Will faint pen strokes survive?

Partly. Light or broken strokes are the main failure case, because there is less contrast between ink and paper for the model to work with. A thicker, darker pen and better lighting make the biggest difference.

Is this a legally valid e-signature?

Generally no. An image of a signature is not the same as a certified electronic signature with an identity and audit trail. Use a dedicated e-signature provider for anything legally significant.

Can I make the signature bigger?

Yes, run it through the upscaler — though photographing it larger in the first place gives a better result than enlarging afterwards.

How long do you keep my file?

Processed results are retained for 30 days so you can come back for them, then deleted automatically.

Paper to document in a minute

Turn a photographed signature into a transparent PNG

Sign a sheet of paper, photograph it with your phone, and upload it here. The paper disappears and you are left with just the ink — ready to place into a contract, a letterhead or an email footer.

Just the ink, no paperWorks from a phone photoFree to try

Drop an image here

or click to browse · paste from clipboard

Formats: JPG/JPEG, PNG, WebPMax size: 10 MB

How it works

1
Sign and photograph
Dark pen on plain white paper, photographed straight-on in good light.
2
Upload it
The paper background is detected and removed, leaving the strokes.
3
Download and place
Drop the transparent PNG into your document at whatever size you need.

How to photograph a signature so it cuts out well

Use a thick, dark pen — a fine ballpoint on textured paper is the hardest case.
Plain white paper, no lines and no letterhead behind the signature.
Even, indirect light. Direct light creates a shadow gradient across the page that looks like content.
Hold the camera parallel to the page rather than at an angle, so the strokes are not skewed.
Fill the frame with the signature and crop tight before uploading — more pixels on the ink means better edges.
A flatbed scan beats a photo every time if you have access to one.

Where a transparent signature is useful

The obvious use is signing a PDF without printing it, signing it and scanning it back. A transparent PNG placed over the signature line looks like ink on the page rather than a grey rectangle pasted on top.

Beyond that: email footers, letterheads, certificates, artwork credits, and any place a handwritten mark adds a personal touch to something otherwise typeset.

A word on security

An image of your signature is not a legally binding electronic signature in most jurisdictions, and it is trivially copyable by anyone who receives a document containing it. For anything with real legal or financial weight, use a proper e-signature service that records identity, intent and an audit trail.

Treat the image file the way you would treat a signed blank sheet of paper: keep it somewhere private, and think twice before sending it to anyone who does not need it. Cutola keeps processed results for 30 days so you can retrieve them, then deletes them automatically.

Frequently asked questions

Will faint pen strokes survive?: Partly. Light or broken strokes are the main failure case, because there is less contrast between ink and paper for the model to work with. A thicker, darker pen and better lighting make the biggest difference.
Is this a legally valid e-signature?: Generally no. An image of a signature is not the same as a certified electronic signature with an identity and audit trail. Use a dedicated e-signature provider for anything legally significant.
Can I make the signature bigger?: Yes, run it through the upscaler — though photographing it larger in the first place gives a better result than enlarging afterwards.
How long do you keep my file?: Processed results are retained for 30 days so you can come back for them, then deleted automatically.