How to Insert a Signature into Microsoft Word

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Adding your signature to a Microsoft Word document is the ultimate way to personalize it as your own, especially for documents like letters or contracts. If you want to add a signature to a Word document, here’s how.

There are several ways to add your signature to a Word document. You can add a signature line for a post-print signature, add a digital signature, or insert your own handwritten signature as a picture.

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Adding a Signature Line

A signature line provides you, or somebody else, with a location to sign a printed document. If you’re planning on printing your Word document, adding a signature line is probably the easiest way for you to add a signature.

To add a signature line to your Word document, click Insert > Signature Line. This icon is usually included in the “Text” section of your Word ribbon menu bar.

To add a signature line to your word document, click Insert, then click the Signature Line icon

In the “Signature Setup” box that appears, fill out your signature details. You can include the name, title, and email address of the signer. This can be you or somebody else.

You can also provide instructions for the signer. Once you’re ready, click “OK” to insert your signature line.

Confirm your signature line options in Microsoft Word, then click OK

Once you’ve confirmed your signature options, a signature line is inserted with a cross and a line to signify where to sign.

A signature line inserted into a Microsoft Word document

You can now place this into an appropriate position within your Word document. The document can then be signed at this position after printing or, if you’ve saved your Word document into the DOCX file format, you can insert a digital signature into your document at this point.

RELATED: What Is a .DOCX File, and How Is It Different from a .DOC File in Microsoft Word?

Inserting a Digital Signature

To add a digital signature to your Word document, you’ll need to have followed the above instructions and inserted a signature line first.

You’ll also need to install a security certificate for your signature. If you don’t have one, Word will ask you if you’d like to acquire one from a “Microsoft Partner” like GlobalSign.

As an alternative, you can create your own digital certificate using the “Selfcert” tool, included in your Microsoft Office installation folder.

Find “Selfcert.exe” in your Office installation folder and double-click it to open it.

Double-click the selfcert.exe file in the Office installation directory to create a self-signed certificate for digital signatures

In the Selfcert tool, type a name for your security certificate in the “Your Certificate Name” box and then click “OK” to create it.

In the selfcert tool, provide a name for your signature, then click OK

Once you have a digital certificate installed, return to your Word document and double-click on your signature line.

In the “Sign” box that appears, type your name or click “Select Image” to insert a picture of your handwritten signature.

Click “Sign” to insert your digital signature into the Word document.

To create a digital signature, type your name, then click Sign

Once signed, Word will confirm that the signature has been added.

If you edit the document after signing it, the digital signature will become invalid, and you’ll need to sign it again.

An inserted digital signature into a Microsoft Word document

Adding a Picture Signature

If you’d prefer to use your handwritten signature, you can take a picture or scan a copy of it and then upload it to your computer. You can then insert a picture of your signature into the Word document.

RELATED: How to Insert a Picture or Other Object in Microsoft Office

Click Insert > Pictures to insert the image into your document manually. Alternatively, double-click on your signature line and choose “Select Image” to insert it on your signature line.

Click Select Images in your Sign dialog box to insert a picture signature in Microsoft Word

In the “Insert Pictures” menu box, click “From a File” and select your signature image file. From there, click “Sign” to place the image onto your signature line.

Once inserted, the image file containing your signature will be inserted above your signature line.

An inserted picture signature in Microsoft Word

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