Comparison
Print, sign, scan, email
This is still the most common way a small business gets a contract signed, and it works right up until somebody disputes it. The difference is not really convenience. It is what you are holding six months later when the story changes.
Side by side
| Signathing | Print and scan | |
|---|---|---|
| What you end up with | A certified PDF listing every signer, timestamp, and a document fingerprint. | An image of a signature, with whatever your scanner recorded. |
| Proof of who signed | Each signer's own private link, with the signing recorded against it. | A signature that looks like a signature. |
| Proof of when | A timestamp in the audit trail on every action. | Whatever date somebody wrote on the page. |
| Proof they received it | View-only recipients create certified proof of receipt without needing a signature. | A sent-mail folder. |
| Turnaround | The signer taps a link and signs from their phone. | Requires a printer, a scanner, and their willingness to find both. |
| Chasing people | Automatic reminders go out on their own. | You remember, or you do not. |
The printer is the reason deals stall
Plenty of people no longer own a working printer, and asking a customer to find one is asking them to postpone signing. The delay is not usually a decision to say no. It is a decision to deal with it later, and later is where deals go quiet.
What an audit trail actually gets you
A scanned signature proves that a signature exists on a page. A certified record proves who opened the document, from what link, and at what time, and it fingerprints the exact file so a later version cannot be swapped in quietly.
That distinction rarely matters. When it does, it matters entirely.
Common questions
- Can I still send a paper copy too?
- Yes. The completed certified PDF prints like any other document, and most people keep one for their file.
- What if my customer is not comfortable signing online?
- Some will not be, and that is fine. Nothing stops you from printing that one. Most people find tapping a link easier than finding a printer.
- Can I photograph a paper document and send it for signature?
- Yes. You can scan pages with a phone camera, place the signature and date fields on the scan, and send it out for signing.
More in compare
Free, and not the kind of free with a catch
Unlimited documents, unlimited signers, certified PDFs on every one. No trial clock and no card to start.
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