How to Write a Unique Signature

Handwriting analysis for job interviews?

Yep, it’s a thing!

About 50-75% of companies in Europe use some form of handwriting analysis to screen potential new hires. After all, things like your signature are a direct reflection of who you are, and what you’re all about!

To help you learn how to make a signature that’s sending the right message, we’ve created this guide just for you. From angles to fonts, sizes, and more, there’s so much that goes into creating a unique signature.

Read on to learn how to create a signature that shows off who you are.

How Do You Sign Things Now?

The best way to get to where you want to be with your signature is to know where you stand now! Go ahead and grab a piece of paper right now and without overthinking it, sign your name.

Look at the signature you just made, and ask yourself how it makes you feel. What things do you like about the signature, and what things are you hoping to change?

Write down what you discover so you don’t forget later on as your signature starts to transform. You may notice there are 1 or 2 things about your current signature that you’ll want your new signature to continue doing.

What Will Your New Signature Say About You?

Next, before you start getting into the nitty-gritty details, take a moment to think about how you want your signature to make other people feel.

Do you want to have a light-hearted signature that shows off your playful side? Or do you prefer a signature that shows you mean business, with it’s short and concise nature?

If you’re an artist, perhaps then your signature could also be an opportunity to show off your creative talents. Now’s the time to think big as you brainstorm what type of message you want your signature to send.

Get Inspiration From Celebrity Signatures

Moving on, to get inspiration for creating your unique signature, start looking at different celebrity signatures. Here are a few celebrities and famous figures throughout history who are sure to help spark signature ideas:

• Johnny Depp
• Vincent Prince
• Walt Disney
• Angelina Jolie
• Elizabeth I Queen of England and Ireland
• Pablo Picasso
• Mahatma Gandhi
• Martin Luther King
• Brad Pitt

Both Vincent Prince and Walt Disney include fun drawings in their signatures to make them more personable. Whereas signatures like Elizabeth I Queen of England and Ireland’s signature look ornate and highly sophisticated. If you like keeping things simple, then check out how Brad Pitt uses his initials to make his signature short and sweet.

Play With Different Angles

Once you have an idea of what type of signature you’re looking to create, the next step is figuring out your angles. Here are 3 different signature angles to consider:

1. Ascending
2. Descending
3. Straight

Do you want your signature to convey feelings of creativity and ambition? Then an ascending angled signature would work perfectly for you. The upward angle of your autograph will let people know you’re optimistic and full of life!

Are you the type of person who likes questioning things in your pursuit of the truth? Then consider using a descending angle to let people know your skeptical side.

Finally, if you like getting right down to business, then a straight angle would be the perfect fit. Straight angled signatures look organized, self-sufficient, and intelligent.

Pick a Font That Matches Your Personality

Have you ever noticed how companies use different fonts to help represent their brand? For instance, UPS created its own font called UPS Sans. All it takes is 1 glance at the UPS logo, and you instantly get a feeling of organization and dependability.

Whereas Hershey’s chocolate company also made its font called Milton. The Milton font for Hershey’s looks big and bold, letting the customer know they’re in for a big treat with bold flavors!

If you’re using an online signature tool like approveme.com/online-signature, take a moment to play around with the different font styles. Look for a font that aligns with the overall feeling you want your signature to evoke.

Signature Spacing

The space between the letters is another factor to consider. Evenly spaced signatures tend to look mature and professional.

Whereas signatures with uneven gaps, or extra-large spaces, will appear more off the wall and erratic. There’s nothing wrong with an erratically spaced signature, especially if that suits your personality!

Pick Your Placement

Where you sign on a piece of paper has as big of an impact as to how you sign. For instance, are you signing to the left of the page? Left page placements can convey that you’re a self-aware individual who likes to learn from your past mistakes.

A right placement signature shows that you’re a forward-thinking individual, always looking for the next best thing to do in life. Finally, centered, middle placement signatures show how seriously you take yourself. Middle placements say you’re important and you know it.

I’s and T’s

Do you have the letter I or T in your name? Awesome! That means you have the perfect opportunity to embellish your unique signature in a couple of ways.

If you’re a creative person, put the dot for your I way up high, to show off your out of the box thinking abilities. Are you a more practical individual? Then keep the dot for your I right above the letter to show off your disciplined side.

If you want to make your signature extra playful, you can always make the dot for your I into a circle. Next, T’s can either express feelings of relaxation or enthusiasm.

Short crosses on your T’s say that you’re a laid back type of person. Whereas long T crosses mean you’re outgoing and enthusiastic.

Round or Pointed?

Next, you’ll need to decide how you want to shape the letters in your name. Do you want round or pointed letters?

Round letters appear gentle and creative. For instance, Walt Disney’s signature rounds off the bottom of the W instead of using straight, pointed lines.

Pointed letters look clever or in some cases, they can look aggressive. A lawyer might consider using pointed letters to help keep their signature looking powerful and strong.

Capital vs. Lowercase Letters

Moving on, let’s look at how to write a signature that’s either by the book, or rebellious. For instance, you could sign your name using all capital letters to express your outgoing, bold nature.

Or if you’re a more timid person, consider using lowercase letters for every letter of your name. If you want to get weird, you can capitalize letters in the middle of your name as well. Remember traditional writing rules don’t apply to signatures.

What Size Fits You?

Another part of making your signature is deciding what size you want it to be. John Hancock is famous for his larger than life signature on the Declaration of Independence.

If you want to make your signature loud and bold, bigger is better. However, if you want to keep things professional and concise, play around with medium-sized signatures.

We suggest that you avoid creating itty bitty signatures. Tiny signatures make it hard for people to appreciate all of the hard work you’ve put into crafting a new signature style.

What Will Your Signature Include?

What information will your unique signature include? Are you going to use your first, middle, and last name? Or will keep things traditional by only using your first and last name?

You can also look into just using your initials like Brad Pitt does. Remember, you get to make the rules so the sky’s the limit when it comes to the information your signature will include.

For instance, American novelist Kurt Vonnegut would use his signature as a chance to draw a little picture that resembled his face. John Lennon also included a little drawing of his face playing off the letter “J” at the bottom of his signature.

Special Signature Symbols

You can include special symbols, such as a star or square in your signature, just because you feel like it. However, be careful about only using symbols as your signature. A distinct signature including parts of your name will be harder to forge, than a simple symbol signature.

Practice Makes Perfect

You’re almost there! Next, the biggest part of learning how to create a cool signature is practice.

See if the signature is legible, and then decide if you care. Keep practicing until you can sign the way you want to with your eyes closed.

Stand Out With Your Unique Signature

The next time you go to sign something, you can try out your new unique signature! Remember you can combine the things you like about your current signature, with the tips and tricks you’ve read today.

Before you know it you’ll have a special way of signing things that shows off your true personality. For more ways to be unique, read another one of our articles.