Is a Signature Image Legally Valid? Why It Falls Short of an E-Signature

Scanning or pasting in a signature image is often mistaken for an “electronic” signature. But does it carry any real legal value? What are you risking by choosing the image format?

What is an image-format signature?

A signature in JPG or PNG format is simply a digital image of a handwritten signature.

Although it is rarely discussed as a signature format in its own right, the image signature is regularly used, for example, to sign quotes and purchase orders, some invoices and other supplier contracts.

Here is a typical scenario:

• You are a client of a service provider and receive an email with a quote in PDF format that you need to sign.
• You open the PDF, and a tab in your software offers to let you sign the document.
• You place the image of your signature – saved beforehand or created on the spot – in the relevant box.

A common practice, then, and perfectly lawful. However, an image signature does not protect you well enough, whether you are a professional or a private individual, when it comes to the law.

Don’t confuse an image signature with an electronic signature!

Although image signatures are widely used to sign electronic documents, they are not equivalent to an electronic signature.

And with good reason:

• A JPG or PNG signature is essentially a visual representation of the handwritten signature
• An electronic signature is a process that brings together a set of technologies, security protocols and regulatory compliance.

Unlike an image signature, an electronic signature is a process that brings together a set of technologies, security protocols and regulatory compliance.

Image signature vs electronic signature: a comparison.

Security and authenticity.

Security and authenticity are among the main criteria for comparing an image signature with an electronic signature:

• An image signature is vulnerable to forgery, because it can easily be copied, altered or even reproduced identically. That opens the door above all to identity theft, with all the serious consequences that follow. An image-format signature carries no proof of authenticity and no identification of the signatory.
• An electronic signature, by contrast, relies on advanced cryptographic methods that guarantee the signatory’s identity and that the document has not been altered. It therefore delivers far higher levels of security and authenticity.

Data integrity.

An electronic signature guarantees the integrity of documents by binding them inseparably to the signature itself.

Any attempt to modify the document after signing is detected, protecting against tampering with the information.

Image signatures, on the other hand, do not provide this level of security, leaving documents potentially exposed to undetected alteration.

Legal value.

In court, in the event of a dispute over a contract for example, what gets checked is whether the signature is compliant.

Here, the electronic signature beats the JPG or PNG format hands down. A signature is valid only if the signatory’s origin is proven and the document’s integrity and authenticity are proven too.

Electronic signatures that comply with the eIDAS Regulation have legal validity equivalent to handwritten signatures across Europe.

An image signature, on the other hand, could be challenged as unreliable in the eyes of the law.

Sign.vet ensures legal compliance across the European Union, delivering legally valid electronic signatures. Compliant with the eIDAS Regulation, they are enforceable throughout the EU and carry evidential weight in law, ensuring the integrity, authenticity and legal validity of your documents. It is a secure solution that meets the legal requirements for electronic signatures.

Traceability.

The other major advantage of electronic signatures is their ability to provide complete traceability and auditability (in other words, everything can be audited and checked).

Every step of the electronic signing process is recorded, giving a detailed history of who signed, when, and which document was signed.

This makes transactions more reliable and adds legal protection in the event of a dispute.

In conclusion: choose security and legal validity by opting for an electronic signature rather than an image signature!

Although an image signature is convenient and widely used for informal purposes, it cannot match the robustness and the legal validity inherent in an electronic signature.

Advanced security, legal recognition and traceability make the electronic signature the obvious choice for business and contractual transactions.

It is the best way to guarantee the security, authenticity and legal validity of all your digitally signed documents.

You might also be interested in: “Signing contracts online: definition, benefits and how it works.”

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