Your signature is more than just a handwritten depiction of your name. It’s a representation of your personality, professionalism, and style.
This especially holds true if you’re a business owner.
Signing documents becomes a daily part of operating a company so it’s not something you want to overlook.
But your signature isn’t just for showing off – it can also aid in preventing forgery.
There are various ways you can create a unique signature for your personal brand. If you’re thinking about creating a new one or simply want a better one, then this guide may help.
Let’s take a look at 10 signatures of famous people for a bit of inspiration.
10 Celebrities with Unique Signatures
Signatures are infamous in the celebrity realm. When you get an autograph you want to ensure it’s authentic. Why? Because these signatures are worth money.
You’ll find that a lot of celebrities work on perfecting their signatures for this reason. They want their autographs to be hard to copy and attractive.
So let’s take a quick look at some of the most infamous signatures of all time.
1. George Washington
The first president of the United States had a signature that was very precise. It appears that each stroke was done carefully and gracefully.
If you were to consider the personality of the person with this signature, you’d think they were well-mannered, professional, and organized. It seems he gave a great deal of attention and practice to honing his signature.
2. Mozart
Here’s another old-timer with a great signature. His is very unique and almost melodic. The famous musician was well-known for his composition skills and a lot of his music is still played today.
The meticulousness of his music definitely shows in the craftsmanship of his signature. And it’s something that’s not so easy to imitate.
3. Harry Houdini
The father of stunts and illusions has awed generations with magic tricks. Crowds still gather to see the likes of David Blane and other modern masters of deception.
You can say Houdini opened the door to the world of mystery and false perception. And when you look at his signature, you can almost say it too is a masterful illusion.
4. Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe’s signature is about as beautiful as she was. Her autograph shows confidence, flair, and a girly touch.
The loops and swirls give it a feminine appeal and it’s unique enough to make forgers work harder to copy it.
5. Bruce Lee
Here’s a man of precision, discipline, and practice. You can see it in his fighting style and you can see it in his signature.
His pen strokes are neat, effortless, and creative.
6. Diego Maradona
You know him as the Argentina soccer player from the 80s and 90s. Today, he’s the coach of the Mexican soccer team.
You wouldn’t typically think of sports players as artistic or creative, but he most definitely was. He took his signature to the next level with what looks like a mountain on top and his soccer jersey number at the bottom.
7. Elvis Presley
Elvis was a man of style and vigor. Yet, in his signature, you see signs of simplicity. There’s nothing special about his autograph, but you can see he places great emphasis on the first letter of his last name and the Y.
Maybe he was proud of his family name.
8. JK Rowling
We know her from her best work—Harry Potter. And like her stories, her signature is just as creative, artistic, and captivating.
You can make out the J, the K, and the R, but the rest is a bit over the top. However, it’s unique to her personality and style and that’s what counts!
9. Walt Disney
Walt Disney’s signature is exactly as you’d imagine it to be—artsy and totally related to Mickey Mouse. His autograph depicts his drawing skills and creativity with a simple stroke of the pen.
Wonder if he used this signature for signing checks for all those Disney classics!
10. Michael Jackson
Everything Mike did was with flavor and style. Can we expect anything less from his signature? Not at all.
He uses large capitals for the first letters of his names and uses beautiful arching swoops as a final touch. It’s legible and unique—a great combination.
Coming Up with Your Own Unique Signature
Now that we’ve reviewed some of the best signatures from notable people, it’s time to come up with one for yourself.
There are several things you can do to come up with the perfect signature for business.
Let’s take a look.
Decide What Your Signature Will Include
Obviously, you want your signature to contain your name—but do you want to write out your entire name each and every time you sign a document? Not only is this tiresome, but it’s time-consuming.
Instead, you can use just your initials, your first initial and complete last name, or vice versa. Signatures with initials are commonplace in business.
However, if forgery is a concern, then you can always opt for a longer signature. Just be sure your signature is legible so it’s more difficult to copy every loop and line.
Find Inspiration
It can be difficult coming up with a unique signature all on your own. You can use the list of signatures listed above for inspiration.
Or you can continue your search throughout the web to find more interesting signatures. Once you find a couple that you like, you can begin experimenting with the elements you like the most about each signature.
Maybe, you like the way the capitals are overdone and how the letters are connected to large loops that encompass your whole signature.
Focus on emphasizing specific letters to add clarity, especially if you tend to scribble out your name.
Add Symbols to Your Signature
Another way to spice up your signature and make it stand out is to add symbols. Diego Maradona and Walt Disney both included symbols and drawings in their signatures.
This makes it even harder to duplicate.
For example, you can turn an I into a rose or include the @ symbol to replace an A. Some people add a line at the bottom of their signature that’s connected to the first or final letter.
Whatever you decide to do, be sure you can easily replicate your signature time and time again.
Putting the Final Touches On Your Signature
After doing research and expirimenting, it’s time to put the final touches on your signature. For starters, you have to choose a font you want to use.
Will it have a bubbly, loopy look? Or will it have more of a jagged, sharp appearance? Do whatever feels good so you won’t have issues writing your signature.
It’s also a good idea to practice just the capital letters. These are typically the most pronounced areas of a signature. Perfect these and the rest will come easily.
Last, practice your signature repeatedly until it comes naturally. This will also help you get used to writing your new signature over your old one.
An Alternative to “Wet” Signatures
You use your signature for all sorts of documents—leases, applications, checks, tax documents, driver’s license, and more. Handwritten signatures are considered wet signatures, but only if they’re written on paper.
There is an alternative to signing documents this way, e-signatures.
E-signatures are growing in popularity because of their ease of use and convenience. You’re able to receive, sign, and send documents via email.
And best of all, you can sign your signature you just created using your smartphone, tablet, or mouse pad.
Foregoing Handwritten Signatures
Maybe you’re tired of signing documents and want to go completely virtual. This is typical for businesses that sign numerous documents throughout the week.
With digital documents and e-signatures, you can either:
- Upload an image of your signature
- Sign your signature and save it
- Have the platform generate a signature
Whichever option you choose, you’ll never have to worry about manually signing a digital document. You can just stamp your signature and return the document.
Creating a Signature You Can Call Your Own
As a business owner, freelancer, manager, or other professional, you’re going to have to sign documents. This includes contracts, NDAs, HR documents, and so on.
But how important is it to have an elaborate signature you can call your own? In the past, you needed a signature that was highly unique to help prove your identity and negate forgery.
However, in today’s technological world, we don’t have to worry about this as much. With electronic signatures, it’s about proving your intent to sign the document in question. E-signatures secure the identity of the signer, no matter how it looks. This adds a boost of security.
But that’s not to say you can’t create an intricate signature for your digital documents. After all, it’s still a form of self-expression.