I was wondering is there something (a law?) that prevents someone from signing their signature on certain documents or papers with some kind of crazy colour? I thought I remembered reading or hearing that for things like contracts you need to use black or blue ink. Is this true? If this is true, what types of documents or papers require what colour/type of inks?
A question about ink colour and signing.
- Thread starter purerockfury
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I doubt if there's any specific laws about ink colors, but different government organizations or businesses can implement their own requirements about signing. Technically, you could write an "X" with a crayon and it could be considered a legal signature if witnessed.
I know red can be an issue with certain types of contracts but I don't think therr is any other restrictions
Solicitors firms in the UK have very strict rules about ink colour on wills and possibly some other documents - something to do with the different stages. If one's signed or annotated in the wrong colour it can cause real trouble.
Also police are supposed to sign statements in black ink, probably for when it'd be carbon copied. That's not a legal requirement, just procedural. From the same generation of coppers that refers to paper as 'silver linen'
Also police are supposed to sign statements in black ink, probably for when it'd be carbon copied. That's not a legal requirement, just procedural. From the same generation of coppers that refers to paper as 'silver linen'
Blue of black, so that a copy machine can pick it up, is good business practice. I highly prefer blue-black inks for signatures.
Edit: Dutch government instructions state that a dark ink is to be used for official documents, preferably black.
"Zet uw handtekening .... Doe dit met een pen met een donkere kleur inkt, het liefst zwarte inkt."
Edit: Dutch government instructions state that a dark ink is to be used for official documents, preferably black.
"Zet uw handtekening .... Doe dit met een pen met een donkere kleur inkt, het liefst zwarte inkt."
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I like to sign everything at work with green ink. I usually use a pelikan m200 with a double broad nib and Mont Blanc Irish Green ink.
Don't know about actual laws. For some paperwork, both government and business related, I have been specifically instructed to use blue, as it makes originals (or used to) stand out from photocopies or carbons. If I defiantly used black, brown, purple, or green instead, I don't know if anyone would make actually make trouble. For any kind of official signature, I prefer blue or blue-black anyway, and at least waterproof if not "registrar's" quality.
Even if there isn't a law as such, some agencies or businesses may have firm policies about how they want things done, and it's usually not worth arguing. Others may have the policy in place but be lax about enforcement, some may not care at all. If somebody wants my signature in an ink color that I'm not carrying, I just ask that they provide the pen.
[EDIT] At work last week, we were saying farewell to a couple of people who retired after many years. Among other things, we gave them work related picture collages, with handwritten personal messages on the frames. The lady who organized this was very firm that she wanted us to sign with the black Sharpies that she provided, but that seemed to be carrying things a little too far. I used one of my vintage pens (I actually forget which) with Noodler's Violet Vote.
Even if there isn't a law as such, some agencies or businesses may have firm policies about how they want things done, and it's usually not worth arguing. Others may have the policy in place but be lax about enforcement, some may not care at all. If somebody wants my signature in an ink color that I'm not carrying, I just ask that they provide the pen.
[EDIT] At work last week, we were saying farewell to a couple of people who retired after many years. Among other things, we gave them work related picture collages, with handwritten personal messages on the frames. The lady who organized this was very firm that she wanted us to sign with the black Sharpies that she provided, but that seemed to be carrying things a little too far. I used one of my vintage pens (I actually forget which) with Noodler's Violet Vote.
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Whe I purchased my home in WV, the closing attorney told me that it was a requirement to sign in black ink. I had my FP all ready to go and was forced to use a crappy ballpoint.
As a pastor who officiates a lot of weddings I know that marriage licenses in Minnesota require blue or black signatures. I usually keep at least one pen inked in a blue, black, or blue-black. I really like Levenger empyrean ink. It's a great blue-black and the bottle is very cool. Otherwise I bounce a round a bit on inks. I just inked a pen in a J Herbin paussiere de lune, which is a very dark purple. It looks like black unless you are in good light and take more than a casual glance.
I am not sure on most documents, but most prefer blue and black. Although many colors were "outlawed" because copy machines of the past could not pick up various ink colors well. I know that there are a few doctors that I have worked with that use purple, green, pink for their inks.
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Great info guys. I asked because lately I have been signing everything including checks with Diamine Oxblood ink in my pen. Nothing has come back or been said I just want to make sure I don't break any laws or anything.
For checks, I'd suggest washable ink
Ive worried about that in the past, but I'm not sure if anyone would even bother washing checks anymore, that sort of thing died in the 60's. Even so I still use a permanent ink for checks and importaint things.
I like that ink very much!
Lawyers I know strongly recommend that all legal documents be signed with blue ink.
That way it's easier to tell if you are looking at the original.
That way it's easier to tell if you are looking at the original.
Unless you use a modern scanner or copier. The requirement for blue ink is really lost with modern equipment.
I can pretty much use any color whatsoever. A senior ranking attorney once told my father that he should find an ink color that wasn't very common so that he would be able to tell if someone tried forging his signature. Needless to say, that guy was also a fountain pen aficionado.
I work in a government run prison and in the front of all our logbooks it states that blue must be used. I have never been told about it and when I brought it up people that had been in the job for 20+ years didn't know about it. I have written in blue, black, blue black and red black and no manager has ever brought it up accept to complement the colour of ink used
For checks, I'd suggest washable ink
It's people like you
that caused me to buy my first bottle of Noodler's Bad Belted Kingfisher! Add the fact that that I'm paranoid about signing anything with black ink due the whole photo-copy issue whatever I bought had to be blue or blue-black.However, I have reams of notes written with Scheaffer Washable Blue. If my house is ever under water a lifetime of knowledge will be gone...washed away.
I have had clients mandate the use of black ink on legal documents, although I suspect that was a corporate requirement as opposed to any sort of law in their state of incorporation.
