Signatures on web pages, emails or download documents (eg PDF)

Signatures of council officials (eg the chief executive, leader of the council, a head of service, etc) should NEVER be published on web pages, appended to email messages or incorporated into download documents (eg PDF, Word, PowerPoint slides).

Inclusion of an individual's signature on anything other than official papers (where an authorised signature is a legal requirement) increases the possibility of fraudulent or mischievious usage of that signature and thereby damage to the reputation of the council.

A genuine signature can be like treasure trove to identity thieves or it could simply be used maliciously to pass off a document as being an official city council decision or promise.

The following image of Queen Elizabeth I's signature was scanned from a state document written during her reign. In the paper world, seeing such a signature written in ink is a reasonable way to believe that Elizabeth I has indeed signed the document (assuming that you can read it, that you are a handwriting expert with a trusted signature sample on file, and that the Queen didn't change her signature over time).

Very few people are handwriting experts, and even fewer have authenticated signatures on hand to compare a handwritten signature against. The reality is that very few signatures, even those written today on credit/debit card slips are ever verified because doing so is much harder and more time consuming than you might assume.

On the internet - which didn't exist in the 17th century - there is even less opportunity to authenticate a signature as valid. As Elizabeth I died in 1603 we can safely assume that she did not give her consent for its reproduction on this web page!

Other signature formats

There may be instances where an alternative format (not signed) signature is appropriate and the council's Creative Services team in Marketing & Communications will be pleased to provide advice and guidance upon request (creative.services@salford.gov.uk, 0161-793 3761).

This page was last updated on 3 October 2009