A signature is important to identify yourself, and it expresses your personality. The shape of your signature shows your attitude, character and position. Improving your signature can be good for your professionalism, and it can be very satisfying on a personal level too. The ideal signature is different for everyone, but it's very easy to improve yours.
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Creating a signature you like
Step 1. View your current signature
Put your signature on a piece of paper and look at it carefully. What would you like to do differently? If you know what you want to change, you can create a plan to improve your signature.
- Rate the readability. Can someone decipher your name or initials if they look at your signature?
- Think about whether you want to write the letters separately, together or mixed.
- Look at the detached letters, especially your initials. Do you like its shapes, or is there a letter that you don't really like?
Step 2. View other signatures
Knowing what style you like will help you decide what changes to make. Start by looking at autographs from people you admire. Maybe that will give you inspiration.
- If you are an artist who needs to sign his work, check out the work of other artists. See which materials have been used; a signature with paint is often easier than one with pen, but it still has to be distinctive.
- Study historical signatures. Calligraphy used to be an important skill, so you can find beautiful handwriting from people from the 19th or early 20th century. The signatures of kings or prominent writers can easily be found on the internet.
Step 3. Think about which font you like
If you like to create ornate curly letters, you can find inspiration in calligraphy books. But maybe you prefer angular or pointed letters. Look for fonts on the internet or browse a calligraphy book in the library and you can develop your own style.
Once you have found a font, print it out or make a copy of the alphabet. Maybe there are several that you like, and you can put them together
Step 4. Write the capital letters
Your initials are the most important part of your signature, so they should be personal and legible. Perhaps you often just write your initials.
- Try some embellishments like loops to see if you like that.
- Practice capitalizing your name over and over until you're happy with how they look.
Step 5. Keep practicing
To always keep putting the signature you like, you will have to keep practicing with every opportunity that arises. Your hand will save the rhythm and pattern of the signature, so you don't have to think about it in the end.
- Try to put your new signature at every opportunity.
- Write your signature over and over on a notepad. This can be done during a boring lesson or meeting, or while you are sitting in front of the TV.
- Eventually, your new signature will become second nature to you.
Step 6. Be consistent
Your signature is important to identify you. If you've developed a new signature, make sure to put it on the back of your credit card or passport and use it when signing important documents. If someone checks your signature then they have to match.
Part 2 of 2: Sending the right message with your signature
Step 1. Choose a size
The size of your signature shows how confident you are. A signature that is much larger than the surrounding handwriting indicates that you are very confident, or that you may be pretending to be more confident than you actually are. A smaller signature can reflect self-motivation, but it can also indicate that the writer lacks self-confidence.
Start with a medium signature. That shows a sense of balance and modesty
Step 2. Assess readability
Poor readability is often attributed to lack of time, but it doesn't really take much longer to write a legible name.
- An illegible signature can send the message that the writer believes that his/her identity should be clear to everyone.
- This can come across as arrogant or indifferent.
Step 3. Consider using your initials
Using your initials instead of your entire first name can make it look formal. Some initials make up a word you'd rather not be associated with.
- If your initials are an abbreviation or a word, don't use them.
- If you want a friendly, informal atmosphere at work, use your first name in your signature.
- If you want to create a business-like atmosphere, use your first initial instead of your full name.
Step 4. Decide which names you want to use
How many names you write in signature depends on the circumstances. Few people have just one name. Celebrities may be able to sign with only their first name, but in most cases that's not a good idea.
- If your name is common and the recipient may be confused as a result, it is best to use your first and last name, and possibly the initial of your middle name to distinguish yourself.
- If you know the recipient well and want to send an intimate message, you can only use your first name. Letters to relatives are a good example of this.
- Only use your title such as Professor or Doctor in business correspondence. This can be useful if you want to create a business atmosphere.