How to sign a Microsoft Word document

Adding your digital signature to a document affords you the freedom of not having to go anywhere physically. In Microsoft Word, you can use an add-in, add your signature as an image, or draw your signature right onto the Word doc. Let’s go over how to sign a Word document.

QUICK ANSWER

To sign a Word document, go to Insert > Signature Line > OK. Add your signature line, then click Draw. Choose a pen, then draw your signature on the line.

JUMP TO KEY SECTIONS

How to add a signature line to a Word document

In your Word document, click the Insert tab at the top.

click insert word

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Within the Text section, click the Signature Line button.

click signature line word

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Add the name of the person signing the document in the Suggested signer field. Add their title in the Suggested signer’s title field and their email in the Suggested signer’s e-mail field. When you’re finished customizing the signature line, click OK.

add signature line details in word

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Your custom signature line will appear on the page as an image. You can drag it into place.

end result signature line

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Signing the signature line within Word

After adding your signature line, click the Draw tab.

click draw

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In the Drawing Tools section, select the pen you want to use and its thickness.

select a pen

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Use your mouse (or, if you have one, a drawing pad) to draw the signature directly onto the Word document.

draw your signature

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How to add a handwritten signature to a Word document

You’ll need an image file (JPG, PNG, GIF, or BMP) containing your signature. This can be a physical scan or an image drawn using a tool like Clip Studio Paint or Paint.

signature file paint

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In your Word document, click the Insert tab at the top.

click insert word

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In the Illustrations section, click Pictures.

click pictures

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From the Insert Picture From dropdown, click This Device….

select this device

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Find and upload your signature image from your files. It will appear within the Word document, after which you can crop it and manipulate it around the page as you wish.

signature in word from image file

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How to add an electronic signature to a Word document

DocuSign is a program that can interface with Word. The original Word document remains untouched; however, you create a new DocuSign document where you can create a signature. This can then be applied to Word.

In your Word document, click the Insert tab at the top.

click insert word

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Within Insert, click Get Add-ins.

click get add ons

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Within the Office Add-ins store, look for DocuSign for Word. Click Add.

add docusign for word from add ins

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Click the check box on I agree to all the above terms & conditions, then select Continue.

continue docusign

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DocuSign will install into Word. Click the DocuSign tab from the options along the top.

click docusign from tabs above

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Log into your DocuSign account or create a new one.

log into docusign

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Within the DocuSign pop-out, create your signature.

make your signature in docusign

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When finished, save your signature. You can also send it to others.