It’s possible that you’ve heard the terms digital signature and electronic signature. While most people use the terms interchangeably, there is a difference between the two. An electronic signature refers to a protected and legally binding online signature. A digital signature refers to a complex method for authenticating a document. In simple terms, a digital signature is a way to verify that a document hasn’t been tampered with during transit between sender and signer.

For the most part, when searching for how to create a digital signature, people are in actual fact looking at how to create an electronic signature. HelloSign enables you to do both, at the same time.

Sign PDFs, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and other documents securely with digital signatures

HelloSign offers a simple, easy-to-use and free eSignature software that allows you to digitally sign documents in PDF, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and more with digital signatures embedded in them for security and protection.

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Happy users of HelloSign’s electronic signatures include the BBB, Samsung, and Twitter.

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‍The benefits of using HelloSign for digital signature creation

Beyond making it fast and simple to sign a document, here are a few other added perks of using HelloSign to sign documents online:

• Added security for your documents. Features like digital signatures, time-stamped audit trails, document pass codes and bank-level protection of sensitive information give you extra peace of mind.
• Easy organization for your files. Copies of your signed documents automatically save to your HelloSign account, for easy document access. You can also save to one of the apps we integrate with, such as Box, Dropbox, Evernote or many more.
• Automated alerts and reminders. Did you forget to sign a document that's been sent to you? No worries! Automated reminder emails will give you the gentle nudge you need. You'll also receive email notifications when others view, open, or sign a document you've sent out for signature.

Start using HelloSign for free and see how you can electronically and digitally sign documents.

Digital Signature FAQs

What is a digital signature?

A digital signature is a set of encryption protections used to determine the authenticity of a document or software. In simpler terms, a digital signature is a complex way to verify that a document hasn’t been tampered with during transit between the sender and signer. Digital signatures can be used to identify and verify individual signers and ensure the security and integrity of the data in question.

Are eSignatures secure?

HelloSign electronic signatures are legally binding and protected with bank-level security. This level of security ensures that all documents are kept secure and protected. Time stamped audit trails, two-factor authentication and SSL hosting ensure that sensitive documents are safe and secure with HelloSign.

How do electronic signatures work?

Electronic signatures allow you to legally sign documents online, send signature requests to others for signing, and track the progress of any document. They can be created in HelloSign manually with a cursor, typed before having a unique font applied or scanned from an existing signature and uploaded as an image.

What’s the difference between an electronic and digital signature?

While most people use the terms interchangeably, there is a difference between the two. An electronic signature refers to a protected and legally binding online signature. A digital signature refers to a complicated method for authenticating a document.

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