DocuSign Tip of the Month: Uploading a signature without an account
There are two acceptable forms of signature for the Comptroller’s DocuSign account. The “typed text” format is not accepted, only drawn (with mouse, finger, or stylus) or uploaded drawn signature is accepted.
Uploaded signatures are best when they are 400×145 pixels. Image formats that can be uploaded are: xbm, tif, pjp, apng, svgz, jpg, jpeg, ico, tiff, gif, webp, png, bmp, pjpeg, and avif.
To prepare a scanned signature for upload:
1. Sign a white piece of paper and scan. A normal signature is acceptable.
2. Open the image in an image manipulation tool, like Microsoft Paint for Windows 10.
3. Click on the “Select” tool, and make sure the “Rectangular selection” option is selected.
4. Draw a rectangle around your signature. Get the box as close to the letters as possible.
5. The number of pixels will display on the bottom of the screen. If greater than 400×145 pixels, the image will have to be reduced.
6. To reduce the image, click the “Resize” tool. Reduce the overall image by the amount in #5 the signature was too large. For example, if the image was 792 x 393, the image should be reduced by 50%.
7. Redraw the rectangle with the selection tool. If the image is a reasonable size, right click within the signature, and click “crop” from the pop-up menu. The excess image space will be removed.
8. Save the cropped image.
To upload the signature when signing:
1. After selecting “review documents”, in your email, then “continue,” select on the signature icon.
2. A dialog box will display. The default method is to draw your signature. To upload, select the “Upload” tab in the middle-left of the dialog box.
3. Underneath the “Review” field, select the button that says “Upload Your Signature.” You will navigate to where the signature image file is saved and select. Once selected, click the “Open” button.
4. The signature will be displayed in the “Preview” field. This is how the image will look. If it is too small or you receive an error message, you may have to resize and crop your image again. To come back to the signature screen later, click “cancel.” If the signature appears correctly, click “Adopt and Sign.” Once the signature has been adopted, it cannot be changed.