Word has three built-in ways to add a signature: a signature line that marks where to sign (Word for Windows only), a signature drawn on the Draw tab, and a picture of your handwritten signature inserted with Insert > Pictures. To sign with the pen signature you use on paper, save the document as a PDF and sign that.
Add a signature line in Word
A signature line is a placeholder: a line with the signer's name and title underneath. It shows where to sign. It is not a signature by itself. In Word for Windows (Microsoft Support):
- Click where the line should go.
- Select Insert > Signature Line > Microsoft Office Signature Line.
- Type the signer's name and title.
- Select OK.
Word for Mac has no Signature Line command. A Microsoft moderator confirms it is "only available to Word for Windows" (Microsoft Q&A). On a Mac, type a line of underscores with the name below it, or save a signature block as AutoText, as described in the next sections.
The line is useful when you send a document for someone else to sign: they see exactly where their signature goes.
Draw your signature in Word
The Draw tab lets you write on the page with a pen, a finger or a mouse. It is in Word for Microsoft 365 and Word 2024 and 2021, on both Windows and Mac (Microsoft Support).
- Open the Draw tab.
- Choose a pen, a dark color and a thin line.
- Zoom in on the signature spot and sign.
On a laptop without a touch screen, you may have to turn the Draw tab on first, and signing with a trackpad or mouse is hard to do neatly. With a stylus on a touch screen it works much better. Either way, the ink stays inside the .docx.
Insert a picture of your signature
This is the method Microsoft suggests for a handwritten signature (Microsoft Support):
- Sign a sheet of white paper.
- Scan or photograph the page, and save the signature as a .png or .jpg (Microsoft lists .bmp, .jpg and .png).
- In Word, click where the signature goes and select Insert > Pictures.
- Crop the picture to the signature and resize it to fit the line.
A photo of paper usually brings the paper with it: a grey background, shadows, the edge of the sheet. Crop tightly and use a bright, even light, or the signature ends up sitting in a grey box. The tips in how to scan your signature help here too.
To reuse it, Word can save the picture together with your typed name and title as an AutoText entry, on both Windows and Mac. Then you insert the whole signature block in a couple of clicks.
Sign with your real signature from your iPhone
If the document has to come back signed, and the other side doesn't need to edit it any more, you can sign a PDF copy with the signature you write on paper.
- Save the document as a PDF. On Windows: File > Save As, then choose PDF as the file type (Microsoft Support). On a Mac: File > Save As, then File Format > PDF (Microsoft Support).
- Move the PDF to your iPhone by email, iCloud Drive or AirDrop, and save it to Files.
- Open it in eSign Me and place your signature. The signature is a scan of your own pen on paper, with the paper removed, so it keeps your line and your ink color.
- Send the signed PDF back, or send a signing link to the next person, who signs in their browser without an app.
If the document is already on your phone, you can skip the computer: sign a Word document on iPhone walks through exporting from the Word app.
Which method should you use?
| Method | Where it works | What the signature looks like | File stays .docx? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Signature line | Word for Windows | A line with a name under it; someone still has to sign | Yes |
| Draw tab | Word for Windows and Mac | Your hand, through a mouse, trackpad or stylus | Yes |
| Picture of your signature | Word for Windows and Mac | Your real signature, if the photo is clean | Yes |
| PDF signed in eSign Me | Any Word that saves PDFs, plus an iPhone | Your real signature with the paper removed | No, you get a PDF |
If the document is still being edited, keep it in Word and use the Draw tab or a picture. If it is final and has to come back signed, a PDF is safer, because it looks the same on every device and the layout around your signature doesn't shift between versions of Word.
Is a signature added in Word legally valid?
In the US, a signature doesn't stop counting because it is electronic. A drawn signature, a typed name and an inserted picture can all be electronic signatures under federal law when you add them with the intent to sign. There are exceptions, such as wills. The details are in how US law treats electronic signatures, and how a picture of a signature differs from a certificate-based signature is in electronic vs digital signatures.
Questions
How do I attach a signature to a Word document?
Sign a sheet of paper, scan or photograph it, and save the image as a .png or .jpg. In Word, click where the signature goes and choose Insert > Pictures. This works in Word for Windows and for Mac.
Can I sign a Word document without printing it?
Yes. Draw your signature on the Draw tab, insert a picture of it, or save the document as a PDF and sign the PDF. None of these needs a printer.
Will the file stay a .docx?
With a signature line, Draw or a picture, yes. If you sign with eSign Me, you sign a PDF copy: the app opens PDFs, not Word files.
