Electronic signature capture tablets are available with many different shapes, sizes, capabilities, and sensor technologies, so deciding which style or manufacturer will best suit you application can be difficult. In addition to the electronic signature tablet hardware, you will also need software drivers, tools, or applications for your system (one company, Topaz Systems, offers bundled electronic signature software with its electronic signature tablets). This page provides information about the hardware side of the electronic signature equation including sensor technology, size, and interface characteristics of electronic signature pads. The two main classes of electronic signature sensor technology are pressure-sensitive touchpads and active electromagnetic digitizers. Each has its own set of properties, benefits, and lifespan.

Pressure-sensitive touchpad-style electronic signature tablets feature a thin membrane that senses when and where a plastic stylus places pressure onto its surface. This technology requires direct contact between the stylus and pad to function correctly. In fact, you could use any relatively sharp object to sign on the pad surface – a fingertip or toothpick would be able to provide sufficient pressure to create a signature-type impression. Because direct contact is required, signing through a stack of paper forms or capturing an ink-on-paper copy are not viable options. Another drawback is that relatively short tablet lifespan, since the touchpad sensor has a tendency to wear out after a relatively small number of signatures. Another drawback is that the touchpad’s technology limits the size of the sensor to a very small area, often requiring a user to “compress” his or her natural signature to fit into the allotted sensor space. The benefit of touchpad technology is its low cost, making it an acceptable choice for environments where an expected low volume of electronic signatures make cost a significant issue.

Active digitizing electronic signature tablets feature an electromagnetic pen and sensor that record the pen’s position on the tablet without and pressure-sensitive components. The benefit of this system is that the sensor can be mounted inside a protective housing, keeping it safe from outside elements that would otherwise damage it. Active electronic signature tablets are far more durable than pressure-sensing tablets and should never fail as a result of wear. Since the pen and sensor interact electromagnetically, the pen never actually must come into direct contact with the tablet surface. This feature makes signing through paper forms, plastic countertops, or other housings possible, enabling ink-on-paper capture and durable public-access kiosk applications. Both active pen and digitizing tablet are required for this system to function, and unlike electronic signature touchpads direct pressure with a finger or other stylus will not register a signature. As a result, digitizers Active digitizers are slightly more expensive than touchpads, but are durable and sturdy and far, far longer-lasting, with some active pens rated as high as 30 million tip activation cycles (versus 10,000 for some touchpad surfaces).

There are several other electronic signature tablet features that you may wish to investigate when deciding on what tablet is best for your business. One is the availability of an LCD screen that displays the user’s signature in real-time as they sign. This is helpful if the tablet will be used primarily by inexperienced users that may have difficulty making a natural signature without some kind of visual reference. You may want to investigate whether a tablet supports simultaneous ink-on-paper captures. If there’s one site where you can get the full spread of tablet options, its Topaz Systems.