How do I create a signature template in Gmail?

Your email address isn't the only place you can attach a little flair. You probably already have a personal signature for when you send emails from your desktop computer, but what if you're using Google's web-based mail service instead of Microsoft Outlook Express on Windows XP?

In this article we'll show you how to customize and brand your signature in Gmail so it appears consistently across all your devices -- including Android phones and tablets. We will also discuss why putting your name at the bottom of each message header may not be ideal.

To begin with, here are some guidelines about creating an email signature. If you don't follow these rules, you could get rejected by many major sites. First, make sure you aren't violating any intellectual property rights (see below). Second, ensure your signature looks professional, doesn't contain adult content (such as nudity) or offensive language, and fits the tone of your messages. Third, check that your signature contains links back to your website. Fourth, avoid spamming people (that means no "spam words" such as free, money, upgrade, etc.). And finally, try to keep signatures under 100 characters long, although there are exceptions depending upon where the recipient uses their e-mail account. For example, Hotmail has a limit of 120 characters per line while Yahoo Mail allows up to 150 characters. Finally, remember to remove yourself from SpamCult [No Longer Available]!

So now let's move onto the details of setting up an email signature within Gmail.

What program should I use to create an email signature?

We recommend InDesign because it's easy to learn and provides plenty of options for formatting different elements of your signature. It's available online through Adobe Systems Incorporated, which offers tutorials that walk you step-by-step through designing anything from business cards to newsletters. The company also sells its own version called SignNow!, which allows users to create their own personalized designs without having to master complex programs.

You can download either product directly from the site. However, if you want to use them offline, both products come with PDF files that allow you to edit documents on your computer after downloading them. Just open the file, insert the graphic(s), then print out copies.

If you plan to work solely with graphics rather than text, consider purchasing Photoshop Elements 6.0 SE ($99.95); Macromedia Fireworks 8 Professional Edition ($399); CorelDraw Graphic Suite 7 Pro 9 ($299.00); QuarkXpress 5 ($249); or Xara Designer Plus 10 ($199). These offer similar tools, and they're less expensive than paying $699 for Adobe Creative Cloud Photography & Design subscription. But again, before making any purchase you should research whether you need those specific applications.

For more information on finding the perfect design software, see our guide How Do I Choose A Good Software Program To Create Designs My Computer Can Understand?.

Once you've decided on a design tool, start thinking about what kind of signature you want to include. Here are three popular types:

Personalized Signature - This one includes your photo along with a short paragraph describing who you are. One of the best ways to incorporate a picture into your signature is by adding it as an image. Right click on any blank space on your screen and select Insert Image From File. Then browse to where you stored your graphic and double-click the file icon. Next, resize the box around the image until it fills most of the page width. Once you're satisfied with the size, right-click anywhere inside the frame and choose Properties. Select the Align tab and drag your mouse over to Center. Click OK twice and you're done. Now just type away beneath the picture.

Business Signature - Your signature might consist of several paragraphs, perhaps explaining something about your field of expertise. Or maybe you simply want to highlight your skills and achievements. Whatever the case, once you determine the main point you'd like to convey, think about how you would normally write that information down. Consider using bullet points. They look attractive and help organize information. So go ahead and format each section accordingly. When finished, center everything vertically and align it to the left side of the paper. Then decide whether you want to put your first and last names underneath the title "Author." That way your full name won't appear too close to the top edge.

Brand Signature - Many companies pay thousands of dollars to designers to develop logos, tag lines, slogans and other marketing materials. Unfortunately, even though you can copy these ideas verbatim, trademark law prohibits doing so unless you received permission from the owner. On the next slide, find out how to create a unique style for your signature without infringing someone else's copyright.

How do I create a branded signature in Gmail?

The following steps assume you've downloaded your signature as a separate document or saved it as a link to a webpage. Also, please note that we used InDesign throughout the tutorial because it's easier to explain how things work. While you can experiment with other programs, chances are good that you'll run into problems trying to figure out how to accomplish certain tasks.

