How To Read What Signatures Mean

Handwriting analysis is a tricky business. At the moment, it's up in the air as to whether the testimony of a handwriting analyst can be used in court cases, mostly because it's hard to get a straightforward result from a piece of writing.

For instance, an analyst may think they have a fix on a person's penmanship style only to find that they wrote a given piece from a weird angle and it usually looks totally different. Yet, in their journey to hammer out these bugs in their field, these analysts have apparently stumbled upon some common traits in handwriting that speak to certain personality types. So they've applied their findings to how we write our signatures because what's more personal than that, right?

So let's have a look at what they think with these 15 handy examples.

COMMENT and tell us how close your signature is to your personality.

1. A Downward Slope

If your signature slopes downward, it apparently means that you're cautious in meetings and you weigh the risks before you act. It also suggests pessimism. However, if it slants upwards, it suggests you're more ambitious and look towards the future.

2. Initials

If you sign with your initials, this is a sign that you're a private person who doesn't share that much about themselves. The fact that Mark Zuckerberg has this kind of signature is pretty ironic considering sharing is what Facebook's all about.

3. Underlining

Underlining a signature suggests a sense of self-importance, while leaving the underline out apparently means you let your achievements speak for themselves.

4. Slanting Towards The Right

If your signature slants to the right, that seems to mean you have an outgoing personality. There's no word on what slanting to the left means, but I imagine that's pretty hard to do.

5. No Slanting

This is considered a balanced, fairly modest way of signing your name. If the signature is easy to read to boot, it suggests an open and straightforward disposition.

6. An Illegible Signature

Surprisingly, this is a sign of mental agility, sharp intelligence, and a busy lifestyle. Well, that's good news for me because my penmanship has always been terrible.

7. A Heavily Stylized Signature

This shows creative flair and that you like to make a statement. Also, if you sign with a nickname like this graffiti artist it apparently means you're independent and confident in your abilities.

8. Large Capital Letters

This signature indicates confidence and a strong sense of self-worth, which can turn into arrogance if the signer's not careful. In President Obama's case, the strong start to his signature apparently means he strives to make his presence felt.

9. A Clear First Name And An Illegible Surname

Apparently, this kind of signature suggests you think personal accomplishments are very important and you're easily approachable.

10. Large, Swooping Letters.

This kind of signature is a sign of an extroverted and confident person. I'm sure John Hancock would be happy to hear that.

11. A Flick Or Line At The End

This little flourish suggests a proactive person with a lot of drive and determination.

12. A Period At The End 

This is supposed to be the sign of a strong, shrewd business leader.

13. No Surname

This means you have a relaxed approach to business. Though in Matthew Peak's case, that apparently had more to do with having a distinct identity from his father.

14. No Dots On The Letter I

If you leave these out, it means you focus on the bigger picture and don't like worrying about small details.

15. An Upward Turn Towards The End

This is supposed to suggest you have a strong sense of optimism.

COMMENT and tell us what your signature told you about yourself.