Electronic signatures act as digital representations of actual handwritten signatures, similar to seals, and are used in a wide variety of applications. An electronic signature may be signed using an electronic signature pad, which creates a digital representation of a person's signature. An electronic signature may also be a representative image of a signature that is inserted into a document or legal contract. As the digital age causes standard paper contracts to be used less and less, actual signatures written in ink have become increasingly less common. Banks, grocery stores and other retailers, income tax services, and hospitals are just a few of the many groups who regularly use electronic signatures in their day to day operations. Laws such as the Federal E-Sign Act and the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act give legal validation to electronic signatures, which are recognized under the law as being equally legally valid as handwritten signatures.