How to remove the background from a signature
A signature photographed on paper arrives with a grey or white box around it. Here is how to turn that box transparent so only the ink remains.
Step by step
Sign on white paper
Use a dark pen on plain, unlined white paper.
Photograph it
Take the picture in even daylight, straight on, with no shadows. Crop closely around the signature.
Upload in the editor
Open Sign, choose Upload and select the picture.
Remove the background
Turn on Remove background. The paper becomes transparent and the ink stays.
Place it
Use the signature and place it on your PDF.
How it works
The tool looks at how light or dark each pixel is. Pixels close to the colour of the paper become transparent while darker ink pixels are kept, with softly blended edges so the strokes do not look jagged.
Troubleshooting
If grey shadows remain, retake the photo with more even light. If thin strokes disappear, use a darker pen. A phone scanner app that flattens the paper first also improves results.
Frequently asked questions
Does it keep blue ink blue?
Yes. The original ink colour is preserved.
Is my signature photo uploaded?
No. The processing happens in your browser.
What if the paper is not white?
Light coloured paper works too, but plain white gives the cleanest result.
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