Firstly, you need your signature in digital form, preferably using a tablet PC with pen input. If you don’t have such a device to hand, sign on a white sheet of paper and take a photo of your signature using a scanner app.
Microsoft’s OneDrive app, which not only provides access to the manufacturer’s cloud storage, but also has a good scanner function integrated, is an uncomplicated help here. Start the OneDrive app on your smartphone and tap the camera icon under “Start” in the bottom right-hand corner.
A camera app will open in which you can select “Document” at the bottom before taking a photo. This will automatically lighten shadows on the white paper. After taking the photo, you can use “Crop” to remove unnecessary edges and “Done” to save the file to OneDrive.
If the quality of the photo is not yet satisfactory, you can improve it in any image-editing program using “Contrast” and “Brightness.”
Use a scanner app to take a photo of your signature and insert it as an electronic signature in Word, for example. You can do this with the free OneDrive app from Microsoft, for example.
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In Word, insert the photo of your signature into the document at the desired location using Insert > Picture > This device. After inserting, the image can be reduced in size using the frame corners. To speed things up in future, create a “quick block.”
In Word, select the inserted signature and any additional text such as “Yours sincerely.” Press the Alt-F3 key combination or select Insert > Quick blocks > Save selection in quick block catalog.
Enter a short description under “Name.” You can insert the quick block by entering the name in Word and then pressing the F3 key. There must be no space between the name and the cursor when you press F3.
A “quick block” can be created from your inserted signature and the surrounding text, which can then be inserted using the F3 key.
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Important: An electronic signature is actually “only” a photo of your signature that you insert into a digital document. It therefore does not have the same legal effect as a digital signature.
A legally valid digital signature is an asymmetric encryption system that has been regulated by the U.S. Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce (ESIGN) Act in 2000. This distinguishes between simple, advanced and qualified electronic signatures. Information on digital signatures can be found here.
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This article was translated from German to English and originally appeared on pcwelt.de.
This article originally appeared on our sister publication PC-WELT and was translated and localized from German.
Author: Arne Arnold, Contributor, PCWorld
Arne Arnold has been working in the IT industry for over 30 years, most of that time with a focus on IT security. He tests antivirus software, gives tips on how to make Windows more secure, and is always looking for the best security tools for Windows. He is currently trying out new AI tools and questioning what they mean for our future.