how to add captions to images in google docs

Have you found yourself in a position where you needed to add a signature to a digital document? Perhaps you're signing a contract or adding a professional flare to a letter. If you're printing the document, it's a simple case of signing after it's printed. Of course, things are a little trickier if you want to email the document or print lots of copies of the same document.

Fortunately, if you do find yourself in a position where you need a signature on a Google Doc and want something a little more professional than just typing your name, there are a few ways you can add one.

Using the Built-in Drawing Tools

This is a good option if you have a drawing tablet or touchscreen. It's also quite usable if you only have a mouse but may not look as good as a regular signature would.

To use the drawing tools for a signature, go into the Google document you want to insert a signature into. Click "Insert -> Drawing … " at the top of the document, then New.

This opens a drawing canvas which is a handy tool for when you want to draw a picture for your document. You can add lines, arrows, shapes, text, and even import an image into the tool for editing. Though, for the time being, we're going to use the Scribble tool to write our signature.

You can find it under the "Select Line" drop-down menu.

This lets you draw "freeform" onto the canvas, meaning you can scribble whatever you like onto it, like your signature! What's more, if you have a drawing tablet or a touchscreen, you'll be able to draw a signature direct onto the canvas.

When you draw your first line, a series of tools appear at the top right.

These let you set the thickness, color, and consistency of your lines. The last line you draw is highlighted in blue.

Once you're done, click the "Save and Close" button, and your image will appear in the document.

Using an Add-on

If using Google's tools doesn't produce the results you want, you can try an add-on instead. Head to "Add-ons -> Get add-ons … " in the toolbar to search for a suitable Google Doc extension.

While you're free to experiment to search and use the add-on that suits you best, there are a few good choices.

"Simple Signature for Google Docs" is a basic free add-on that is straightforward to use. First, type or draw your signature in the sidebar.

Drawing a signature with Simple Signature.

Then insert it into your document.

You may also want to consider an advanced document-signing solution, such as DocuSign or HelloSign, though there are plenty of solutions to choose from.

Inserting an Image

If digital drawing isn't for you, perhaps going back to paper is the solution. Of course, you'll need to get the paper signature into a digital space so that you can use it in your document. This will require a scanner, so if you have one on hand, you're ready to go.

The easiest way to do this is to sign a piece of blank white paper or get a letter with your signature on it. Use the scanner to scan it in, then crop the image so only the signature remains.

Next, import it into Google Docs by clicking "Insert -> Image -> Upload from computer" in the toolbar.

Once you choose the file, it will be uploaded.

You could also save the document, print it, sign it on paper, then scan the whole thing and use that instead. However, you may notice a drop in the quality of the text after the printing and scanning process.

Using a Cursive Font

If drawing a signature isn't working out and you can't scan one in, you could use a script-styled font. It would be a chore to go through each font installed on your system to find one that looks good, so if you'd like to cut to the chase, you can use online tools that write your name in a signature style.

One nice option is Online Signature's font signature tool.

There are many options to choose from, so you can create a signature that suits your style. You can also set the size of your signature and even add a slope to it if you want.

Signing Off

It may seem tricky (if not impossible!) at first to add a signature to a digital Google Doc. By using a wide array of tools at your disposal, however, you can add a professional-looking signature to your documents.

If you'd like to know more about signing documents in a digital space, we've written about this before. We have also shown you how to convert Google Docs to Word documents and shared a Google Docs keyboard shortcuts cheatsheet to help you navigate faster.

Do you want to add your signature to a Google Doc, and if so, which tool are you going for? Let us know in the comments section below!

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Tom Rankin

Tom Rankin is a quality content writer for WordPress, tech, and small businesses. When he's not putting fingers to keyboard, he can be found taking photographs, writing music, playing computer games, and talking in the third-person.