eSign Basics

When you have a document to sign, it can be uploaded to an eSignature service, such as Dropbox Sign, to generate a signature. Once the document is eSigned, you can email the document to your intended recipient. eSignatures are a legally accepted and protected form of signature. In the US, they’re covered by the eSign Act.

The ESIGN Act, otherwise known as Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act, was signed in 2000 to give eSignatures the same status as written signatures.

Learn more about the ESIGN Act by downloading our free eBook: eSignatures 101.

Being able to eSign a document is great for improving workflows. When you eSign a document, you eliminate the need to print the document, sign it, then scan it. Being able to eSign documents streamlines the process for completing paperwork and reduces productivity waste.

Here are some of the other ways eSignatures are beneficial:

• Faster turnaround time for completed documents and contracts
• Better security and document tracking
• Low cost
• Eliminate paper waste

There are certain types of documentation that are not covered by the ESIGN Act (for example, adoption and divorce papers). For a list of documents that need to be signed in-person, you can ready about it in our blog post on eSignature legality.

Signing a document using Dropbox Sign only takes a few minutes. Here are the steps to eSigning your first document:

1. Create a Dropbox Sign account.
2. Choose who needs to sign (“Just me”, “Me & Others”, or “Just Others”).
3. Upload your document.
4. Sign or add signature fields.
5. Send off your document to the intended recipient.

For more detailed instructions, head over to our Help Center for information on this and other features.