E-Sign vs. Printing: How to Get a Contract Signed Online

Most contracts are still signed the slow way: one side prints, signs, scans and emails a PDF; the other side prints that, signs, scans and emails it back. By the third round the document is a photocopy of a photocopy, and nobody can say for certain which version is the executed one.

What a real e-sign flow needs

Stamping a signature image onto a PDF solves the picture problem. It does not solve the workflow problem. A useful signing request carries five things:

• Placement. The sender decides exactly where each signature, initial, date, name, tick or text field goes — the recipient does not have to guess.
• Assignment. Each field belongs to a named recipient. With several signers, the document can follow a defined order so the second person signs only after the first.
• A private link. The recipient opens one link, sees only their own fields and does not need an account.
• Completion evidence. The finished PDF comes back with a certificate and an audit trail recording who signed, when and from where.
• Control. The sender can see drafts, pending and completed requests, send reminders, and withdraw or renew a request that has expired.

Is an electronic signature legally binding?

In many jurisdictions, yes. The US ESIGN Act, the EU's eIDAS regulation and India's Information Technology Act, 2000 all recognise electronic signatures for a wide range of agreements. But the details differ by country, by document type and by the other side's own requirements — wills, some property documents and certain regulated contracts still expect ink, witnesses or a certified digital signature.

The practical rule: an electronic signature is the electronic equivalent of your pen-and-ink signature, not a notarised act. If the counterparty insists on a specific method, ask before you send.

When a pasted signature image is not enough

For a one-off form you sign yourself, a drawn signature dropped onto the page is fine — that is what Fill & Sign does. Reach for a signing request when:

• somebody else has to sign, and you need to know that they did;
• there are several signers and an order matters;
• you need a record — dates, recipients, completion — that stands up when the file is filed away;
• the agreement has to go out many times with the same fields, so a reusable template saves the setup.

How E-Signer runs the loop

E-Signer is the signing desk in the suite: prepare the PDF, add your own signature, place the fields the other party must fill, then send. The recipient opens a private link, signs, and both sides receive the sealed document with its certificate and audit trail. The desk keeps drafts, pending requests and completed agreements in one place, supports up to ten signers on one document and up to fifty separate recipients in a bulk send, and lets the sender withdraw or renew a request.

What happens to the document

Signing needs the file to stay available while the request is open, so an envelope keeps the uploaded PDF and the recipients' signing details until it is completed, expires or is withdrawn. Signing links are private, single-purpose and expire with the request. Everything else about the service — encryption in transit, hashed credentials, automatic deletion for ordinary uploads — is on the Security page.

Start a request

E-Sign is $10/mo on its own, or $15/mo with LegalWorkflow in the combo. See how E-Signer works and start with the document you already have.