How to Add a Signature in Microsoft Excel, No Hassle!

In the current digital era, the use of electronic documents seems to be increasingly massive for various purposes, such as correspondence, sending data reports, agreements, and so on. It also often leads people to create digital signatures to verify or certify documents more easily and efficiently.

If you were previously used to inserting a signature in Microsoft Word or PDF worksheets, you might be wondering how to add a signature in Microsoft Excel. The reason is that Excel has a different appearance from the two devices, namely in the form of tables or spreadsheets.

How to add a signature in Microsoft Excel

Giving a signature to a document can help confirm that the signer officially created the information. Of course, this will provide a personal touch that is often considered important for the validation of a particular document.

Unlike signing documents on paper using a pen, adding a signature in Microsoft Excel does require a bit of effort. However, don’t worry. There are some easy methods you can use to do this.

Adding a signature manually.

1. Open the Microsoft Excel document you want to sign.
2. Click Insert > Shape
3. In the Line option, select the “Scribble” shape or a free curved line like a pen scribble (usually located at the very end of the row).
4. Draw a signature on the Excel document by clicking and holding the left mouse button until the desired signature is formed.
5. By default, the image in Excel will be light blue. You can change the format of the image, for example, changing the black color, like the color of the pen ink, by clicking Image > Format > Shape Styles (or selecting Shape Outline) > selecting the desired color.
6. Signature created successfully.
7. Adjust the position of the signature as needed.

Adding a signature by importing an image

1. Make a signature image on a piece of paper.
2. Take a picture of the signature and save it on your laptop or computer in a common image file format, such as jpg or png.
3. Open the Microsoft Excel document to be signed.
4. Click Insert > Picture > select a saved signature image > Insert.
5. If you want to remove the image background, click the image > Format > Remove Background > Keep Changes.
6. The signature was added successfully.

Adding a signature with the Signature Line

In addition to the above methods, you can also add a signature while securing the document from editing or digital changes. It is suitable for signing sensitive documents together, such as contracts or invoices. This signature tool is also legally binding.

Unfortunately, to create a signature this way, you need a signing certificate issued by a certification authority to confirm your identity and make it official. Here are the steps you can take:

1. Open the Microsoft Excel document to be signed.
2. Click Insert > Signature Line > Microsoft Office Signature Line.
3. If the Microsoft Excel dialog box appears, click OK.
4. Enter the signer’s identity in the Signature Setup dialog box, such as the signer’s name, title, or email address.
5.  In the dialog box, there is also a default instruction to verify that the document you have signed is correct.
6. Click OK.
7. A signature line will appear on the document along with the identity you entered earlier.
8. If you want to add your printed signature in the signature line, Right Click > Sign > Select Image > Sign.
9. Digitally signed documents will be Read-only to prevent modification.

Basically, how to add a signature in Microsoft Excel is actually almost the same as what you can do in Microsoft Word. If you already know and understand this method, you don’t have to bother to print or scan documents if you want to sign documents that must be sent online, right?