Signature
A
signature (from
Latin signare, "
sign") is a handwritten (and sometimes stylized) depiction of someone's name (or some other identifying mark) that a person writes on documents as a
proof of
identity and
will. It acts as a
seal. The writer of a signature is a
signatory.
A signature is that, what gives an object or piece of information its
identity. Example: the voice of
Elvis on one of his records, a signature on a contract or the shape of a classical
Coca-Cola bottle.
The traditional function of a signature is evidential: it is to give evidence of (a) the provenance of the document (identity); and (b) the
intention (will) of an individual with regard to that document. For example, the role of a signature in many consumer contracts is not to provide evidence of the identity of the contracting party, but rather to provide evidence of deliberation and informed consent. Signatures may be witnessed and recorded in the presence of a
Notary Public to carry additional legal force. On legal documents, an
illiterate signatory can make a "mark" (often an "X" but occasionally a personalized symbol), so long as the document is countersigned by a literate witness.
There are many other terms which are synonymous with 'signature'. One is
John Hancock, named after the first of the signers of the
United States Declaration of Independence. The signature of a famous person is sometimes known as an
autograph, and is then typically written on its own or with a brief note to the recipient. Rather than providing
authentication for a document, the autograph is given as a souvenir which acknowledges the recipient's access to the autographer.
Some
states'
legal definition of a signature defines a signature to mean
"any memorandum, mark, or sign made with intent to authenticate any instrument or writing, or the subscription of any person thereto." [RCW 9A.04.110 Definitions.] In the context of one particular
statute, a
signature doesn't have to be the popular notion of a written name, but may be other methods of authentication; the intent of any mark or memorandum makes a signature.
Mechanically produced signatures
Special signature machines, called
autopens are capable of automatically reproducing an individual's signature. These are typically used by people required to sign many documents, for example
celebrities,
heads of state or
CEOs.
Several cultures whose languages use writing systems other than alphabets do not share the Western notion of signatures per se: the "signing" of one's name results in a written product no different from the result of "writing" one's name in the standard way. For these languages, to write or to sign involves the same written characters. Three such examples are
Chinese,
Japanese, and
Korean. In Japanese culture, people typically use
name-seals or
inkan with the name written in
tensho script (
seal script) in lieu of a handwritten signature (also see
Calligraphy).
In
e-mail and
newsgroup usage, another type of signature exists which is independent of one's language. Users can set one or more lines of custom text known as a
signature block to be automatically appended to their messages. This text usually includes a name, contact information, and sometimes quotations and
ASCII art. Some web sites also allow graphics to be used. Note, however, that this type of signature is not related to
electronic signatures or
digital signatures, which are more technical in nature and not directly readable by human eyes.
By analogy, the word "signature" may be used to refer to the characteristic expression of a process or thing. For example, the climate phenomenon known as
ENSO or El Nino has characteristic modes in different ocean basins which are often referred to as the "signature" of ENSO.
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Images of signatures*
manu propria (
m.p.)
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How to create a dynamic signature
