E-signatures · Glossary
What is a signature line?
A signature line is the ruled line on a document where a person signs, usually with labels printed beneath it for their printed name, title and the date. It marks exactly where each signer should sign, and the labels make a handwritten or drawn signature readable by recording who made it and when.
The line itself is the smallest part of a signed page, but it decides whether the signature can be read and matched to a person years later.
Nuwan Madhusanka · Co-founder
4 min read · Published
| Label | Why it is there | Needed when |
|---|---|---|
| Signature | The mark of agreement | Always |
| Printed name | Signatures are often illegible | Always |
| Title | Shows the capacity the person signs in | Signing for a business |
| Company | Names the party the signer binds | Signing for a business |
| Date | Records when the signature was made | Almost always |
What a signature line is
On paper, a signature line is a horizontal rule with enough space above it for a pen. On an electronic document, it is the spot where the signer's drawn or typed signature is placed. Printed labels under the line, such as Name and Date, turn a scrawl into evidence: anyone reading the page later can see whose signature it is and when it was made. A line with no labels relies on memory and handwriting, which fade quickly.
Signature line and signature block
The two terms overlap. A signature line is the single line and its labels for one signer. A signature block is the whole group of lines for a party, often with an introduction such as Signed for and on behalf of, and sometimes a witness line. A contract between two companies usually has two blocks, each with one or two signature lines. The signature block page on this site covers the block as a whole; this page is about the line itself.
How to lay one out
Leave about 15 millimetres of height above the line so a handwritten signature fits. Put each label on its own line beneath, aligned left. Keep each party's lines together and never split a block across a page break, because a signature alone on a page with no text from the agreement is easier to attach to a different document. If the document has several signers, order the lines in the order people will sign, and name each line's party so nobody signs in the wrong place.
Common mistakes
A line with no printed name, which leaves only the signature to identify the signer. A Date label that the signer fills in with the date the deal was made rather than the day they signed. One shared line for two signers. Lines placed on a final page that contains nothing else. And, in electronic documents, an X or Sign here cue that does not match where the signing tool actually places the signature.
Signature lines in the product
In the e-sign module, a signature block field is 240 by 114 points by default and prints a signature area with up to four lines underneath: Name, Title, Company and Date, with Name and Date as the default. The height adjusts to the number of lines so nothing clips, and the Date line is stamped from the moment of signing in a format such as Aug 22, 2026, never typed by the signer.
Questions people ask
Does a signature have to be on the line to be valid?
No. A signature is valid because the person signed with intent to be bound, not because it touched the line. The line is a guide that makes the signature easy to find and match to the labels underneath. A signature placed elsewhere on the page can still be valid, but it invites questions about what it was meant to sign.
What does an X next to a signature line mean?
It is a cue showing the signer where to sign, a habit from paper forms. It has no legal meaning. On electronic documents the signing tool usually guides the signer to each field instead, so a printed X is unnecessary and can mislead if the field sits somewhere else.
Should the date be typed or handwritten?
On paper, the signer writes the date they sign. Electronically, the safest approach is a date applied by the system at the moment of signing, because it cannot be backdated by the signer and it matches the audit trail. A contract that needs a different start date should state it separately as the effective date.
How many signature lines does a contract need?
One for every person who signs, plus a witness line where the document needs one. Two parties signing through one officer each need two lines. A company executing under section 127 with two directors needs two lines for that company alone. Count the people, not the parties.
Can I add a signature line to a PDF?
Yes. In a PDF editor you can draw a line and add text labels, or use a signing tool that places a signature field where the signer will sign. A signing tool is better for electronic signatures because it records who signed and when, rather than leaving an image floating on the page.
Make one with e-signatures
The button opens the generator with this use case already described. Change the wording to match your own.
Send a document for signingRelated questions
- What is a signature block?A signature block is the group of lines under a signature: name, title, company and date. What each line is for and why the date should not be typed.
- What is a signature page?What is a signature page: the final page carrying the execution blocks, why signing it alone is risky, the Mercury case, and how electronic signing changes it.
- Effective date vs execution date in a contractEffective date vs execution date: when a contract's obligations start against when the last party signs it, with a worked example and how to word each date.
Step by step in the builder: Send a PDF for e-signature.
Written and checked by the OneCraft team. Last checked .