Elvis Presley’s signature
Elvis Presley’s signature is a fast, flowing line with a big opening flourish and a sweeping loop underneath. It is also one of the most forged autographs in the world, which makes real examples precious. Watch it being drawn below, then read how it looks, where it was written and why collectors are so careful with it.
A large, looping capital at the start, then a joined run of connected letters and a wide curve swinging back underneath the name.
Letters, contracts and military papers, and on photos and programmes handed to fans.
Quick and connected. The pen rarely leaves the paper, which gives the name a running movement.
Medium. The first name is hard to read, but the overall shape is so familiar that it is recognised at once.
A flowing line with a big start
The version shown here is a public domain signature from Wikimedia Commons. It shows what makes the signature recognisable: a large opening letter, connected strokes that run on without lifting the pen, and a long curve beneath the name that balances the whole shape. It is written with a confident hand, as if the name was an afterthought to the movement.
The letter that put it in the archives
On 21 December 1970 Elvis delivered a five-page handwritten letter on American Airlines stationery to the White House. He asked to meet President Nixon, to give him a World War II-era pistol and to obtain the credentials of a federal agent in the war on drugs. The letter is held by the National Archives, so anyone can see how he really wrote. The meeting happened, and the photo of it is one of the Archives’ most requested images.
The signature in the wild
Create your Professional Signature in 5 minutes
Not a font: a signature designed for your name, in several drafts, with a practice sheet so you can write it by hand.
Why so many Elvis autographs are fake
Elvis and the Beatles top the lists of most-forged autographs, according to Wikipedia. One reason is that staff at Graceland signed fan mail on his behalf, on purpose in a very similar style, so even real-looking examples can be secretarial. A collector site notes that only 24 percent of Elvis and Marilyn Monroe signatures PSA/DNA examined were genuine. Provenance, such as a letter, a cheque or a contract, counts for more than looks alone.
What you can learn from it
A signature can carry a lot of personality if it keeps one clear gesture: a strong start, a connected middle and a closing curve. It does not need to spell the name in full. It just has to be easy to repeat. When we design a Professional Signature we look for exactly that kind of gesture, so that you can sign the same way every time.
Sources
- US National Archives: Elvis Presley’s letter to President Nixon
- Elvis Autographs: real or fake
- Wikipedia: Autograph collecting
- Wikimedia Commons: Signature of Elvis Presley
Editorial content. We are not affiliated with the people shown. We do not create copies of other people’s signatures, and signing someone else’s name is forgery.