Create a See-through Signature
Fade a signature so it reads as a watermark over a document instead of covering the text underneath.
Free preview · No signup · ~10 seconds
Drop a signature — image or 1-page PDF
PNG, JPG, WebP, SVG or a 1-page PDF — up to 20 MB
Runs entirely in your browser. Your image is never uploaded.
What a translucent signature is for
Opacity is the alpha channel
Lowering opacity scales the alpha value of every pixel, so the result is genuinely see-through rather than a lighter shade of ink. Whatever sits behind it shows through wherever the signature overlaps.
Finding the level
Between 30 and 50 percent usually reads as deliberate: present enough to be seen, faint enough that the text underneath is still comfortable to read. Below 20 it disappears on a busy page, above 60 it starts competing with the content.
PNG is the only option
JPG has no alpha channel, so a translucent signature saved as JPG loses its transparency and gains a solid white background. The result here is always PNG for that reason.
A mark, not a security feature
A faded signature signals authorship and discourages casual reuse. It is not protection: anyone determined can crop or paint it out. Treat it as a courtesy label rather than a lock.
Fading versus lightening
Reducing opacity lets the background through, so the same file looks right on white paper and on a coloured template. Picking a lighter grey instead bakes the result in and looks wrong the moment the background changes.
How to create a see-through signature
Upload your signature
Drop in a signature, ideally one that is already transparent so only the ink fades. Scanned to PDF instead? A single-page PDF works as well — page 1 is turned into an image in your browser.
Set the opacity
Drag the slider down. The checkerboard behind the result shows exactly how much is showing through.
Download
Take a free preview, or download the full-resolution PNG with one credit.
Where a faded signature works
Draft documents
Mark a draft as yours without obscuring the text being reviewed.
Approval watermarks
Lay a faint signature across a page to show it has been signed off.
Proofs and previews
Send a client a readable proof that is visibly marked and not final.
Layered templates
Build letterheads where the signature sits under the text rather than over it.
Or just ask
Describe the edit in your own words
Type what you want changed and the assistant does it on the canvas — each step lands as a layer you can reopen, so nothing it does is baked in.
No edits yet.
Frequently Asked Questions
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How to Fix Blurry or Fringed Edges on a Transparent PNG
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SVG vs PNG for Logos: Which File Do You Actually Need?
What SVG and PNG really are, where each one wins, why your developer keeps asking for the SVG, and the three files that cover almost every request.
How to Make a Duotone Image in Figma (Building One From Blend Modes)
Figma has no duotone effect. You assemble one from a desaturated image and two blended rectangles — here is the layer stack, the order that matters, and an honest account of what it costs to maintain.
Make a see-through signature
Upload, set the opacity, and download a translucent PNG.