How did you develop your signature?

[Gadough]

This is going to be a rather odd thread, but...it's a question I've had for years, and I'm tired of not knowing the answer. How does one go about developing their own style when signing their name on something? When I sign my name, it looks like what a 4th grader's signature would look like. That is, you can clearly tell what it says, and every letter stands out. But everyone else has their own unique signature that usually doesn't even closely resemble their name. In fact, to me, most people's signatures just look like random squiggles. If I didn't know the person, I'd have no idea what it said.

But this seems to be the norm. Every signature I see is unique to that individual. (And often illegible). Here, let me show you what I'm talking about, if I'm not being clear enough.



The top signature is me. Compare that to the other two. That's what I'm talking about.

My question: How did you develop your signature? Did you decide to practice it one day? Did you come up with your own unique way of writing it, or did you develop it over time without effort? Because, like I said, I'm tired of my signature not standing out. It looks so childish and unprofessional.

[LieLowTheWantedMan]

It just happened for me. The funny thing for me is whenever I write my signature I omit the A in my last name.

[73109]

It came from me trying to write my name as fast as humanly possible.

[robwebster]

Mine came about because I remembered something I saw on Art Attack when I was eight. They were doing something about how, if you were signing autographs, you could come up with something small and creative so you could sign thousands in minutes. Apparently it stuck with me, because it was the first thing I thought of when I first needed to sign something. Practiced it on paper a couple of times, and then put it on whatever it was. (Debit card?)

It's more a sort of emblem than a signature. Combined the R with the W. Three strokes. Very concise. I'll sometimes write the rest of my surname after the W, which I used to do because everyone has long signatures and I thought it was obligatory, but less often nowadays.

'Course, sometimes I like to just draw a picture. Usually smiley faces, but I've done a house, the sun, and a bird in the last few weeks or so. Receipts. Nice to take your time on them, do a proper little line drawing.

Drew a picture of a cow as my signature on a disclosure agreement form lately... that backfired. Had to spend about five minutes convincing the fella that it was my real signature. With a straight face. Didn't have the heart to admit it was a joke. Still don't.

[Jamesman42]

I make sure to correctly write out all the letters of my first name, the first four and the last letter(s) of my last name. The "berr" in my name get a wavy line cus it takes too long.

Edit due to RWebster: Half the time I sign with my initials anyway, an emphasized JW with a circle around it.

[sonatafanica]

It just sort of comes naturally. I didn't sit around and design it or anything.

[orcus116]

Mine's just scribble now but I've been thinking about refining it somewhat.

[ScioPath]

I stole the 'D' from Daniel Webster's signature. The rest is scribble.

[LeeHarveyKennedy]

Any time someone suitably awesome says something indescribably true about me, it gets put there.

Oh. You meant... Oh.

Basically, I hate-fuck paper with a pen in the shape of my name.

[Ultimetalhead]

It used to be just writing my name in cursive, then I got progressively lazier. As soon as I mess up a letter, the rest becomes a scribble.

[Nekov]

It came from me trying to write my name as fast as humanly possible.

This. However I am unable to replicate it well enough. I just do some doodle that looks kind of what my signature is supposed to be. I have had problems in the bank for this  . I am so bad at writing...

[DarkLord_Lalinc]

acidrainlte did it for me, I think

[glaurung]

Cole is a total failure.

You're not alone, my signature looks like a little kid's cursive too.

[Gadough]

Actually, Cole has provided me with the best suggestion so far. I'm gonna try that approach. If that doesn't work, I'll just take Rob's advice and draw a picture every time.

[Fiery Winds]

I did the same as the OP until I was promoted to cashier supervisor and had to sign my name about 50 times a shift.  So I shortened it to the first two letters of my first name (MI) plus the first two letters of my last name (SH) written together in cursive.  Over time, the last two letters faded into up and down curves.

[juice]

I think orcus was making the DTF labs sigs so I applied for one.

[Space Invader]

I used to be in the same boat as you Gadough. My signature was pathetically childlike, just cursive. Then about a year ago I decided "screw this" I'm making myself a signature.

What I did is I took the route my father takes, which is make the first letter of his first and last name stand out and the other letters sort of scribbles. So I developed a certain way of writing the "N" and "D" of my first and last name, scribbles in between and instant signature. Since then I've added a sort of crossback through my signature with the slash on the "T" at the end.

This might work for you.   

[Gadough]

Actually, as I look at the picture I posted in the OP, I can see that my last name is much closer to a signature than my first name is. I've never noticed that before. I wonder why that is.

[robwebster]

Actually, as I look at the picture I posted in the OP, I can see that my last name is much closer to a signature than my first name is. I've never noticed that before. I wonder why that is.

I imagine 'cause you get bored halfway through the act of writing it. Which sounds ridiculous, like I'm taking the piss, but I'm not trying to make fun. Guessing from the way I operate. To tell the truth I can bore within half-seconds. At first it's "ooh, let's make this nice and shiny," but by the surname it sort of descends into "...FUCK THIS."

