How to Sign a Cover Letter (Handwritten or Digital, Free)

To sign a cover letter, end it with a professional closing such as "Sincerely," or "Kind regards," then your signature, then your typed full name. For a cover letter you send as a PDF or Word attachment, you can add a real handwritten-style signature without printing anything: upload the file to Docsigns, draw, type or upload your signature, drag it into the space above your typed name, and download the signed PDF. For a cover letter pasted into the body of an email or an online form, a typed name is all you need.

The rest of this guide covers which closings to use, exactly where the signature goes, when a handwritten signature is worth adding and when it is not, and the small formatting mistakes that make an otherwise strong letter look careless.

Do you need to sign a cover letter at all?

It depends on how you are sending it. There is no rule that every cover letter must carry a handwritten signature, but there is a clear convention for each format:

How you send it	What to put after the closing	Handwritten signature?
Printed and posted, or handed over in person	Space for a signature, then your typed name	Yes, sign in ink
PDF or Word file attached to an email or uploaded to a job portal	Signature image, then your typed name	Optional, but a nice finishing touch
Written in the body of an email	Your typed name and contact details	No
Pasted into a text box on an application form	Your typed name	No, the form cannot hold one

The middle row is where most people hesitate. A signed PDF looks like a finished, deliberate document rather than a draft, which is why many applicants choose to add one. It will not win you the job on its own, and leaving it out will not cost you one, but it removes one small thing a reader might notice.

The correct cover letter sign-off format

Whatever the format, the order at the bottom of the letter is the same:

1. Your closing line, followed by a comma. Capitalise only the first word: "Kind regards," not "Kind Regards,".
2. Your signature, in the space directly below the closing. On a printed letter, leave three or four blank lines for it.
3. Your full typed name, exactly as it appears on your CV.
4. Optional contact details such as phone, email and a LinkedIn or portfolio link, if they are not already in the letter's header.

Which closing should you use?

• Sincerely, the safe, formal choice for any industry.
• Kind regards, or Best regards, slightly warmer and very common in the UK and in email.
• Respectfully, suited to government, legal or military roles.
• Thank you for your consideration, useful when you want the last line to carry a little more weight.

Avoid casual sign-offs like "Cheers," "Thanks!" or "Talk soon," and never leave the letter ending abruptly on your last paragraph with no closing at all.

How to add a handwritten signature to a cover letter PDF or Word file

If you have your cover letter saved as a PDF, DOC or DOCX, here is how to sign it without printing, scanning or installing anything.

1. Finish the letter first. Make every edit before you sign. Once you download the signed PDF, changing the text means signing again.
2. Leave room for the signature. In your word processor, add two or three empty lines between "Sincerely," and your typed name, then save.
3. Open Docsigns and upload the file. PDF, DOC and DOCX are all accepted.
4. Create your signature. Draw it with a mouse, trackpad or finger; type your name and pick one of six cursive fonts; or upload a photo of your real signature on white paper.
5. Choose an ink colour. Black or blue look the most natural on a professional letter.
6. Place and size it. Drag the signature into the gap above your typed name and resize it so it sits roughly as tall as one or two lines of text. A signature that dwarfs the letter looks odd.
7. Download the signed PDF and open it once to check the placement before you attach it.

The whole process is explained in three steps on the how it works page. Docsigns is free, needs no account and adds no watermark to the downloaded file.

A note on privacy: if you upload a PDF, signing happens in your browser and the PDF is not uploaded. If you upload a Word file (DOC or DOCX), it is first converted to PDF on a server, and the signed result is downloaded as a PDF. If you would rather nothing leaves your device, export the letter to PDF from Word or Google Docs first and sign that.

Draw, type or upload: which signature looks best on a cover letter?

• Uploaded image of your real signature looks the most authentic. Sign on plain white paper with a dark pen, photograph it in good light, and crop tightly around the signature before uploading.
• Drawn signature works well on a phone or tablet with a finger or stylus. With a mouse it can come out shaky, so take a couple of attempts.
• Typed signature in a cursive font is neat and consistent. It is perfectly acceptable for a cover letter, though some readers will recognise it as a font rather than handwriting.

Whichever you choose, use the same one across your CV, cover letter and any later documents, such as an offer letter, so your applications look consistent.

Common mistakes when signing a cover letter

• Signing a draft. Spotting a typo after signing means starting again. Proofread first.
• Forgetting the typed name. A signature alone can be hard to read. Your typed name underneath makes it clear who wrote the letter.
• Using a bright ink colour. Red, green or orange can look playful. Stick to black or dark blue.
• A low-quality signature image. A blurry photo with a grey background or shadow makes the letter look scanned and messy.
• Sending a Word file when a PDF was expected. A PDF keeps your layout fixed on every device. Many applicants send cover letters as PDF for exactly this reason.
• Signing an email-body cover letter with an image. Inline signature images are often stripped or shown as attachments. In an email, a typed name is cleaner.

Is an electronic signature acceptable on a job application?

For a cover letter, yes. A cover letter is not a contract; the signature is a courtesy that shows the letter is complete and personally sent. Adding it electronically is a normal, widely used way to finish a letter you send as a file.

Later in the hiring process you may be asked to sign documents that do carry legal weight, such as an offer letter or employment contract. Electronic signatures are accepted for most everyday agreements under laws such as ESIGN and UETA in the US and eIDAS in the EU, but a few document types require more formal signatures. Docsigns creates a standard electronic signature, not a certificate-based qualified digital signature. If an employer specifies a particular signing method, follow their instructions. This is general information, not legal advice.

Quick checklist before you send

• Closing line with only the first word capitalised, followed by a comma.
• Signature in black or blue, sized to one or two lines of text.
• Full typed name directly below the signature.
• File saved and sent as a PDF unless the employer asked for Word.
• A sensible file name, such as your name followed by "cover letter".

Spend two minutes on the sign-off and the last thing the hiring manager sees is a tidy, finished letter. You can read more practical guides on signing everyday documents on the Docsigns blog.