A wet-ink signature on lined paper does not belong in an email footer as a grey rectangle. You need ink on a transparent PNG. Signatures are also identity data — do not upload them to a random cloud cutter. Drop a scan above and keep the file local.
How to photograph the signature
- White or very light unlined paper. Lines become “ink” to the model.
- Even daylight; avoid a hard shadow from your hand.
- Fill the frame. A tiny scribble in a huge photo leaves junk at the edges.
- JPG or PNG. Phone HEIC: convert to JPG first.
After the cut-out
If faint paper texture remains, export onto white for a contract PDF, or paint it out with the eraser. For email, a small transparent PNG is enough — shrink it on FreePNG so it does not dwarf the message. For a reusable PDF stamp, keep the full-resolution PNG and place it in FreePDF or your editor.
A scanned signature can be abused if it leaks. Because nothing is uploaded, closing the tab is the whole retention policy.
How to make a transparent signature PNG
Sign on blank paper
Dark ink, no lines, good light.
Drop the photo or scan
The model runs in the browser. The signature is not posted.
Keep transparency
Or choose white if the PNG is going straight onto a paper-like PDF.
Download and store it yourself
We never see the file, so we cannot recover it later.
Frequently asked questions
01Will blue or black ink survive?
Yes in typical scans. Very pale pencil is a poor source — resign with a darker pen.
02Lined notebook paper?
Lines often remain. Use blank paper or erase the rules after the cut-out.
03Is this legally “my signature”?
It is a picture of your mark. Contract rules depend on your jurisdiction. This tool only removes paper.
04Do you store signatures?
No. They never reach our servers.
05Email size
Resize the PNG after export. A 4000 px signature is unnecessary in Gmail.
06Multiple signatures at once?
Yes — batch and ZIP, still local.