A typed name or signature image is the standard electronic signature for everyday documents. Certificate-based digital signatures are needed only when a regulator or the receiving institution requires one.
General information, not legal advice. Requirements vary by country and document type.
Typed names and signature images
Typed names, touchscreen drawings and signature images are simple electronic signatures, covered by U.S. law (ESIGN, UETA) and the EU's eIDAS regulation. A typed name alone does not prove who entered it. Context such as email threads, account history and later actions supplies that evidence.
Signatures with an audit record
Commercial signing platforms verify the signer's email, log timestamps or IP addresses, and attach that record to the signed document.
Certificate-based digital signatures
A digital signature seals the PDF cryptographically. PDF readers verify the certificate and flag changes made after signing. Some government, cross-border and regulated workflows use them. Under eIDAS, a qualified electronic signature requires a certificate from an approved provider.
Which signature a document needs
- Everyday documents (permission slips, consent forms, freelance agreements, invoices, internal approvals): a simple signature.
- Contracts that could be disputed: an audit-trail platform, or a simple signature over a well-documented email thread.
- Deeds, court filings, notarized documents and some government forms: ask the receiving institution. It may require a qualified certificate or ink.
Signing a PDF in your browser
The PDF signing tool places a typed signature or signature image on a page, where you can move and resize it. Use a transparent PNG for signature images with a white background (see the transparency guide).