Ownership
Know who supplies and authorises the samples, and how they are associated with the intended signer.
BETASIGNATURE VERIFICATION
Compare signatures with authorised references.
Compare the signature in a scanned document with samples held for the intended signer. Give reviewers the candidate, reference and comparison evidence in one workflow.
Forms · contracts · mandates · delivery notes · cheques
Document → signature evidenceSIGNATURE REVIEW
THE FOUR QUESTIONS
Reference signature
Compare each candidate with references for the expected signer and review the writing in its source document.
REFERENCE SAMPLES
Start with the right person’s reference set.
The comparison question is specific: how does this document’s signature compare with the samples associated with the intended signer?
Choose references through your authorised process and keep their source clear. A filename or a visually similar mark cannot establish whose sample it is. Where a document has several signers, agree the association between each required field and the right reference set before comparing.
Genuine signatures can vary. Include the variation that your workflow actually encounters, and review whether the references are clear enough and relevant to the submitted sample. Agree the reference requirements during the beta evaluation rather than assuming a fixed sample count fits every case.
Variation
Use references that represent the signer’s normal variation instead of repeatedly supplying the same image.
Traceability
Agree how to record which reference set was used when a comparison is reviewed later.
WORKED EXAMPLES
Different appearances need different next steps.
Compare each signature with the relevant authorised references. Review image clarity, natural variation and differences before deciding the next step.
A poor capture and a clear disagreement are different conditions. Treating both as a mismatch hides the action needed to resolve the document.
| Comparison case | What to examine | Next step to agree |
|---|---|---|
| Shape varies across clear samples | Whether the change sits within the supplied reference variation | Review comparison evidence alongside the relevant references |
| Candidate is blurred or partly clipped | Whether the image contains enough usable signature detail | Request a better capture or follow the agreed exception path |
| Clear candidate differs from the references | The candidate, correct reference association and comparison evidence | Review the discrepancy under your document policy |
| No authorised reference is available | Whether comparison can proceed at all | Obtain an eligible reference or route for review |
Keep the comparison connected to the source page.
A reviewer needs to see where the candidate came from, including nearby fields and any overlapping stamp or handwriting. The located region connects the comparison to the complete document; the crop provides a closer view.
During integration, agree how your workflow carries the source page, candidate region, selected references and comparison outcome together. Make the reason for review understandable without asking an operator to reconstruct the earlier steps.
Set the review boundary for your workflow.
Evaluate comparison results against labelled examples from your documents. Agree when a result can feed the next validation and when someone should inspect the candidate and references. A detection score answers whether a signature-like region was found; comparison evidence addresses its relationship to the references.
A scan contains the visible signature image, not measured pen pressure or signing speed. Image similarity also does not prove that someone personally signed this particular document. Use the comparison as evidence within your operational decision.
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Frequently asked questions.
Do I need references for every signature task?
Detection and positioning can locate signature candidates without references. Verification compares a candidate with authorised reference samples, so it needs the relevant references.
How many reference samples should I provide?
Agree the number of references during the beta evaluation. Include sample quality, source and natural variation in your evaluation criteria.
Can I evaluate documents with several signers?
Yes. Bring the expected fields and signer roles into the evaluation, and agree how each candidate is associated with the right references. A count of detected regions does not identify the people who signed.
Does a close match establish authenticity?
It provides image-comparison evidence against the supplied references. It does not independently establish identity, document authenticity or that the person signed this particular document.
CHEQUEDB SIGNATURES · BETA
Start with your documents.
Define the checks that matter.
Discuss your document types, signature references and validation workflow with the ChequeDB team.