OmniDocHow to fill in the date and name next to the signature of the contract so that they are not correct?
Explain why the name and date next to the signature are easily misaligned when signing a contract online, and how to use PDF to fill in the form and sign in two steps, and check each item before handing it over.
Key points of this article
- The signature, name, and date are two independent objects. Completing the signature does not mean that the text has been placed in the correct position. They must be filled in and checked separately.
- First confirm the structure of the signature page, determine whether it is a fillable space, a horizontal line, or a scanned copy, and then choose the method.
- The date is generally written on the day of signing, and remains in the same format as other dates in the contract body.
- Fill in the blanks with text before placing your signature. Leave a gap between the signature and the text to avoid overlapping each other.
- Enlarge and check page by page before exporting to confirm that each page that requires signature has been completed and retain the original file.
When many people sign a contract online, their signature has been drawn or placed, but their name and date fall outside the horizontal line, or are placed on the next clause. The reason is that signatures and text are two types of content, and placing the signature correctly does not mean that the words next to it are also placed in the correct position. How to sign a contract online? The key is to separate "signing" and "filling in" into two steps.
This article is intended for individuals and small teams who need to sign online on PDF contracts. After reading, you will know how to first judge the structure of the signature page, then use the PDF form filling function to fill in the name and date, and finally check item by item to ensure that the submitted document is not misaligned. The following method uses the PDF editor of the OmniDoc desktop client as an example. The general ideas are also applicable to other tools.
Should the date and name next to the contract signature be filled in separately? One sentence conclusion: Yes, separate text and signature.
First write your name and date by filling in the form, and then place your signature after confirming it is in place. The table below gives suggestions based on your situation.
| your situation | Recommended practices | reason |
|---|---|---|
| There are spaces to fill in the name and date next to the signature. | Use the PDF form filling function to directly fill in the name and date, and then put the signature | The text falls into the empty space, and the position is stable, making it easy to check. |
| There is only one horizontal line in the signature area and no spaces. | First confirm which line the name and date should be written on, and then place the text and signature above the horizontal line. | The horizontal lines do not have a fixed filling area and are easy to press against each other. |
| The contract needs to be signed by the other party | Use the signature request to send the PDF to the other party, and the other party will complete the signature online. | The signature and date are completed by the signer himself, with clear responsibilities |
| Scanned PDF, no spaces to fill in next to signature | Use OCR to identify the text first, and then determine whether it can be located and filled in; if it cannot be located, ask the other party to provide a fillable version. | OCR can only make text selectable and searchable, and will not generate fill-in spaces. |
Before you start: Confirm these points first
Take a few minutes to confirm the following items before starting to avoid rework.
- Confirm whether it is the final draft. The page number and amount of the terms in the draft and final version may be different. Sign on the wrong version, and even if the location is accurate, the content doesn't hold up.
- See clearly the structure of the signature page. Look through the pages page by page, find all the places that require signatures, write down the page numbers, and determine whether each place is a space, a horizontal line, or a table cell. The structure is different and the way of filling it out is also different.
- What should be written on the confirmation date. The effective date agreed in many contracts is not equal to the signing date. The date next to the signature should generally be written on the day of signing. Do not change the agreed date in the main body of the contract at will.
- Confirm how to write your name. The name should be consistent with the name of the party in the first part of the contract, and the company signature should be consistent with the full name of the company. Do not use abbreviations or nicknames.
- Confirm if the file is a digital version. If you can use the mouse to select a piece of text, it means it is a digital PDF and can be filled in directly; if you cannot select it, it is usually a scanned copy and you need to do OCR first or ask the other party to provide a fillable version.
Steps to fill in contract name and date in OmniDoc
The following steps are completed in the OmniDoc desktop client. If you haven't installed it yet, you can download it from download.omnidoc.top first. It supports Windows, macOS and Linux.
- Open the contract PDF, turn to the signature page page by page, check the page number and the location where signature is required, and confirm that it is consistent with the main text of the contract.
- Use the form filling function, click on the name space next to the signature, and enter the full name consistent with the first part of the contract.
- Fill in the date on the day of signing in the date space, and the format should be consistent with other dates in the contract text, for example, it should be written in the format of "year, month, day".
- Enlarge the page and check whether the text completely falls within the space and does not exceed the border or be cropped.
- Use the signature function, place your handwritten signature or signature picture above the signature horizontal line, leave a gap between the signature, name and date, and do not suppress the text.
- If you need the other party to sign, use the signature request function to send the PDF to the other party, and the other party will complete the signature online. You do not have to fill it out on their behalf.
- Save as a new file, indicate the version or date in the file name, and keep the original file without signature for later comparison.
Check each item after completion
After getting the results, check them one by one according to the table below, and correct any problems in time if they are found.
| Check items | How to see | What to do if there is a problem |
|---|---|---|
| name location | Zoom in to check if the text is inside the name space and if it has run into adjacent clauses | Undo the modification and refill it in the correct position |
| Date format | Check whether the wording of other dates in the contract text is consistent, and whether the numbers and wording are consistent | Uniformly switch to the same format |
| Whether the signature is embossed | Check if there is a clear gap between the signature boundary and the name or date | Move the signature position, and shrink the signature image if necessary |
| Check if the page is complete | Every page requiring signatures has been completed, with no signs missing | Supplementary signing, and page by page again |
| File version | Check whether the exported document is the final version, and whether the page numbers and content match the main text of the contract | Compare with the original file to check, and if inconsistencies are found, go back to step one and redo |
If the document has been processed by OCR, special verification is required to verify the identified name, number, and date. Machine recognition may cause typos, and important content needs to be compared character by word with the original.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
1. The signature is well drawn, so why is the date still crooked?
The signature and date are two separate objects; the correct signature placement does not necessarily mean the date is also correctly placed. Usually, the date is not filled in the corresponding space, or it is written elsewhere on the page. Just check the location of each date one by one.
2. There are no spaces in the PDF. Can I write my name directly on it?
You can first check whether the file supports direct entry. If you can select text, you can try filling it in the editor; If the signature only has a blank, it's recommended to place your name and date above the lines and confirm the writing method with the recipient. If location is not possible, the initiator should provide a fillable version with spaces.
3. Should the date be written as the signing date or as stipulated in the contract?
The date next to the signature is usually written as the date of signing, indicating the date the person completed the signing. The effective date stipulated in the contract text is a different matter; do not confuse the two. If you're unsure, follow the contract terms or the other party's requirements.
4. What do I need to do when the other party signs online?
You can send the PDF to the recipient using a signing request. After the recipient opens it, they follow the page prompts to complete the signature. The signature and date should be confirmed by the signer themselves; you do not need to fill them out on behalf of the other party. Before sending, it is still recommended to double-check each page yourself to confirm the document content is correct.
📝 Summary
How to sign a contract online is key to separating the text and signature: first fill in the name and date according to the signature page structure, then place the signature, and finally verify each page one by one. As long as the position, format, and version match, the text next to the signature will not be misaligned.
