How to add, remove and change Digital Signatures in Word files

We all know the purpose of a signature is to validate the authenticity and validity of a document. As we move from paper to computer, for almost every task, it becomes important to find a substitute for a signature. And that is exactly what a digital signature is. Today in this post, we will see how to add, remove and edit signatures in Word, Excel, PowerPoint files on Windows PC. The procedure is similar but in this post, we will talk bout Microsoft Office Word.

Add, remove & change signatures in Word files

A digital signature is an encrypted electronic stamp that assures that the information in the digital document is from the signer and has not been altered during the transition.

Before creating a digital signature, you need to have a signing certificate. When you send a digitally signed document, you also send your certificate and a public key. This acts as an assurance that the document was not altered during the transition. The certificate is usually valid for a year, though it depends on the issuing authority. To learn more about getting a digital ID, you could check the document here.

This guide for working with digital signatures on Office programs such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. For Outlook, you could check this guide on adding a digital email signature in Outlook.

Create a signature line in Word

1. Point your cursor wherever you wish to create the digital signature line on your document.
2. Among the tabs on the top, click on the Insert tab.
3. Click on the arrow on the Signature Line list in the Text group. Select Microsoft Office Signature Line. This opens the Signature Setup dialogue box.
4. You would find fields for the following details – signers full name, the title of the signature, signers email ID and instructions to the signer. The only field you need to fill is to give instructions to the signer. This creates a signature line in the document, which needs to be filled by the signer.

Signing with the digital signature in Word

1. Right-click on the signature line in the document and click on Sign.
2. You can select an image of your written signature by clicking on the select image and browsing it.
3. In case you are a tablet user, you could also sign using the touchpad after clicking on the inking option next to the X.

The mark for a digital signature is added at the bottom.

Remove the digital signature in Word

Simply right-click on the signature line and click on Remove Signature.

Add invisible digital signatures in Word

Invisible signatures protect the authenticity of a document. However, it makes the document read only unless the signer makes the necessary changes.

1. Click on the File tab, then on Info and then select Protect Document (for MS Word)/Worksheet (for MS Excel)/ Presentation (for MS PowerPoint).
2. Select the option to Add a Digital Signature from the list.
3. Fill in the dialogue box and save the settings.

Read: How to Electronically Sign a Document in Windows

Remove invisible digital signatures in Word

1. Click on the File tab, then Info and then View Signatures.
2. Click on the arrow next to the signature name and select Remove from the options.

I hope this helps!

TIP: These posts will show you how to add a digital signature in Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.