ProTip: Add an eSignature Field to Your Digital Form

Collect an E-SIGN Act-compliant digital signature on your electronic document with the eSignature field today

From lease agreements and quality assurance inspections to signing off on digital invoices, signatures are collected every day in every industry. Rather than relying on paper forms to capture signatures or utilizing a separate e-signature software from your digital form provider, GoFormz can capture all your critical information in one digital document. 

Efficient and reliable signature capture is a priority for most businesses and investing in a digital solution that encompasses more than your average autograph, meaning a fillable PDF or a legally binding digital signature, should be at the top of your list. To create an electronic signature, it’s important to understand the differences between the signature fields GoFormz offers.

Signature Field vs eSign Fields

In the Template Editor, on the left-hand side, you should see three different signature form fields: two represent eSignature and one represents the basic signature field. The fields are stylized differently for the sake of legibility and ease of use for form creators.

eSignature Form Fields: Available at all paying tiers and during free trials (Team, Advanced, and Enterprise), eSignature is an E-SIGN Act-compliant form field that can include eSign Initials and/or an eSign Signature. When using eSignature fields, you cannot include the same field in your Template multiple times. Instead, you have to drag and drop a new eSignature field onto the Template every time to ensure proper collection of eSignature data. Additionally, eSignature fields are required to maintain specific sizing ratios (3.63:1 for signatures and 1.2:1 for initials) and cannot be resized to any specification.

Digital Signature Form Field: Available at all subscription tiers (Basic, Team, Advanced, and Enterprise), the classic Signature form field is a generic, non-E-SIGN Act-compliant digital signature that is best used for anything that isn’t legally binding. Unlike the eSignature fields, a form creator can copy the generic Signature field multiple times throughout a Template build and the field can be sized to any specification. Additionally, because Signature fields are not E-SIGN Act-compliant, they can be used to capture a signature using a multi-use Public Form link whereas an eSignature field can be only used in a single-use Public Form.

I cannot stress enough the importance of the multi-touch signature capability, I had searched high and low for this and you were the only vendor!
— President, Arixio

Adding an eSignature Field

Adding an eSignature field is no different than any other form field. When you’re ready to add an eSignature field to your Template, simply drag and drop your form field to the desired location on your digital document. For best practice, make sure to set up your saved eSign signature and initials within your GoFormz account. To do so, follow these simple steps:

  1. Log in to your GoFormz account.

  2. From the home page, click on your initials in the upper right corner and select ‘My Profile’.

  3. You should now see a section in the middle of your screen called ‘eSign Signature and Initials’.

  4. Edit your signature and initials and select ‘Save’.

Saving methods for eSign Signature and Initial fields

Now every time you click to sign a form that has an eSign field on it, your information will automatically populate in the field. When it comes to filling out a form with an eSign field, here are the steps you can follow to achieve an E-SIGN Act-compliant document.

  1. Create a new form or open an existing form with at least 1 eSign field unfilled

  2. Tap or click on the eSign field

  3. eSign Model will appear, automatically populating the signed-in user’s first and last name

  4. Set signature & select sign

  5. If there are multiple eSign fields on the form, tap or click on subsequent Signature/Initial fields

  6. Save/Complete Form

Get started today by sharing online forms that can do it all with colleagues and clients. From capturing legally binding signatures through eSign to utilizing Images and Sketch fields to document daily progress reports, GoFormz is your one-stop shop for operational data management. Sign up for a free 14-day trial and set up your first eSign field today!