Choose the type of electronic signature you’d like to create.
Draw your signature using a touchscreen device or your mouse. You can then edit it with our signature maker until it's ready.
Draw your signature
Type your name into our signature creator and select from a range of handwriting fonts. Save your new electronic signature and use it for eSigning.
Type your signature
This signature infers that the signer has ambition, optimism, creativity, and vitality.
When people have a descending signature, they can be considered a skeptic.
This type of signature shows confidence in themselves and their decisions.
A small signature can oftentimes mean that someone is lacking confidence.
When the signature is clear, it may mean the person is open and straightforward in their dealings.
An illegible signature can mean that someone has a quick mind.
In this case, the person may have an independent streak that needs to be taken into consideration.
If you add a line after a signature it can mean that you have determination and drive.
Over the last few years, especially at the height of the pandemic, electronic signatures have become increasingly popular. In many cases, it was the first time people came across them.
But, the reality is that they’ve been around in one form or another for decades. There are multiple laws in different countries such as the ESIGN Act and eIDAS that deal specifically with electronic signatures.
This short guide will explore what you need to know about electronic signatures before using them.
While we don’t know the laws for every single nation in the world concerning electronic signatures, we’ve put together guides for dozens of countries which you can check out here.
Most Western nations have adopted legislation that allows people to sign with electronic signatures. The electronic signatures created and used to sign documents have the same standing as wet or handwritten signatures.
With that being said, you can’t just paste a signature in a document and call it a day. Certain requirements related to security and verification must be met. That’s why it’s important to use a compliant electronic signature software to sign your documents.
An electronic signature can be defined as a symbol, sound, or even process that is associated with an electronic contract/document and represents the intention of someone to sign electronically.
Pay special attention to the word intention. That’s a key point in the definition. The electronic signature can be created and or used in many forms. It can be a simple checkbox, a representation of your signature that has been uploaded, text in the form of signature font, etc.
Electronic signature is a catchall term that’s used to describe a wide range of signatures. These include but aren’t limited to digital signatures, consent signatures, qualified electronic signatures, advanced electronic signatures, etc. Let’s look at a few of them in turn.
A digital signature is most often used interchangeably with an electronic signature. It’s a type of electronic signature that’s encrypted, authenticated, and later verified using what’s known as public key infrastructure (PKI).
PKI works with a private key and a public key. The private key is only known to the signer and it is what they use to sign documents electronically. The public key is available to anyone who needs it and is used to verify the authenticity of the signature that’s attached to a document.
Before a digital signature can be used, it has additional requirements in line with PKI. For example, you’ll need to go through a certificate authority and a digital certificate, amongst others.
This type of electronic signature offers more protection when it’s imperative that the identity of the signer(s) is verified before an agreement is signed.
This type of electronic signature is unique to the European Union and is the second tier of its three-tier system. The first tier is known as the simple electronic signature and it is the most common type of electronic signature in use.
An advanced electronic signature is a type of electronic signature that has met the requirements set out in EU regulations. These requirements include:
Because of its nature, it’s usually more complex to set up this kind of electronic signature, and it costs more to use it on a regular basis. A result of the added verification requirements is that the AES is more trustworthy and can be officially used in more situations.
A qualified electronic signature carries the highest standing in the EU and can be used in all situations where a handwritten signature can be used. In fact, it can have an even higher standing than a normal written signature because of the added verification that’s required for it. A qualified electronic signature is a type of electronic signature that has the same requirements as an advanced electronic signature with additional stipulations.
Those stipulations include creating the signature with a qualified signature device and having a certificate for qualified electronic signatures.
It’s relatively straightforward to get a document signed with an electronic signature. The important part is using the right software that handles the requirements in the background.
Here are the steps:
Electronic signatures are convenient for signing documents quickly and from almost anywhere in the world.
Before signing, it’s important to understand what an electronic signature is and isn’t. It’s also essential that you sign the right types of documents with an electronic signature or upgrade it to a more secure version such as a digital signature or advanced electronic signature. The signature you’re creating on this page is an electronic signature that can be used in most situations so rest easy knowing you’ll be well taken care of.
The online signature generator is a tool that creates an electronic signature for you to sign documents online. An electronic signature is a representation of your acceptance of the contents of any document you sign.
The electronic signatures made using our free tool are legally binding in dozens of jurisdictions, so use them wisely.
Absolutely not. The online signature maker is a tool that works on the front end of our website in your browser. No data gets transmitted to our servers. If you exit the page, your signature is deleted.
Only you can see or access the signature you create unless you want someone else to. You can create an account with Bonsai and then store your electronic signature for all your document signing needs.
Our signature generator makes it possible to create a downloadable electronic signature. An electronic signature is the same thing as an online signature. These are representations of your signature in a digital format.
A digital signature, on the other hand, has more stringent requirements. It’s a type of electronic signature that uses a higher level of encryption to verify the authenticity of the parties involved, messages, and documents. It works using Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), which has private and public keys that must match for it to be considered legitimate.
Yes, the electronic signature produced for you will be valid for legal documents. Keep in mind that different documents require different levels of authentication. For example, the EU has three levels of electronic signatures, and the one produced here is legally binding in most instances.
Register for Bonsai and focus on getting your documents signed.
That is not necessary. When using an online signature creator like Bonsai, we have a built-in audit trail that’s even more robust than most paper trails. It tracks IP address and dates that enhance our electronic signature’s authenticity.
Yes, you can, with a few exceptions. With our online signature maker, you can sign many types of documents, and they’ll be legally binding. In addition to contracts you create and send with Bonsai, you can download and use it with agreements sent to you.
Our signature maker is versatile and can sign most types of contracts, but electronic signatures, as a rule, shouldn’t be used with certain kinds of documents such as:
- Last Will and Testament
- Power of Attorney
- Codicils and trusts
- Adoption paperwork
- Divorces decrees
- Court orders & notices
- Notices of default, foreclosure, repossession, or eviction
- Product recalls
- Documentation accompanying the transportation of hazardous material
