An Electronic signature is often referred to as an e-signature or digital signature. It is the legal way of getting approval or consent on electronic forms and documents. This digital signature is meant for replacing a virtually made handwritten signature. People can think of creating an electronic signature in word. Microsoft Word already comes with its in-built e-signature feature. This feature lets you create and even add digital signatures on any document. The majority of companies and organizations prefer using this feature on Microsoft Word because of its popularity.
Benefits of using Digital or e-signatures on documents
The biggest advantage of using this feature is its digitalized form of any typical traditional handwritten signature. Because of this form, the task of signing documents and forms becomes extremely effortless. Most importantly, it is a convenient method that can be put to use easily.
E-signatures, also, serve as evidence to prove that the signers have officially approved a particular document. If you want your documents to appear extremely professional and create an image for yourself in this corporate world, electronic signatures are apt. Some of the other benefits that you can get by creating an electronic signature in word are:
- High Efficiency – The entire signing process and document transaction takes lesser time as the efficiency is quite high.
- Legally Valid – Digital signatures are considered to be enforceable and legally binding. This is valid in almost all industrialized countries all over the world.
- Cost-Effective – Spending loads of money on ink, paper, postage can reduce to a great extent with the use of e-signatures.
Why do people use e-signatures in Word?
In the previous topic, we discussed the benefits of using e-signatures on Microsoft Word in detail. However, we also need to look at the basic uses of digital signatures in today’s time. People use electronic signatures because they are easy and convenient to use. Compared to the wet-link signatures or handwritten signatures, this option is quicker and more efficient.
This is because wet-ink signatures require a sign, print, scan, and even the sending process of the documents. The best thing about a digital signature is that you need to create it just once without having to keep on signing them like in a handwritten signature. E-signatures are also handy. If anybody wishes to send out any signed document quite a lot of times, this should be their option. For these reasons, contract managers are often thinking about creating an electronic signature in word.
How to create an electronic signature in Word?
As already mentioned earlier, Microsoft Word is extremely popular software that comes with the built-in feature of an e-signature. However, when it comes to adding electronic signatures in Word, the functionality might not be wide but very limited. People mostly choose to add electronic signatures to important documents in Word to speed up the entire process.
For creating an electronic signature in word, you need to place your cursor on the document where the signature is required. You need to then click on the Insert tab and select the signature list under the text section. Go to the Signature Line tab of Microsoft office next. All the fields of signature details need to be filled out. After that, you can move on to putting your signature on the signature box.
Add e-signatures to your Word documents
The entire setup of e-signing documents on Microsoft Word can be an extremely convoluted process. Everyone signing these documents, in particular, would require to download the documents, open them in Word, and add your signature. The only drawback is that there are certain limitations to it.