Clean up a photographed signature

RequirementValue
Shadow removalAdjustable
Ink darkeningAdjustable
Sizes256x64, 128x55, 413x177, custom

A signature photographed on paper carries the paper with it. The background comes out grey rather than white, the hand casts a shadow across one corner, and thin strokes that were clear on paper turn faint once the file is compressed. Portals reject the result, or the verifying officer cannot read it.

One curve fixes all three. The tool works out what this particular photograph calls white — not the brightest pixel, which is usually a glare spot, but the level the paper actually sits at — then pushes everything at or above it to pure white and bends what is below toward black.

Two sliders control it. Raise the first until the background goes clean white; push it too far and thin strokes vanish, so stop as soon as the paper is clear. The second darkens the ink itself, which is what rescues a signature made with a light pen.

The cleaning runs at the original resolution and the picture is fitted afterwards. Cleaning a shrunken signature loses the thin strokes before the curve ever sees them.

A cleaned signature compresses very easily and often drops under the minimum size a portal expects — Aaple Sarkar refuses anything under 5 KB. The floor is respected here, not just the ceiling.

Frequently asked questions

How do I remove the grey background from a scanned signature?

Raise the shadow slider until the paper turns pure white. The tool works out what this particular photograph calls white and pushes everything at or above that level to pure white.

My signature is too faint after scanning. Can it be fixed?

Yes. The second slider darkens the ink itself, which rescues a signature made with a light pen. Raise it until the strokes read clearly.

Why does my cleaned signature get rejected for being too small?

A cleaned signature is a few dark strokes on white and compresses very far. Portals such as Aaple Sarkar enforce a 5 KB minimum. This page holds the floor as well as the ceiling.

Will cleaning cut off parts of my signature?

No. The signature is fitted inside the frame and padded with white, never cropped. Push the shadow slider too far, though, and thin strokes can disappear — stop as soon as the paper is clean.

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