How to Scan Your Signature (Phone, Scanner or Mac)

A scanned signature is your real handwritten signature in digital form. It looks more authentic than a typed signature and more natural than one drawn with a mouse. Getting a clean result is mostly about the pen, the paper and the light. Here is the full process.

1. Sign the right way

• Paper: clean, bright white, unlined. Lines and grid squares are hard to remove later.
• Pen: a black felt-tip or gel pen. It gives an even, solid line. Thin ballpoint lines turn grey and broken in a photo.
• Size: sign a bit larger than usual. You will scale it down later, and a larger original stays sharp.
• Sign several times and choose the best one.

2. Capture it

With your phone’s camera

• Place the paper on a flat, plain surface in even daylight, near a window but not in direct sun.
• Hold the phone directly above, parallel to the paper, so the signature is not distorted.
• Make sure your shadow and the phone’s shadow are not on the paper.
• Tap the screen to focus on the ink.

With a document scanner app (cleaner)

Document scanners straighten the page and turn the paper white automatically.

• iPhone: in the Notes app, create a note, tap the camera button → Scan Documents, and capture the page.
• Android: in the Google Drive app, tap + → Scan.

With a flatbed scanner

Scan at 300 dpi or more, in color or grayscale, and save as PNG.

On a Mac

Preview can capture your signature straight from the camera: Markup → Sign → Create Signature → Camera, and hold the paper up to the camera. It removes the paper automatically. See how to sign a PDF on Mac.

3. Clean it up

1. Crop tightly around the signature.
2. Increase contrast and exposure (or brightness) until the paper is pure white and the ink is solid black.
3. Reduce saturation if the paper has a yellow or blue tint.

4. Remove the background

The final step is making the white paper transparent, so the signature sits on a document like real ink:

• Mac: in Preview, Markup → Instant Alpha, drag across the paper, press Delete, then File → Export as PNG.
• Any image editor: select the white color range, delete it, and export as PNG.
• Save as PNG, not JPG. JPG cannot store transparency. More in how to make a transparent signature PNG.

The one-screen way: Signature Maker’s Scan option

The Signature Maker app for iPhone and Android combines all of the above:

1. Tap + next to Signatures and choose Scan.
2. Take a photo of your signature or choose one from your library.
3. Crop it with the frame.
4. Use the sliders for brightness, contrast, exposure and saturation until the paper disappears.
5. Tap Save.

Your scanned signature is stored in the app, ready to place on PDFs and photos, and you can long-press it to export it as an image.

Not happy with your handwriting?

You can also type your name in a signature font or draw it in the free signature generator. See how to make a signature for design tips.

Frequently asked questions

How do I scan my signature with my phone?

Sign on white, unlined paper with a black felt-tip pen, photograph it from directly above in even light, then crop it and raise the contrast. Apps such as Signature Maker do the cropping and cleanup on one screen with their Scan option.

What is the best pen for a scanned signature?

A black felt-tip or gel pen. It gives a solid, even line that separates cleanly from the paper. Fine ballpoint pens leave thin, grey strokes that break up when you remove the background.

Why does my scanned signature have a grey background?

The paper was not evenly lit or the contrast is too low. Retake the photo in daylight without shadows, or increase contrast and exposure until the paper is pure white, then remove the background and save as PNG.

Is a scanned signature legally valid?

A scanned signature placed on a document is an electronic signature. Under the US ESIGN Act and EU eIDAS it is valid for most everyday documents, as long as you place it yourself with the intent to sign. Some documents still need a wet-ink, notarised or qualified signature.