(Half the reason I never bother writing the surname. But also 'cause I like the emblem.)

[bosk1]

The first time in my life I was ever asked to sign a document, I spent four days constructing a detailed depiction of the Assyrian conquest of Isreal with the letters of my name cleverly hidden in the drawing.  Due to time constraints, I later disciplined myself to do an abbreviated version in much less time.  

[chrisbDTM]

The first time in my life I was ever asked to sign a document, I spent four days constructing a detailed depiction of the Assyrian conquest of Isreal with the letters of my name cleverly hidden in the drawing.  Due to time constraints, I later disciplined myself to do an abbreviated version in much less time.  

pics or it didnt happen

[HarlequinForest]

Mine's basically cursive, but I make the big letters really big and the small letter really small.  IMO, it looks extravagant, attractive, and still legible, but it doesn't have much character.

[pogoowner]

I have to sign for any package I receive here at school. I sign my name as fast as I can to get it out of the way. And that's how I've developed my sloppy mess of a signature.

[MetalJunkie]

I used to write my name out completely, until I got a warehouse management position. Signing paper after paper, I quickly developed it into an illegible mess. It's been that way ever since.

[El Barto]

I think it just evolved.  I tried as a youngster to figure out a cool looking signature, buy my name just doesn't work well for that.  I eventually just developed the habit of writing my name as fast as possible, and it became less and less defined.  Now,  first letter quick but neat, then a squiggly line.  Three humps, usually, but they decrease in size so the last might or might not be identifiable as a hump. 

I've found that as I get older, my normal writing is looking more and more like my signature writing.  Most of what I do formally is typed, so actual writing is less frequent and therefore much more rushed.  My handwriting has always sucked ass, but was mostly legible.  Not any more. 

[ScioPath]

The first time in my life I was ever asked to sign a document, I spent four days constructing a detailed depiction of the Assyrian conquest of Isreal with the letters of my name cleverly hidden in the drawing.  Due to time constraints, I later disciplined myself to do an abbreviated version in much less time.  

Really? My grandfather, a former archaeologist, has among his collection of unidentified artifacts a yet-to-be-dated piece that fits your description. On closer examination, the letters "B" "O" "S" "K" and "1" could be found, respectively:

In the constellations, as the orb on the first king's staff, as the river defining the Zebulon border, as the ornament on the third king's staff (?), and on the left wall of the Assyrian temple.

Below is a quick rendering I made, since I had no means of copying the tablet directly. If this is your design (I'm assuming it is), please let me know. Thanks.


(right click --> view.)

[MetalJunkie]

That is marvelous. Bravo.

[Sigz]

At this point it's just a scribble that slightly resembles my first name in cursive.

[carl320]

It used to be just writing my name in cursive, then I got progressively lazier.

[SPNKr]

I think I have a pretty cool signature. ZBomber's a funny guy and I love him, so yeah.

[Jamesman42]

The first time in my life I was ever asked to sign a document, I spent four days constructing a detailed depiction of the Assyrian conquest of Isreal with the letters of my name cleverly hidden in the drawing.  Due to time constraints, I later disciplined myself to do an abbreviated version in much less time. 

Really? My grandfather, a former archaeologist, has among his collection of unidentified artifacts a yet-to-be-dated piece that fits your description. On closer examination, the letters "B" "O" "S" "K" and "1" could be found, respectively:

In the constellations, as the orb on the first king's staff, as the river defining the Zebulon border, as the ornament on the third king's staff (?), and on the left wall of the Assyrian temple.

Below is a quick rendering I made, since I had no means of copying the tablet directly. If this is your design (I'm assuming it is), please let me know. Thanks.


(right click --> view.)

They had Teh River even back then, eh?

[Orbert]

My first name is Robert, and one day I crossed the "t" without managing to lift the pen off the paper, so the "t" looked liked the first four strokes of a pentagram if you started bottom-left.  I thought that was cool as fuck, but then, I was in junior high at the time.

Over time, my signature has devolved into an "R" with a squiggle and a "Y" with a smaller squiggle.  It is impossible to read, but probably pretty tough to imitate as well.  I'd know right away if someone had tried to fake my signature.

[ScioPath]

They had Teh River even back then, eh?

[TempusVox]

My signature has changed over the years. It used to be very professional looking. Now it's pretty short and sweet, and I had someone at a bookstore tell me a couple of years ago "I guess that's you. If I didn't see you sign it, I wouldn't know what it says. It just looks like a squiggly line."  I told her it was much easier that way. She was probably an English teacher. 

[rumborak]

I am left-handed and have given up on the idea of writing anything pretty. So, my signature is simply me writing my name, which is undreadable for most people, so it's a signature in itself.

rumborak