Let's say you want to change the background color of your logo. Using InDesign, you would select the object containing your logo and change the Fill Color dropdown menu from white to whatever color you desire. See below for instructions on changing colors in another design application.

Next, let's take apart the basic structure of a standard Gmail signature. There are four sections of your signature: Name, Phone Number/Email Address, Website Link, and Message Text. Each one requires slightly different treatment.

Name Section

This area includes your given name and surname. Make sure you spell every word correctly, especially your family name. Keep capitalization consistent. For example, always capitalize your entire middle initial, but lowercase your maiden name. Don't forget to hyphenate phone numbers and addresses (e.g., 212-555-1234).

Phone Numbers Section

Use parentheses to enclose multiple telephone numbers. For instance, (212) 555-9876. Avoid listing cellphones separately. Instead, list two entries: homephone number, mobile phone number. Separating entries with commas works fine, too, but it's optional.

Email Addresses Section

Most people prefer to leave off @yahoo.com. However, if you wish, feel free to include it. Otherwise, omit unnecessary spaces between your email domain and postal code. Be careful not to confuse readers by placing periods in front of your street address.

Message Text Section

As mentioned earlier, avoid spamming people by keeping your signature clean. Limit your signature to one single block of text -- usually no longer than 80 characters. Since you cannot easily manipulate HTML tags in plaintext versions of various editors, we suggest avoiding bolding, italics, tables, hyperlinks, embedded images, and URLs.

Keep in mind that if you're working on a project for a client, you must provide his or her name somewhere in your signature. Always refer to him or her respectfully as Mr. Smith or Ms. Jones. Never misspell any person's name, nor should anyone ever receive an email from you addressed to "Dear Sir or Madam!"

Also, never sign off with "Respectfully," since that phrase sounds very formal. Try saying thank you or signing off with "Best regards," followed by your relationship to the reader. For example, "Thank you Jane Doe for taking time to read my newsletter. Best wishes for success in your new career!"

Finally, bear in mind that you don't necessarily have to stick to the above recommendations. Feel free to adjust your text and layout according to your needs.

How do I create a custom signature in Gmail?

When building your own signature, you'll often end up repeating small chunks of text because your original was too boring or did not fit well with the rest of your e-mails. Luckily, there's a quick fix for this problem. Open the Tools menu at the upper-left corner of your screen and select Page Setup... Enter 0.8 in the Width box, set margins to zero, and tick Word wrap. By default, Gmail displays signatures in multiples of 160 characters. Under Options, select Custom Size and enter your preferred length. With Word Wrap enabled, you can now paste in your previous signature without worrying it'll become cut-off.

However, you still might encounter issues if the text exceeds the boundaries of your window. Fortunately, there's a workaround. Press Ctrl + Shift + N to quickly launch Notepad. Type your desired signature and press Enter. Next, turn Notepad off by clicking Ctrl+Shift+N again. Paste your text and save it as a Webpage. Afterward, head back to Gmail and navigate to Settings-"General-"Signature. Scroll down to the bottom of the window and click Save Changes. You can now access your new signature whenever you want.

How do I create a branded email signature?

A lot goes into branding an email, so you shouldn't attempt to recreate someone else's logo or slogan wholesale. Before launching into the process, however, ask yourself two questions: 1. What am I trying to achieve? 2. Who is my target audience?

If you've been using Gmail for some time, then you know how useful it can be to have an email signature. You don't need anyone's permission -- just type up the relevant details and send away! Gmail has its own default one which looks pretty basic, but there are plenty of other options out there if you want something more unique. Here we'll show you how to design your own email signatures.

The process will vary depending on what you're trying to achieve, so let's take a look at each step separately. We'll also give some examples of the kind of signatures that might work best for different situations. If you want to get started designing your own email signature today, head over to this page where you can download our free PDF guide "Create Your Own Email Signature".

For those who aren't familiar with email signatures, they typically contain contact info (name, address, phone number) as well as any other relevant personal details such as dates of birth, website links etc. They may include a company logo or slogan too. In many countries, including Canada, Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Singapore, South Korea and Ukraine, people often use their name followed by their title when sending emails, e.g., Mr John Doe would write john-doe@domain.com instead of johndoe @ domain. com. Some companies prefer not to sign off their emails with their full names, preferring to keep things professional. This way, the recipient doesn't see who sent them the message.

