Fast solution, real risks

Using a signature maker online is now a go-to move for freelancers, teams, and anyone dealing with documents.

You type or draw your name, export an image, and paste it into a file. It’s fast. It looks clean. But is it actually doing what you need?

Laptop screen showing a generated digital signature with a warning icon — illustrating risks of using an online signature maker without verification


What an online signature maker does

A signature maker online (or online signature generator) creates a visual version of your name – often as a PNG or SVG.

Tools like Signaturely and PandaDoc offer simple interfaces to let you create a signature online in seconds.

These are great for non-sensitive use cases: signing cover letters, internal forms, or quick approvals.

Many even promote their service as a free signature maker, no account, no install, just draw and download.

When it falls short

The trouble begins when users rely on a visual signature for serious documents. A signature image has no metadata, no timestamp, and no identity check. It’s just a picture.

In 2021, a Spanish court rejected a signed loan agreement created with a basic online signature generator.

The platform had no verification, no audit trail and the judge ruled it couldn’t prove who signed.

So yes, you can create signature online fast, but without legal backing, you may be risking the deal itself.

Tablet showing an unsigned service agreement — highlighting the risks of using a basic online signature generator without verification or legal metadata


Visual signature vs digital signature

  • A signature image adds style
  • A digital signature adds security

Real electronic signatures (used in tools like DocuChain) include audit logs, timestamps, IP data, signer identity, and secure encryption.

They comply with global standards like ESIGN and eIDAS. Most signature maker online tools don’t.

If you’re signing NDAs, contracts, invoices, or deals involving risk a basic image won’t protect you.


When to use a signature generator

✅ For mockups, resumes, casual approvals

🚫 Not for contracts, legal documents, or external deals

If your signature needs to prove anything, go with a solution that provides traceable evidence – not just appearance.

Woman drawing a signature on a tablet document — showing visual signatures created with an online signature maker, without legal traceability

Sign with DocuChain

DocuChain goes beyond a signature maker online. It gives you secure digital signatures, blockchain-sealed documents, and the full confidence of compliance with audit trails that stand up anywhere.

Try it free and protect every signature you send.

DocuChain upload screen for secure digital signatures — a powerful alternative to basic online signature makers with blockchain protection

Create Digital Signature

Drag and drop PDF upload area to eSign your documents quickly and easily on DocuChain

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