Bob Dylan signature

Bob and Dylan occupy two dark cursive rows.

Bob Dylan's signature
Vector tracing of the signature specimen. Image credit: Original: Bob Dylan/Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Vector: SINGmeAsadSONG · Public domain.

What does Bob Dylan’s signature look like?

Bob and Dylan occupy two dark cursive rows. Large B and D ovals open their left sides, with thinner pointed strokes above and a long descending return in the surname. Compare the two capitals with the small later letters: the repeated openings establish the stacked name’s structure, while the lower return adds depth beneath it.

Slant
−4°near upright
Baseline
+13.2°rising
Width / height
1.12 : 1overall proportions
Opening height
1.35×opening versus body letters

About Bob Dylan and this autograph

Bob Dylan (born 24 May 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. This specimen is the Wikimedia Commons vector rendering of Bob Dylan’s signature.

Bob Dylan signature and handwriting analysis

Bob Dylan’s signature sample has an almost upright slant, a rising baseline and 5 enclosed loops. Comparing autograph strokes, baseline angle (+13.2°), slant (−4°), opening ratio (1.35×) and enclosed loops (5) reveals how individual signature traits contrast with standard handwriting features. Use the layers to follow the writing line, letter band, slant and enclosed loops.

Slantnear upright
−4°
Baselinerising
+13.2°
Width / heightoverall proportions
1.12 : 1
Opening heightopening versus body letters
1.35×
Enclosed loopsclosed spaces in the image
5
Ink groupsmain disconnected groups
2
Ink densityinside the signature bounds
19.5%
Underlinelower flourish
32% of width
Finish heightrelative to the letter body
−0.16×

Opening, letter body and finish

The opening stays near the height of the body letters. The opening-to-body ratio is 1.35×, while the whole image is 1.12 times as wide as it is tall. The rightmost ink finishes below the writing line; look at this ending separately from the slant of the letters themselves.

Loops and the lower flourish

The sample contains 5 enclosed loops and 2 main ink groups. The lower flourish spans about 32% of the full ink width, giving the name another line to follow beneath its letters.

All 11 measured signature features

Slant

−4°
−450°+45Slant −4° from vertical−4° from vertical

Angle of the letter strokes from vertical. Positive angles lean right; negative angles lean left.

The signature has a near-upright slant (−4°). The blue-green guides show the lean of strokes across the name.

Baseline

+13.2°
Baseline +13.2 degrees from horizontalstartfinish+13.2° · dashed = level

Direction of the writing line from the beginning to the end of the signature.

The writing line rises (+13.2°). The red guide follows the base of the letters, separate from lower loops and flourishes.

Opening capital

1.4×
Opening height 1.4 times following lettersopeningbody1.4×1×

Height of the opening letter relative to the typical letters that follow. 1× means similar heights.

The opening stands 1.4 times as high as the following letters. The purple box marks its area; the dashed blue guide marks the letter-body band.

Enclosed loops

5
5 enclosed loops highlighted in the measured signature5 enclosed spaces

Closed spaces surrounded by ink, counted across the whole signature.

There are 5 enclosed loops in the sample. Orange outlines locate them. Compare their size and placement within the name.

Ink groups

2
2 connected ink groups; each circle represents one groupeach circle = one ink group2 groups in the sample

Separate connected areas of ink in the image. Dots or detached letters can form additional groups.

The signature contains 2 main ink groups. The visible ink is divided into separate shapes. Look at where those shapes join or separate.

Ink density

20%
19.5 percent of signature area filled with ink19.5% filled areagrid = 100% of signature area

Share of the signature’s enclosing rectangle occupied by ink.

Ink covers 20% of the measured signature area; the rest is open space. Compare the open areas with the thickness of the visible strokes.

Underline / flourish

32% wide
Lower flourish spans 32 percent of signature width32% of name width

Length of a lower underline or flourish compared with the full signature width.

A lower underline or flourish spans about 32% of the name’s width. Its highlighted area shows how much emphasis sits beneath the letters.

Finish height

−0.2×
Finish −0.2 typical letter heights from baseline1×baseline−0.2× · above / below line

Height of the rightmost ending above or below the baseline, in typical letter heights. Positive is above; negative is below.

The ending sits close to the writing line (−0.2 letter heights). The orange guide locates the finish relative to the red baseline.

Width / height

1.1 : 1
Signature ink width 338 pixels and height 303 pixels338 px wide × 303 px high

Full ink width divided by full ink height, including the signature’s tall and low strokes.

The shape is 1.1 times as wide as it is high. Its ink spans 338 × 303 image pixels. Compare the horizontal spread with the vertical reach of the capitals and loops.

Ornamentation

5.3×
Stroke path 1812 pixels compared with 338 pixel signature widthstroke path1,812 pxname width338 pxpath is 5.3× the width

Total traced stroke length divided by signature width. More turns and retraced shapes add length.

The traced strokes total 1,812 pixels, about 5.3 times the signature’s width. Look for loops, turns and flourishes that add movement within that width.

Angularity

4.9
4.9 corners per 100 pixels of ink outline02.55corners per 100 px of outline

Number of corners per 100 pixels of traced ink outline. Higher values indicate more frequent sharp turns.

The outline contains about 4.9 corners per 100 pixels. Inspect the turns in the pen-path layer and compare pointed changes of direction with rounded curves.

Signatures with similar shapes

Compare these samples’ slant, proportions and letter rhythm with Bob Dylan’s autograph.

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