What is the best way to show on the Web or in email that a document has been signed?

Answer:

Signatures on the Web are risky. Regardless of the display format (html, PDF, etc.), signatures carry the risk of identity theft and of misuse. For this reason, images of an original official signature should not be displayed, especially on a publicly accessible Web site.  

The proper way to indicate an official signature for a document on a Web site (when there is a requirement that a signature be displayed) is the S-signature, a signature inserted between forward slash marks [37 CFR 1.4(d)(2)]:

The preferred S-signature must consist only of letters, or Arabic numerals, or both, with appropriate spaces and commas, periods, apostrophes, or hyphens for punctuation, and the S-signature must be inserted with a first single forward slash mark before, and a second single forward slash mark after, the S-signature (e.g., /Dr. James T. Jones, III/).

Please Note: This guidance is for Web site display purposes only where it is important to indicate an official signature has been obtained. Electronic submissions of applications or other documentation for HHS business purposes (i.e., grants, official reports, FDA drug approvals, etc.) have different requirements for electronic submission. Follow those specific instructions carefully for the successful submission of required documentation.

Learn More:

• Examples of 37 CFR § 1.4 Signatures (PDF) (US Patent & Trademark Office)