How to Insert a Written Signature into a Word Document

Inserting a handwritten signature into digital documents is not only becoming a standard business practice -- it also adds a nice personal touch. These simple steps to adding a written signature into a Word document will save you the time and hassle of constantly printing, signing, scanning and uploading documents.

Sign your name with a pen on a white piece of paper. Press firmly if you are using a ballpoint pen, or use a felt tip pen to create a clear and even signature. If you have a tablet with a touch screen, open your tablet's drawing application and write your signature with your finger or a stylus pen. Save the signature to your tablet's home screen. Microsoft Office recommends saving the file as a bmp, gif, jpg or png.

Using a scanner, scan your signature and save it as a jpeg or png file to your computer's desktop. You can now access and reuse this signature for any document.

Open your computer's image editing software. If your computer does not have image editing software, you can purchase Adobe Photoshop or download Google Picassa for free. Locate your saved signature on your desktop and open it in the image editing software. Crop the image as closely around the signature as possible. Save the image as a bmp, gif, jpg or png file.

Open the file in which you'd like to include your signature and click your cursor where you would like the signature to appear. In the toolbar at the top of your screen, click "Insert." Select "Picture" from the drop-down menu, then select "From File." Locate your saved signature on your desktop or tablet's home screen and double-click it. The signature should now appear in your Word document.

You can resize your signature by clicking and dragging the resize boxes around the corners of the image until you reach your desired size. To move the image around on the page, click and drag the image into place. Save your document when you are finished.