Koala-T Assistant (MyKTA)

Sometimes it would be nice to send a signature without having to print the completed document first, sign the document, scan it, and save again in order to send to the recipient.

The document I was working on actually consisted of multiple signatures that were required. So there were signature lines that ran down the left margin, as well as a series of signatures that ran down the halfway point of the page.

If you have a signature line with subsequent lines indicating your title and department, a graphic can put too much space between the information and make it look, well… like you actually didn’t sign it. Also, you will want the ability to place the signature in a specific location.

These directions are for Word 2007. However, all of these features are available in Word 97-2003.

Directions to creating a signature within Word:

1. Scan your signature and save as a graphic file.  You may need to edit the graphic to select just the signature portion of the scan.  A really basic program that works great is Paint.  I know, too easy.
   • With the original scanned graphic in Word, point and click on the graphic to select it, Copy (Ctrl+C) the graphic, switch to Paint (Alt+Tab), and then Paste (Ctrl+V) the graphic into Paint.
   • Click outside the grahic onto the “white” background and drag the handles on the sides and /or corners of the “white” background to eliminate excess.
   • Don’t forget to save as a grahic file (jpg, tif).  When you do Save As, at the bottom, under where you type in the File name: is a drop down menu for Save as type:.
2. With your cursor on the signature line (it could be a graphic line or a tabbed underline), from the Menu bar select Insert. Then select Insert Picture from File.  From here your directory will appear for you to select the signature graphic.
3. Once you have selected your signature graphic, resize the graphic from the corner. If you resize from the top, bottom, or sides, it will expand or contract the image that is not a correct representation of your signature. If you resize from the corner it will maintain the aspect ratio and remain proportional to the authentic look of your signature.
4. With your mouse over the graphic, right click and select Text Wrapping, scroll and select Behind Text.
5. Select the graphic by left clicking on your mouse. While the graphic is selected, hold down the Ctrl key and pressing the up, down, left, and right arrow keys. This will position the graphic incrementally to where you want it. Or, you can merely hold down the left mouse button and drag the graphic to the location you want it go.

The graphic will literally go to any location you designate without interfering with or moving text around. Doing this permits the line to remain completely visible with any letters that would normally hang under it.

On a final note, I would like to suggest converting the document to .pdf or protecting the Word document as I explained earlier in Word: Restrict Formatting and Editing before sending it out. Otherwise your signature graphic is available to copy and save by anyone who receives the document in the original Word format.

Let me know how this works for you. Also, if you have any other suggestions that may be helpful, I welcome the creative insight. I did try keep the directions very simple. Sometimes, the more complicated, the more confusing.

Most people aren’t aware that you do not have to spend a lot of money to buy Adobe Acrobat to send a document that you do not want the content to be changed, such as agreements and contracts. Although Adobe Reader is free to download so anybody should be able to receive a document in pdf, if you do not have Adobe Acrobat or another program that manipulates pdf documents, you will not be able to create or convert documents to pdf.

Here is an alternate solution to sending a document that will protect individual content controls or to a group of controls with limited permissions and/or access directly from Word. (Note: I use Word 2007, so this may not apply to other versions of Word or the directions to apply may be different.)

Select Review and then select Protect Document.

1. If you want to limit the formatting that readers can apply, select Limit formatting to a selection of styles check box. By clicking on the Settings, you will be given a selection of styles to choose from.

2. If you want to allow readers to add comments only or track changes and comments, select the Allow only this type of editing in the document check box, and then click the editing level that you want. Editing levels consist of No changes (Read only), Tracked changes, Comments, and Filling in forms. You can select parts of the document and choose users who are allowed to freely edit by using Exceptions. (Note: The Exceptions tool only works on a network where users are listed in a domain.)

3. Start enforcement, click Yes, Start Enforcing Protection. This will prompt you to assign a password to the document so that only reviewers who know the password can remove the protection. (Note: Keep in mind that if you choose not to use a password, readers can change your editing restrictions.)

This technique allows you to transmit a document with the confidence of knowing that that the content cannot be altered. It eliminates having to save an additional file; when changes are made to the Word document, you do not have to remember to overwrite the converted pdf file; and you do not have to purchase a pdf program, such as Adobe Acrobat.

Hope this helps.