by Online Signatures on PDF: The New Deal
For two years the world has gone through various changes, few convenient and few undeniable. During this time, the world’s perspective toward the internet and the online world has completely revolutionized. People have started recognizing more and more online facilities and have realized that its simple to operate by sitting in one place and getting all the work done with just one easy click. Especially due to the lockdown we had to turn our fast and busy lives into digital profiles. Digitalization has covered a lot of benefits by finding a way to save more time; one of the many perks of the internet is the online signature or electronic signature (e-signature).
Signatures Directly on Online Documents
It is easily possible to sign online papers or documents in a PDF format nowadays. An online signature is just like a notary sign but on digital documents. The main purpose of online signatures is to save printed papers and work with online documentation as much as possible. Also, online papers can be saved for eternity without worrying about getting damaged by external causes.
This phenomenon doesn’t consume time and is easily available to everyone anywhere, anytime through internet access. Through this multiple users can sign the same document; it isn’t restricted to a single user. There are several apps and websites available online that provide the online signature service. Acrobat sign by adobe could be the best option for an online signature as it is user-friendly and trustworthy.
These apps could be either free or a minimum payment fee might be required but the rest of the process is easily achievable and quick. You have to click on the link of that particular website, upload the file, create your online signature, place it on the document and then download the PDF. This process requires hardly five minutes; basic computer literates can learn it in a few tries.
Detailed Steps of Creating an Online Signature:
1) Open the particular document in the app you are using.
2) Click on the option saying: Click here to sign.
3) A window is opened with different types of signature options.
4) Choose the option convenient to you.
5) Create your signature digitally.
6) Apply the signature to that particular document.
7) Confirm and verify your signature.
8) Click the send option from which you can either download or upload the document.
There are different types of online signature options available as freehand or drawing, typing, and a picture or a photo. In the freehand option, you can directly draw your signature on the mobile screen using your finger or the stylus that has been given with your tablet.
The typing option provides you with a keyboard where you have to type your signature and you can even change the font size and font style of your signature. In the photo option, you have to click a photo of your notary signature from your mobile camera and then upload the photo directly on the document. You can crop and even decrease or increase the size of that photo according to your convenience.
An online signature can be used only for signing contracts and deals. Business deals, housing contracts, car deals, etc are usually discussed and signed online as it makes the work less complicated and swift as compared to notary signing. This could be used for signing online petitions and online forms of various types.
Through online signature the deals can be made by both the parties being present in different cities or states, overseas agreements are also made available due to this. The main advantage of an online signature is that it completely avoids any possibility of being unavailable for a particular meeting. You can send the document to that person via email to sign it later on and even it doesn’t stimulate any delay in your job.
There are certain rules that one must follow while opting for online signatures. Prove that it is a complete electronic business none of the documents must be physical. The parties participating in the deal must be aware of and agree on the facts of electronic business. Without the approval of even one party, the deal shouldn’t be signed. All the business documents must be legal or else they might be considered fraud.
The supreme authority should agree upon it under the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act. All the terms and conditions must be stated in the document and they should be followed thoroughly. The objectives of that deal must be mentioned too. The person using an online signature pdf must be computer literate at any cost.
If not it can be considered forgery which is a serious crime to commit. Most importantly the dealer’s name, mobile number, email id, and IP address should be mentioned and verified as well as the customer’s or the other party’s information must be mentioned. A two-step verification of the document is necessary.
Online signatures have been made legal in India since 2000. Due to the unavailability of internet connection in the early 2000s, most of the population opted for notary signing. But for two years, India has seen an increase in online signatures due to digitalization and lockdown. The count of people opting for online signatures has risen to 754 million from 89 million in mere five years. This shows how many people trust and believe in online business transactions and deals.
Though online signatures have been made legal in many countries of the world; they don’t work for some documents such as the birth or the death certificate, adoption letters, and divorce cases. These are confidential and crucial matters that require the presence of particular people. As these cases aren’t contracts but regarding a human being, the online signatures don’t apply here.
While using any website for signing any online document one must check whether it is trustworthy or not. The website must be affiliated and legal. One must take care of personal information and beware of online frauds happening all the time. Thorough research of the particulars might help make a better decision and avoid scams. Online schemes are also misleading so think about it before signing online and being a victim of an online scam.
