How to Insert a Signature in Word, Google Docs and Pages

A cover letter, an authorisation, a quote: if you write letters in Word, you often want your signature in there too. It takes a minute once you have your signature as a transparent image. Here is how to insert it, how to save it so it is back with two clicks next time, and what a signature line is. At the end, the ways for Google Docs and Pages.

What you need

Microsoft recommends writing your signature on paper, scanning it and saving it as a picture file such as .png or .jpg¹. Use a PNG with a transparent background, otherwise a white box covers lines and text.

Insert your signature as a picture in Word

1. Put the cursor where the signature should go.
2. Choose Insert > Pictures and open your PNG¹.
3. Drag the corners to a natural size. As a rule of thumb: about four to five centimetres wide on the printout.
4. On the Picture Format tab, under Wrap Text, choose In Front of Text. Now you can move the signature freely, even slightly over the line or the printed name, like a real signature.
5. Type your name underneath, plus your title and the date if needed.

Save it as a Quick Part and reuse it

So you do not have to find and resize the signature every time, save it together with your name as AutoText¹:

1. Select the signature image and your typed name together.
2. Choose Insert > Quick Parts > Save Selection to Quick Part Gallery.
3. Give it a name, for example "Signature", choose AutoText as the gallery and click OK.
4. For the next letter: Insert > Quick Parts > AutoText and click the entry.

What is a signature line in Word?

Under Insert > Signature Line, Word adds a line marked with an X that shows where a document should be signed, with fields for the signer's name and title¹. It is a template for someone else who is meant to sign. You do not need it for your own signature under a letter. A plain line for signing the printout by hand is just a few underscores.

Google Docs

In Google Docs you insert a PNG the same way: Insert > Image > Upload from computer. Then choose In front of text in the image options so you can move it freely.

Or draw the signature: Insert > Drawing > New, then choose Scribble from the line tool² and sign with the mouse. With a mouse it rarely looks good.

Some paid Google Workspace plans also have Tools > eSignature. It lets you send documents to up to 10 people for signing³. Free personal Google accounts do not have it.

Pages on a Mac

In Pages, drag the PNG from Finder to the right spot in the document. In the Arrange section of the sidebar you set how text wraps around the image. For a signature above the name line, choose no text wrap. Transparent PNGs stay transparent in Pages, also when you export to PDF.

Is an inserted signature legally binding?

In England and Wales, usually yes. Electronic signatures are admissible in evidence⁴, and the Law Commission concluded in 2019 that an electronic signature can be used to execute a document, provided the person signing intends to authenticate it and any other formalities are met⁵. It lists scanned handwritten signatures among the types of electronic signature.

The exceptions are the documents with extra formalities:

• Deeds: they must be signed in the physical presence of a witness, even when both use electronic signatures⁵.
• Wills: a will must be signed or acknowledged in the presence of two witnesses present at the same time⁶. A pasted image is not a safe way to sign one.
• Anyone asking for a wet signature: banks, landlords or government forms can insist on an original signed in ink.

EU eIDAS rules, kept in UK law, add that an electronic signature cannot be refused just because it is electronic, and that only a qualified electronic signature has the same effect as a handwritten one⁷. An inserted signature image is a simple electronic signature. A Word document with an inserted signature image is a tidy letter. Where a wet signature is required, print it and sign with a pen.

Important: A digitised signature is not a qualified electronic signature. If in doubt, ask whoever receives the document whether they accept it. This article is not legal advice.

Frequently asked questions

How do I insert a signature in Word without a white background?

Use a PNG with a transparent background and set text wrapping to In Front of Text. A JPG or a normal photo always has a white or grey box.

How do I save my signature in Word to reuse it?

Select the image and your name, then Insert, Quick Parts, Save Selection to Quick Part Gallery, and choose AutoText as the gallery. Bring it back with Insert, Quick Parts, AutoText.

Can I sign in Word with my mouse?

On devices with a touchscreen or pen, Word has a Draw tab. With a mouse it rarely looks like a real signature. A photo of your signature on paper, cut out as a PNG, works better.

Is the signature line in Word a real digital signature?

No. The signature line is a line with fields for name and title that shows where to sign. It is a template, not a signature.

Is a scanned signature legally binding in the UK?

For most contracts and forms, yes: English law accepts electronic signatures, including a scanned handwritten one, as long as you intend to sign. Deeds need a witness who is physically present, and wills need two witnesses, so a pasted image is not enough there.

Sources

1. 1Microsoft: Insert a signature in a Word document (support.microsoft.com)
2. 2Google Docs Help: Insert drawings (support.google.com)
3. 3Google Docs Help: eSignature (support.google.com)
4. 4Electronic Communications Act 2000, section 7 (legislation.gov.uk)
5. 5Law Commission: Electronic execution of documents (Law Com No 386, 2019) (lawcom.gov.uk)
6. 6Wills Act 1837, section 9 (legislation.gov.uk)
7. 7Regulation (EU) No 910/2014 (eIDAS) as retained in UK law, Article 25 (legislation.gov.uk)