What is a Wet Signature?

Difference between wet signature and electronic signatures

What is a wet signature? The concept of a wet signature has been in use for centuries and it is still widely used today, especially in legal and official documents. However, with the increasing use of technology, electronic signatures have become a popular and more commonly accepted alternative to wet signatures. Electronic signatures, or e-signatures, are digital representations of a person's signature that can be added to a document electronically. In this blog post, we will define wet signature’s meaning, and explore the differences between wet signatures and electronic signatures to provide you with a comprehensive understanding of their uses and applications.

Wet signature meaning

By definition, a wet signature is a traditional method of signing a document by physically using a pen against paper. Wet signatures are often referred to as wet ink signatures because the ink from the pen is still wet when the document is signed.

When should you still use a wet signature?

In today’s standards, wet ink signatures provide physical proof that a person has signed a document, making them ideal for legal and official documents that require authenticity. As wet signatures have a long history and cultural significance, some still prefer to use them as a way to add a personal touch to signatures. While electronic signatures offer convenience and efficiency, they may still not be accepted in some regions for some contexts such as notarized documents, or legal documents like wills, making wet signatures still relevant and necessary today.

Can you use Sign.Plus for a wet signature?

Wet signatures are not as easy to obtain as electronic signatures, but Sign.Plus, a legally-binding and secure electronic signature solution, speeds up the process. You can still use Sign.Plus to send a copy of the agreement safely via digital delivery to the recipient. This reduces the chance of your documents getting lost in transit. From there, your recipient can fill out any additional information through Sign.Plus’ web app or mobile app, then directly download to print the agreement to sign in person. Once the signer places their wet signature, they can scan the document and reupload it to the Sign.Plus platform, and send a copy to the original recipient.

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Difference between wet signature vs electronic signature

When it comes to security and reliability between wet signature vs electronic signature, eSignatures are more secure than traditional wet signatures, making them less-susceptible to forgery. Wet ink signatures require physical signing and can be verified through handwriting analysis, which is a more unreliable and time-consuming method of verification. Typically, validation and attribution for wet signatures are determined by matching signature copies and providing evidence from handwriting specialists or witnesses who were present during the signing. On the other hand, documents signed with Sign.Plus electronic signature solution offer data encryption at rest and in transit, tamper-proof audit logs, which provide a record of all signing activities with legal proof of signing details, and validation of the authenticity of a signer’s electronic signatures. By removing the chance for human error and automating the entire data capturing process, audit trails make it easier to establish authenticity and address disputes over signatures.

Additionally, documents that require wet ink signatures need physical transportation and storage which can cause delays, increased costs, and other inefficiencies in the signing process. It should be noted that documents that require wet signatures can be altered or damaged during transit, making this process not only costly and time-consuming, but also less dependable. With eSignatures, however, anyone can securely sign documents electronically from any device, and also keep track of their recipient’s signature progress on the go.

More on advantages of using eSignatures

Electronic signatures offer several more advantages to traditional wet ink signatures as they are more convenient and advantageous to use today. Firstly, eSignatures save time and money as documents can be signed and sent electronically without the need for physical transportation or storage. This means that the signing process can be completed much more quickly and efficiently, without the need for face-to-face meetings or physical delivery of documents.

Secondly, eSignatures offer a more streamlined and convenient signing experience, as signers can sign documents from any location and using any device including a computer, mobile phone, or tablet. This means that signers can easily sign documents while on-the-go or from remote locations, making the signing process much more flexible and accessible.

Thirdly, eSignature solutions, like Sign.Plus, are more secure than wet signatures as they use advanced encryption and authentication technologies to ensure the integrity and authenticity of signatures. Sign.Plus is a secure electronic signature solution that offers some of the strongest security and privacy protections to safeguard user data, including data encryption in transit and at rest, automated and manual application security audits, two-factor authentication, single sign-on (SSO) and more. This means that eSignatures through Sign.Plus platform are less susceptible to forgery and tampering, providing greater peace of mind for signers and document recipients.

Lastly, it is important to recognize that using eSignatures is also beneficial for the environment, as it eliminates the need for paper-based documentation, reducing waste and saving trees. Overall, the convenience and advantages offered by electronic signatures make them a highly attractive option for businesses and individuals looking to streamline their document signing processes and reduce costs.Learn more about the advantages of eSignatures.

How to add an electronic signature to your documents with Sign.Plus

To add a signature to a PDF online and eSign PDF documents, you just need to type, draw, or scan your signature and use the Sign.Plus app on web or mobile to add the eSignature.

Follow these simple steps to eSign a PDF file online:

Sign up for a free account on Sign.Plus.
Go to the Sign section, upload the PDF documents you wish to sign electronically, and click on Sign Myself.
Select the fields you would like to add to your document.
eSign PDF file right away.

In conclusion, if you are looking for a fast, secure, and convenient way to sign documents, consider using Sign.Plus’s free electronic signature. Sign.Plus offers all the advantages of eSignatures, including various compliance offerings, time and cost savings, a better signing experience, enhanced security, and better record-keeping capabilities.

Try Sign.Plus today and experience the benefits of electronic signatures for yourself!

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