Imaging question.
 

I need to produce a scan of my signature with a CLEAR background, so that it can be edited into .pdf documents. Can anyone explain to me how to accomplish this and with what app please?

I don't have Photoshop, but do have PDFPenPro, Pixelmator - any suggestions what else might do it for me?

TIA!

Do you know about the signature capture feature in Preview?
See: https://www.google.com/search?q=prev...s+x"+signature

No, I didn't hayne. Thanks very much.

Off to read now. I am no graphics man at all unfortunately.

Snag: I am using a Mac Mini.

I did it successfully on my MBA, but would now like to transfer the captured signature to the Mini - any idea how, as I can't see an obvious filename, let alone where it is and should be stored on the Mini.

Thanks!

Try copying ~/Library/Containers/com.apple.Preview/Data/Library/Preferences/com.apple.Preview.signatures.plist over to the Mini and see if it carries the signatures over.

By the way, before Preview could do this, I used PDFPen Pro and I just wrote my signature with the mouse.

Thanks chabig - I emailed a copy of that file to myself from the MBA and placed it in the identical location. No dice.

I restarted the Min, tried again and got a message saying "Unable to decrypt Signature". Is that the end of the line?

It makes sense that there is some kind of security system so you can't just copy signatures from one machine to another, so you may be out of luck with Preview. But you can still use PDFPen Pro:

http://www.smilesoftware.com/help/PD...es.html#addsig

Thanks again chabig. TBH, I could really do with going on a basic graphics course, but no such thing exists here.

I suppose that, short of one of the old plug-in iSights, Preview on the Mini can't make use of another camera in any way? I must say that I was very impressed with the image clarity produced by the built-in iSight on the MBA, bearing in mind my naturally shaky hand.

Before Preview could do signatures, I used PDFPen Pro. I just used the mouse to create a reasonable facsimile of my signature. It was easy. It's not going to be perfect.

Another approach is to use an iOS app. For example, the free SignEasy appears to support document signing.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/sign...381786507?mt=8

The same with SIGNature:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/sign...433375543?mt=8

I've never used either of the above. But I think I once did it with Penultimate (US $1),

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/penu...354098826?mt=8

but it may have been NoteShelf

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/note...392188745?mt=8

Another iOS app is Autograph. How you make the background transparent afterwards is a mystery to me though.

I have an old Wacom tablet somewhere and tried to hook it up for this very purpose last year but I couldn't get it working, for reasons beyond my understanding. I DO like plug-and-play! ;-)

I found this! Try it.

http://www.stuartcarnie.com/2011/08/...ped_fragment_=

Actually Gavin, it's even simple since you're already halfway done with this. You said you got the message, "Unable to decrypt Signature". All you need is the password to decrypt the password you already copied over. The link above tells you how to get it. But you don't have to email anything. Just open the password in the Keychain on the MBA. Click on the Show password checkbox and enter your account password. That'll display the signature password, which you should be able to put into the Signature password on the Mini.

OK chabig, all done. Brilliant tip and thank you very much indeed for the pointer and hayne again for telling me about the feature.

My life just got a shedload easier. :)

I scanned it and then throw it into Graphic Converter. I have been using the same signature for years now.

What do you do with it in Graphic Converter?

If you don't mind a small white halo all you need to do is scan a signature, load it into any decent image editor, select the white background with the magic wand tool and press delete. Repeat for any included white patches.

I wouldn't mind, but the recipients would. ;). The Preview feature has my vote now that I know about it. The results are amazingly sharp and do exactly what I need.

Actually I don't recall if I created in Graphic converter (GC) or just scanned it as it's been more than 3 years ago. You can created the signature in Graphic Converter using a pencil tool, Black pencil on a natural white background. Save it after you're done.

After saving it, whenever you need to paste it into a document, you can open it up in GC and scale it appropriately so that the signature will fit where you need it, for example 16% or 25% works in my case. Take a screen shot of the signature and paste it into the document of your choice. So GC is primarily used for scaling.

With this, I have been able to electronically paste it into pdfs, word document, etc...

By the way, I also use Graphic Converter for pdfs also.

Have you tried the feature in preview Ron? You do the scaling with the mouse/trackpad. Very user-friendly indeed.

Are signatures in this form legally binding? Or is it "good enough until someone complains"?

I think that would depend on your jurisdiction.

Considering how may documents are signed and then faxed or scanned, what's the difference?

That would be the "good enough until someone complains" part, no?

"The defense asserts that the signature on the faxed document has been Photoshopped, as it is absolutely identical to this copy. Thus the contract is null and void."

I'll have to try preview next time I do this. Thanks for the tip.

Who's going to know whether it's an authentic signature just created and scanned vs a signature that was made 3 years ago. Whether you use GC and pdf or sign and scan, the signature is flattened with the rest of the document.

I think if you're buying a house, car or signing other legal documents, you are best advise not to go this route. Send your documents via fed-ex or snail mail or hand deliver where your signature is in blue or black ink.

You do pose an interesting question and it would be in our best interest if we understood the implications of these electronic signatures.

I bought my last house with scanned signatures. Who's to know?

It's probably ok as long as you or someone have the inked copies somewhere.

That, right there, is the issue. And who's going to know if you inserted it into the document or if someone else did?

chabig: are either you, the seller, or the mortgage holder debating the validity of any agreements? If not, no problem.

That's thanks to hayne, not me. :)