece of paper, take a picture of it with your phone, and seamlessly drop it into Word.

1. Take a blank piece of white printer paper.
2. Sign your name in the middle of it using a thick, dark pen (black or blue ink).
3. Use your smartphone to take a clear, well-lit photograph of the signature. Email that photo to yourself and save it to your computer’s Desktop.
4. Open your Word document and click exactly where you want the signature to go.
5. Click the Insert tab on the top ribbon.
6. Click Pictures > This Device.
7. Locate the photo of your signature and click Insert.
8. The photo will likely be massive and ruin the formatting of your document. Do not panic. Click on the photo to select it.
9. Look at the ribbon and click the Picture Format tab.
10. Click the Crop button on the far right. Drag the black handles inward to crop out everything except your actual signature. Click the Crop button again to apply the changes.
11. Finally, you need to make the white background of the paper invisible. With the image still selected, look at the far left side of the Picture Format tab and click Color.
12. Select Set Transparent Color.
13. Your mouse cursor will turn into a small wand. Click directly on the white background of your signature photo. The white paper will instantly disappear, leaving only the dark ink of your signature perfectly overlaid on the document.

Method 3: The Official Signature Line (For Formal Contracts)

If you are drafting a contract that you intend to send to someone else to sign, or if you need a highly formal, cryptographic digital signature, you should insert a dedicated Microsoft Signature Line.

1. Click where you want the line to appear in the document.
2. Click the Insert tab on the ribbon.
3. Look near the far right side of the ribbon (in the “Text” section) and click the Signature Line button.
4. A dialog box will appear. You can type the person’s name (e.g., “John Doe”) and their title (e.g., “Chief Executive Officer”) into the respective boxes.
5. Click OK.

Word will insert a highly professional, formatted signature line marked with a large ‘X’ and the person’s typed name and title underneath it. If the recipient has a cryptographic digital ID installed on their computer, they can right-click the line to digitally sign it.