Once upon a time, most mail systems allowed users to simply print out their messages before delivering them into someone else's hands. Nowadays, it's common to receive hundreds of emails every day from all sorts of sources, and even though spam filters make sure those messages end up somewhere safe, you still sometimes miss important ones because of all the noise. By adding your email signature to outgoing messages, you can ensure that the right person gets the right information without having to sift through everything first.

How do I create a business email signature template?

There are lots of reasons why you'd want to set up a business email signature. Maybe you run a small consultancy firm or you're working for yourself. It could be part of your job description, maybe you want to brand yourself within your industry. Whatever the reason, here's how to go about setting up a good business email signature.

First, pick a style. There are several types of email signatures available online, depending on whether you want something simple and minimalistic, colourful and fun, modern looking or traditional. The choice really depends on what sort of image you want to project. For example, if you run a bank, you probably wouldn't want anything overly flashy. On the other hand, if you're running a fitness studio, you probably wouldn't mind putting up a funky avatar photo. See these great templates for inspiration.

Then, decide on the layout. Depending on what you intend to say, you should choose between horizontal or vertical layouts. Vertical ones tend to be shorter than horizontal ones, making them better suited to short statements such as opening times or services offered. Horizontal headers are usually used for longer texts such as contact details. Take a look at this list of popular email header designs if you're feeling stuck.

Next, fill in the blanks. Once you've decided on the overall appearance, start filling in the fields. These days, most businesses use standard templates created by third parties and hosted on sites such as Mailchimp, Constant Contact, Aweber and others. However, you can always put together your own business email signature if none of these suit your needs. Just remember to stay consistent across all correspondence, otherwise recipients won't recognise what they're reading!

Finally, upload your new signature file onto your server. That's it! When it comes to creating your email signature, the hardest part is done. All that remains now is to share it with others. Don't forget to check out some easy ways to automate your email signature.

How do I create a custom email signature?

You don't necessarily have to follow the above instructions exactly when creating a business email signature. With a little creativity, you can come up with your own version that suits your individual needs. Let's take a closer look at how to customize your existing email signature.

To begin, open up your current Gmail inbox. Click the gear icon next to the search box, then click Settings & Accounts. Then select Edit account settings under Add another Google Account. Scroll down until you find the section labelled General and scroll even further down until you reach Signatures. Make sure you enable both Create new signatures and Show my entire signature when composing new mails.

Now, copy and paste the code provided by Gmail below the field titled Enter your customized signature. Feel free to adjust the formatting according to whatever works best for you. Remember to remove the original HTML tags along with the word AUTOCOMPLETE. Otherwise, whenever you try typing your email signature manually, Gmail will replace it with its own preconfigured version.

Click Save Changes once finished. That's it! Next time you compose a new email, Gmail will insert your signature automatically. Of course, you can change the content of your signature anytime you wish. To edit it, repeat steps 1 - 3 above. Choose Modify account settings instead of Add another Google Account. Select Customize signature, enter your changes and hit save again.

How do I create a Personalised email signature?

Personalized signatures differ slightly from regular web signatures. While a normal signature contains only static elements such as your name, contact details and social media profiles, personalized signatures allow you to include dynamic data such as weather conditions and stock prices directly into your signature itself. So long as the data you provide isn't sensitive in nature, it's perfectly fine to embed those figures in your signature.

Here's how to set up a personalized email signature. First, log into your Gmail account and locate the dropdown menu beside Compose. Beneath Other Options, click More... and select Send/Receive Preferences. Under the heading Preference Panes, click Manage preference panes. Finally, click New pane on the following screen and call it What's happening?, giving it a sensible name.

In the preferences panel, drag and drop Weather Conditions, Stocks, Sports results, Entertainment, News, World news, Politics and Technology from the left column to the centre column. You can move items around easily thanks to handy icons that appear alongside each item. Simply drag whichever icon represents the preferred category of events you wish to display to the position where you want it to appear.

