Signature Background Cleaner API

Endpoint Overview

POST /api/v1/signature/background-cleaner

Description

The Signature Background Cleaner API is a specialized image processing endpoint designed to remove backgrounds from signature images, producing clean, transparent signature files suitable for document signing workflows. This API intelligently isolates the signature content from its background, delivering professional-quality results that can be seamlessly integrated into digital documents, contracts, and authorization forms.

The API accepts signature images either through direct file upload or via a URL link, processes them using advanced image segmentation algorithms, and returns a base64-encoded image with the background removed. This eliminates the need for manual image editing and ensures consistent, high-quality signature extraction across various input formats and quality levels.

Key Benefits

Automated Processing: Eliminate manual background removal, saving time and reducing human error in signature extraction workflows

Flexible Input Options: Accept signatures via direct file upload or URL link, accommodating diverse integration scenarios

Production-Ready Output: Receive base64-encoded images ready for immediate use in document signing systems and digital workflows

Consistent Quality: Achieve uniform signature extraction results regardless of input image quality or background complexity

Use Cases

Financial Services

Legal & Compliance

Healthcare & HR

Digital Onboarding: Clean customer signatures during account opening processes for integration into digital banking applications

Loan Documentation: Extract signatures from scanned documents for electronic loan agreement processing

Transaction Authorization: Process signature verification for high-value transactions requiring additional authentication

Technical Implementation

Authentication

All API requests require authentication using a JWT Bearer token. Authentication follows these steps:

Obtain API Credentials: Register with Surepass to receive your API key.

Generate JWT Token: Use your API key to generate a JWT token.

Include in Requests: Add the token to the Authorization header as Bearer YOUR_JWT_TOKEN.

Different authentication tokens are used for sandbox and production environments:

Sandbox: https://sandbox.surepass.app

Production: https://kyc-api.surepass.app

Request Parameters

Request Headers

Header	Required	Description
Authorization	Yes	JWT Bearer token for authentication. Format: `Bearer YOUR_JWT_TOKEN`
Content-Type	Yes	Must be `multipart/form-data` when uploading image file

Request Body

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
link	string	Conditional	URL of the signature image to process. Required if `image` is not provided
image	file	Conditional	Signature image file to process. Required if `link` is not provided. Supported formats: JPEG, PNG, etc.

Note: Either link or image must be provided. If both are provided, the API will prioritize one based on its internal logic.

Example Request (URL-based)

{
  "link": "https://example.com/signature.png"
}

Example Request (File Upload)

Process Response

Response Parameters

Parameter	Type	Description
success	boolean	Indicates whether the API request was successful
status_code	integer	HTTP status code of the response (200 for success)
message	string	Human-readable message describing the result
message_code	string	Machine-readable code for the result status
data	object	Container object for response data
data.client_id	string	Unique identifier for this API request transaction
data.image_base64	string	Base64-encoded signature image with background removed

Example Successful Response

{
  "data": {
    "client_id": "signature_background_cleaner_ydYjoReifrbwouaHXbtQ",
    "image_base64": "iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAYAAAAfFcSJAAAADUlEQVR42mNk+M9QDwADhgGAWjR9awAAAABJRU5ErkJggg=="
  },
  "status_code": 200,
  "success": true,
  "message": "Success",
  "message_code": "success"
}

Possible Error Responses

Authentication Error

Missing Input

Server Error

{
  "success": false,
  "status_code": 401,
  "message": "Unauthorized access",
  "message_code": "unauthorized"
}

Occurs when the JWT Bearer token is missing, invalid, or expired. Verify your token and ensure it's correctly formatted in the Authorization header.

Integration Best Practices

Security Recommendations

Secure Token Storage: Never hardcode JWT tokens in client-side code or version control systems. Use environment variables or secure credential management services

Token Rotation: Implement regular token refresh mechanisms to minimize security risks from token exposure

HTTPS Only: Always use HTTPS for API requests to ensure encrypted data transmission, especially when uploading sensitive signature images

Input Validation: Validate image files on the client side before upload to prevent malicious file uploads and reduce unnecessary API calls

Rate Limiting: Implement appropriate rate limiting in your application to prevent abuse and manage API quota effectively

User Experience Guidelines

Progress Indicators: Display loading states during image processing to inform users that their request is being handled

Preview Functionality: Show users a preview of the cleaned signature before final submission to ensure quality meets expectations

Error Handling: Provide clear, user-friendly error messages when processing fails, with guidance on how to resolve common issues

File Size Guidance: Inform users of optimal image sizes and formats to ensure best processing results

Fallback Options: Offer alternative input methods (URL vs. file upload) to accommodate different user workflows and preferences

Code Samples

cURL

Python

Node.js

Related APIs

Signature Verification API: Validate and verify the authenticity of signature images against stored reference signatures for identity confirmation workflows.

Document OCR API: Extract text and structured data from documents containing signatures for comprehensive document processing pipelines.

Image Quality Assessment API: Evaluate signature image quality before processing to ensure optimal results from the background cleaner.

Face Match API: Combine signature extraction with facial recognition for multi-factor identity verification in high-security applications.

Compliance and Legal Considerations

When implementing the Signature Background Cleaner API, organizations should be aware of several compliance and legal considerations:

Data Privacy: Signature images may contain biometric data or personally identifiable information. Ensure compliance with applicable data protection regulations such as GDPR, CCPA, or local privacy laws. Implement appropriate data handling, storage, and deletion policies.

Consent Requirements: Obtain explicit user consent before collecting, processing, or storing signature images. Clearly communicate how signature data will be used and processed.

Audit Trail: Maintain comprehensive logs of signature processing activities, including timestamps and client IDs, to support audit requirements and dispute resolution.

Data Retention: Establish clear data retention policies for processed signature images and ensure secure deletion after the retention period expires.

Electronic Signature Laws: Be aware of electronic signature legislation in your jurisdiction (e.g., ESIGN Act in the US, eIDAS in the EU) to ensure processed signatures meet legal validity requirements.

Security Standards: Implement industry-standard security measures to protect signature data during transmission and processing, including encryption and secure token management.

Provide your bearer token in the

Authorization

header when making requests to protected resources.

Example:

Authorization: Bearer ********************

{ "data": { "client_id": "signature_background_cleaner_ydYjoReifrbwouaHXbtQ", "image_base64": "iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAYAAAAfFcSJAAAADUlEQVR42mNk+M9QDwADhgGAWjR9awAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==" }, "status_code": 200, "success": true, "message": "Success", "message_code": "success" }

Signature Background Cleaner

Signature Background Cleaner API#

Description#

Use Cases#

Technical Implementation#

Request Headers#

Request Body#

Example Request (URL-based)#

Example Request (File Upload)#

Response Parameters#

Example Successful Response#

Possible Error Responses#

Integration Best Practices#

Code Samples#

Request

Responses