Many electronic documents are sent in the office or in everyday business dealings. With the help of a digital signature, one can identify oneself as the author of documents by signing them digitally.
The difference between digital and electronic signature
There are different ways to sign a document. So you can distinguish between the electronic signature and the digital signature. With the digital signature, the identity of the signer is proven using a certificate-based ID, which is linked to the document in encrypted form. Recognized certification authorities are required for the digital signature. As independent bodies, they can confirm the trustworthiness of the signature on the document. Thus, a document can be securely assigned to a signer. A digital signature is required, for example, for dunning applications, online inquiries into the pension account or the electronic tax return.
Electronic signatures or signatures, on the other hand, can be forged more easily. Electronic signatures are sufficient for sales contracts, while other contracts or documents may have different formal requirements.
Who in business dealings z. B. wants to legitimize a letter of offer, can use a signature with digital documents. But be careful, not every document can be signed with an electronic signature. Find out about the legal requirements beforehand.
Electronic signature for PDFs with MacOS
The electronic signature is similar to the one that is put on paper by hand. However, users save themselves the trouble of printing out, signing and scanning if they place their signature electronically on the document. And this is how it works on a MacBook:
1. Double click on the document you want to open. The Mac program opens preview.
2. On the top bar, click the icon with the tip of a pen to toolbar to open.
3. After the toolbar has opened up, click on the symbol with the signatureto open the e-signature menu.
3.1. If you haven’t already saved a signature, you can use the trackpad to create a signature. To do this, first click on the blue outlined default. Then you can run your finger freely on the touchpad sign your computer. You can stop at any time and vary the width of the line by applying pressure.
3.2 The signature can then be fixed with any click on the keyboard. You can also choose which description is to be given the signature or choose your own designation.
4. You can also sign on a piece of white paper and sign the option camera capture. Then the signature can be saved under any description.
5. When the signature is selected, it will appear in the document as a draggable box. Now it can be moved to the corresponding signature line and its size can be changed.
Electronic signature for Microsoft Word
An electronic signature can also be stored in the writing program Microsoft Word. To do this, proceed as follows:
1. In the document, click where you want the line to be.
2. Click on the top tab Insert and then up signature line.
3. Click Microsoft Office signature line.
4. In the dialog box signature setup you can now use the box Proposed Signer choose. Enter a desired name.
5. Click OK. The signature line will appear in your document. It is best to save the Word document as .docx.
6. You can now create your signature. To do this, enter your name in the field after the X using the keyboard or upload a picture of your signature. Then click Sign, to save the signature.
Create an image of their signature in Microsoft Word
1. If you don’t have a picture of your signature, you need to create one. To do this, first write the signature on a piece of paper and photograph or scan it.
2. Save the signature as JPG, GIF or PNG. The preferred format is a PNG file because this format hides the background of the signature when it is pasted.
3. Copy the image into Word and click on the image.
4. After you have selected the image, the tab opens in the top bar picture format. click on cropto cut the signature.
5. Then right-click to save the cropped image by clicking save Image click.
6. Click on the tab Insert and then click the icon picturesto add the signature to the desired document.
Electronically sign a PDF in Adobe Acrobat
With the Adobe Acrobat Reader you can also sign PDF documents. Once the document has been electronically signed, it can no longer be changed.
1. Open the form or PDF document that requires a signature.
2. Go to the top toolbar and click on the tab Sign. The icon is a fountain pen. You can also click the tab tools click and then Fill out and sign choose.
3. When you fill out a PDF form, the body to be signed is recognized automatically. In a PDF document, you can select the place to be signed yourself.
4. At the point to be signed you have the option of selecting the options Fill out and sign or Request signature to select. This means you can use your own signature or make the document available for someone else to sign.
5. If you signed yourself, you can use the pasted signature or just paste an initial.
6. If you have already added a signature, you can select it. Otherwise, you must add a new electronic signature.
Insert new electronic signature in Adobe Acrobat Reader
1. If you have not yet added a signature, proceed as described. Now an option will appear to add a new signature or initials.
2. Now you can Enter signatureeven To draw or a picture the signature insert.
at Enter signature the name is entered in a field and can be selected under the option change style be rearranged at will.
If the end device allows it, the signature can be placed under the tab To draw be drawn with the finger or a tool. It is also possible to insert an image of the signature that you have saved.
3. You can only save the signature if you are registered with Acrobat Reader.
4. By clicking on the tab Use paste the signature. In addition, you can adjust the size of the signature using the mouse.
5. After you have saved the PDF document, it can no longer be modified.