Whether you're planning on getting famous or just wanting to kill time, it can be a lot of fun to experiment in trying to acquire a beautiful signature. In order for it to look beautiful, follow the tips and techniques presented in this article.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Analyze Your Signature
Step 1. Carefully review your current signature
Ask yourself what you like about your style and what you should improve on. Look at the letters that make up the name and think about how you could make them stand out better: note the more interesting ones (with curves, points and crosses, such as G, X or B) and the simpler ones (especially those that look similar when they are capitalized) both lowercase, such as S or O). Look for passages that could become the focal points of your signature.
Step 2. Consider what your signature should say about you
A simple and clear signature will be easier for others to read, while a more complex one may communicate greater flair. The more frills it contains, the more flashy you will look. Consider how your signing indicates that you are not in a hurry. Often, when a doctor is busy, he scribbles an illegible signature hastily, while famous writers waste time sketching intricate shapes.
- When the signature includes only initials (with or without middle initials), it is usually considered more formal and professional than a complete one.
- If you are concerned about it being falsified, consider making it longer and more legible by including both first and last names and writing them clearly. It's much easier to forge scribbles than to copy the nuances of a legible, time-honored signature.
Step 3. Think about which parts of your name you want to include
Some people sign with their full name, while others only sign with their first or last name. For some it is enough to use initials. If they only know you by name - like Beyonce or Ronaldo - then you might consider using just your first name. If you are a professor who is normally called by surname, you can only sign with the latter.
Step 4. Get inspiration from other signatures
Look at the signatures of some famous people and consider if you'd like to imitate any of them. Kurt Vonnegut, Walt Disney, Salvador Dali, Pablo Picasso and John Hancock (among many others) are all known for their original style of signing. Don't be afraid to adopt eye-catching elements and add them to your signature.
Part 2 of 3: Rework the Signature
Step 1. Do some testing
Rewrite your signature several times to experiment with various possibilities. Also try to have fun. Play with different styles and decorative elements. Pay attention to what you have no difficulty in writing, what goes with your name and what is not too complicated to copy over and over again. Use a tool that is comfortable to hold. Try using a pencil if you want to erase and rework your signature.
Step 2. Highlight some letters
If you prefer to make some letters stand out, make them larger or smaller so that they blend in with the others. This way you can offer the signature a more original font without writing slowly as if you were crawling. Try emphasizing the first letter or first syllable of the first and last name.
If the signature is messy or curled, try making a letter stand out, making it sharper and clearer. Likewise, write a single letter sloppy or imaginative if you want it to differ from the overall harmony of the signature
Step 3. Underline the signature for emphasis
It's the classic way to spruce up a name. This may cost you more time to write it than a simpler style, so consider if it's worth it.
- Turn one of your letters into an underline. This is commonly done with the last letter, but feel free to add a decorative element to any letter that lends itself to this style. Those that contain a tail (p, g) are perfect. Stretch the tail under the signature.
- Underline the signature with a few swirls. It is a very decorative and fluid way to enrich the signature.
- Underline it by making a zigzag. It is a line similar to a scroll, but more angular and dry.
Step 4. Use the "ancient" letters
Double them where there are horizontal crossings and finish the round ones with hooks and decorative elements. If you can, use a fountain pen. Draw inspiration from calligraphic styles, old signatures and gothic fonts. You will give an artistic touch to even a very simple signature.
Step 5. Add decorative elements to embellish the signature
It can be a great way to make your style more original. Identify which letters lend themselves to interestingly tangling and experiment until they seem more elaborate. Try the following tips:
- Use repetitive elements. Three large and oval shapes create a repetition effect and help harmonize the whole.
- Make the uppercase surround the lowercase. It is a rather useful trick to embellish a name that has no underlying wishes (g, p and other letters) to play with.
- Surround the signature with the scrolls. You will give her an official, very royal look.
- Enlarge the bottom of the letters. It is one of the simplest and most common ways to embellish your signature.
Step 6. Add numbers or symbols
Among the symbols you can choose your jersey number - if you play in a sports team - a simple sketch or the year of your graduation. If you associate a particular number or symbol with your identity (for example, if you are known for your role on your team), it could be a great way to publicly distinguish yourself from someone with a similar name to yours. If you're going to go this route, it's best to keep the rest of the signature simple so as not to waste too much time on affixing it. Too many symbols can weigh down the appearance and slow you down when signing.
Part 3 of 3: Choose the Signature
Step 1. Combine your favorite elements into one signature
Find signature pieces you like. Consider what might work, what doesn't work, and what comes close to your personality. As you practice signing, tweak small details and decorative elements until you find something that feels right for you.
Step 2. Know when it looks perfect to you
Don't choose a signature just because it looks good - choose one that has style but is also practical.
- It should be easy to write and reproduce, but also make a good impression as you write it and be simple enough to affix in seconds.
- It should also suit your goal and match your personality. If you intend to show your more dramatic side, sign in a whimsical way. If you want to communicate to people that you are neat and tidy, your signature should reflect this feature.
- It should be identifiable. It doesn't have to look like a scribble drawn on the page, unless it's something recognizable and always the same. Make your signature unique so people know it belongs to you.
Step 3. Practice writing your new signature until it feels natural to you
Remember that you can always change it, within a certain limit. If you use a certain signature on all of your legal documents (driver's license, passport, credit card, bank documents, etc.) then it can be difficult to change. In some cases, it really serves to identify you and may arouse some suspicion if it is different from the one used in your documents.
Step 4. Make sure you can easily reproduce the new signature
The most beautiful and complicated signature in the world is useless if it is not possible to put it quickly on new documents. When you practice, think about the practicalities: consider the speed with which you sign, if you need special tools to write it and if it is the same every time you sign it. If you can't easily reproduce it, it should be simplified.
Please note that this does not apply to digital signatures. Most applications for digitally signing documents save the personalized signature for later use. Use it only once and in the future you will be able to copy it to any document. However, it would be wise to maintain some consistency between digital and handwritten signatures
Warnings
- Pay attention to how often you change your signature. You may find it difficult to prove your identity if the new signature does not match the one on your identity card, driver's license, bank documents or even your library card.
- Make the official signature simple enough. If you are forced to reproduce a rather elaborate drawing, which takes an infinite amount of time each time you sign your credit card receipt, you risk aging prematurely!
- Think twice before creating an intricate signature. While it is fun, carefully consider how practical it is to sign illegally.
