Capture a Signature
Collect a typed name and a hand-drawn signature, or preview one already on file.
This popup captures a signature onto an incident record. You type the signer's name, they draw their signature in the signing area with a finger or stylus, and you save. The same popup doubles as a read-only viewer for signatures already collected. A saved signature is written as an image on the device and uploaded so it travels with the incident.
Overview
| Control | What it does | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| Name field | The signer's typed name | Editable when adding, locked in preview |
| Signature area | The canvas the signature is drawn on | Drawable when adding, locked in preview |
| Clear | Wipes the canvas so the signer can start over | Adding only |
| Save | Checks the name and drawing, saves the image, uploads it, and closes | Adding only |
| Close | Dismisses without saving | Adding only |
| Dismiss | Closes the read-only view | Preview only |
The two modes
| Mode | Title reads | What you can do |
|---|---|---|
| Add a signature | Add Signature | Type a name, draw, clear, save, or close. The name field takes focus with the keyboard up. |
| Preview | Preview | Read only. The name and drawing are locked and the only control is the dismiss button. |
The canvas resizes with the device and orientation, so it is taller on a phone held upright and shorter in landscape. Turn the device upright before signing to give the signer more room.
Getting Here
- Open the incident or record that needs a signature.
- Tap the action to add or capture a signature. The popup opens as Add Signature with the name field focused.
- To look at a signature already collected, open it from the record instead. The popup opens as Preview.
Capture a New Signature
- Type the signer's name in the Name field. Use the name of the person signing, not your own, unless you are the signer.
- Hand the device over and have them draw in the signature area with a finger or a stylus. The keyboard closes by itself the moment drawing starts, so the canvas is fully visible.
- If the drawing needs correcting, tap Clear to wipe the canvas completely and draw again. Clear affects only the drawing; the typed name stays.
- Tap Save. The drawing is turned into an image, stored on the device, and uploaded so it syncs with the incident. The popup closes and the signature is attached to the record.
A stylus produces a far more legible signature than a fingertip, and an upright phone gives the widest canvas. If the signer's first attempt sprawls off the edge, tap Clear and ask them to sign smaller.
The signature is drawn in black ink in both light and dark appearance, so the saved image stays legible whichever appearance the device is set to.
Validation
| What you do | What the app does |
|---|---|
| Tap Save with a name and a drawing | Saves the image, uploads it, and closes |
| Tap Save with the name field empty | Shows a brief notice reading Enter name and stays open |
| Tap Save with nothing drawn | Shows a brief notice reading Draw signature and stays open |
| Tap Clear | Wipes the drawing; the typed name is kept |
| Tap Close | Closes without saving anything |
Both a name and a drawing are required. The name is checked first, so if both are missing you will see Enter name and then Draw signature on your second attempt. Provide both before tapping Save.
Preview an Existing Signature
- Open a signature already on file. The title reads Preview.
- The name and drawing are shown read-only. There is no clear, save, or close button, only the dismiss control.
- If the image is not yet on this device it is downloaded automatically. A brief loading indicator shows while that happens, then the signature appears.
- Use the dismiss control to close the preview.
If the image cannot be downloaded you will see a brief notice reading File not download and the canvas stays empty. The signature is still on the record; only this device could not fetch the picture. Check your connection and open the preview again.
Loading and Empty States
| State | What you see |
|---|---|
| Adding a signature | An empty name field with the keyboard up, and a blank canvas |
| Preview, image already on the device | The name and signature appear immediately |
| Preview, image not yet on the device | A loading indicator, then the signature |
| Preview, download failed | An empty canvas and a File not download notice |
| Rotating while adding | The canvas resizes; anything already drawn is kept |
How This Connects
A signature is stored in two places, which is worth understanding when one of them is out of step.
- On the device. Tapping Save writes the drawing as an image file in the app's own storage, under a unique file name. That local copy is what makes a signature you just captured appear instantly.
- In REDENES file storage. The same image is uploaded so it travels with the incident and can be opened by anyone with access to the record. A preview on another device downloads the image from there, which is the download you occasionally see in progress.
The Name field and the image are saved together onto the record that asked for the signature, so the signature appears wherever that record is shown, alongside the other details captured on the Additional tab and the Info tab.
The upload runs in the background after the popup closes, so:
- The signature is safe on the device as soon as you tap Save, even with no connection at that moment.
- If the upload does not get through, the local copy remains and the image goes up when the app next has a connection. The signature is not lost.
- Another device may show an empty preview until the upload completes, because it has nothing to download yet. Give it a moment and reopen the preview.
A signature is a record someone has attested to. Treat a captured signature as part of the incident record: capture it from the person who is actually signing, in front of them, and do not reuse or re-capture someone else's signature on their behalf.
Troubleshooting
| If this happens | What to do |
|---|---|
Enter name appears | The name field is empty. Type the signer's name and tap Save again. |
Draw signature appears | Nothing has been drawn. Draw in the signature area, then tap Save. |
File not download appears in preview | This device could not fetch the image. Check your connection and reopen the preview. |
| The preview is blank with no message | The image may still be uploading from the device that captured it. Wait and reopen. |
| Drawing does nothing | You are in Preview, which is read-only. Open the add action instead to capture a new signature. |
| The keyboard covers the canvas | It closes by itself as soon as drawing starts. Tap the return key first if you prefer. |
| The canvas feels cramped | Hold the device upright, which gives a taller canvas than landscape. |
| Clear also wiped the name | It should not. Clear only affects the drawing; retype the name if it is missing and try again. |
| The signature did not reach other devices | The upload runs in the background. It completes once the app has a connection; the local copy is kept in the meantime. |
Related Pages
⬅️ Previous: Rename an Incident | Next: Incident Overview ➡️