When ready, click Save Changes. Check back periodically to see if your updates were successful. As soon as you update your profile, however, Gmail will revert to showing old values. Be prepared to rework your choices yet again.

How do I create a cute signature in Gmail?

Adding a smiley face or cartoon character to your email signature makes it much cuter. Not only does it break the monotony of plain text emailing, but it helps brighten moods. And if you happen to be creative enough, you can turn it into a funny meme. Here's how to get started.

Start by logging into your Gmail account. Go straight to Messaging " Composing and click on Attach a File. Browse through your computer until you spot the picture you wish to attach to your email. Highlight it and press Ctrl + C to copy it. Head back to Messaging and switch to Insert tab. Find Pictures option and double-click Picture to browse your hard drive for similar pictures. Navigate to the folder containing said images and double-click on desired picture. Press Ctrl + V to place it wherever you want within the document window. Hit OK and close the preview window.

Return to the previous window and choose Attachment. Type in desired filename, select Save attachment as.... and click Open. Double-check that nothing was accidentally changed during the transfer.

That's it! Whenever you want to send an email with attached graphic, simply highlight your signature and press Alt+C. Alternatively, right-click anywhere inside signature area and select Copy Text as Image. Paste copied text into Compose window and hit Send. Note that if you ever need to edit the image, delete unwanted parts of it and paste it elsewhere.

If your job requires sending emails on behalf of the company — for example, if you're freelancing and need to send out hundreds of them per week — then it's important to have a consistent look. Whether you want something simple with a few fonts, or something more complex with dozens of fonts, there are plenty of options available to you. In this article we'll explain how to set up signatures in Gmail. We'll also walk you through creating a basic signature using Microsoft Word.

Creating a signature isn't as hard as you'd think! It has some caveats though. Signatures can be tricky because they usually include multiple parts (like name, title, phone number) but only one part needs to appear at once. You might not get away without including other elements like address, website, etc., but those aren't required. If you use Outlook instead of Gmail, however, things may be different. There are no official guidelines on what constitutes a "signature" so feel free to experiment. Just remember, when composing messages in Gmail, click the Compose button from within any message window and choose Send mail. That will launch Google Docs where you can start typing anything you wish into the body of the message (we won't cover writing here). This method allows you to write first, format later. And formatting doesn't mean just bolding and italicizing—it means adding images, tables, links, quotes, hyperlinks, comments, and all sorts of fun stuff.  

Now let's talk about how to make a signature template in Gmail. First off, open Gmail and compose a new email. When you begin typing your subject line, watch what happens below the box where your recipient info appears. As soon as you hit Enter key, a drop-down menu appears. Select Create Signature. A small pop-up window named New Message With Signature should now appear right under the Subject heading. Click Cancel to exit. Now back inside your original email compose window, type your desired signature. For instance, you could enter something along the lines of, "John Doe" followed by your full name, followed by "work", then "at" plus your work eMail. Keep in mind that whatever appears after your name depends entirely on who you're addressing. The person receiving the email will see whatever comes directly following their own name.  

The next step is pretty self explanatory. Once finished, you'll see a short preview of your signature underneath the main content area of the email. To save your changes, go ahead and select Save Changes. Your signature should immediately show up beneath every email you ever send.    

You can change the order of items in your signature easily enough. Open the same dialog as before except scroll down until you find More Options. Then drag each item around to rearrange it. To delete an element, simply highlight it and press Delete.   

To actually remove the signature from your outgoing emails altogether, head over to Settings & General Controls. Under the tab labeled Default Account Behavior you should see three checkboxes: Show my email signature, Always display default signature, and Prompt user whether to sign or reply. Uncheck everything but Prompt User and hit Apply to confirm your choice. Afterward, whenever you hit Send/Compose your browser will ask you if you would like to insert a signature manually.  

How do I create a signature template in Word?

Microsoft Word offers several templates which allow users to quickly access their most common documents such as letters, reports, resumes, business plans, etc. They come preloaded with standard fields. However, you can customize these templates to suit your specific needs. Here's a quick tutorial showing you how to put together a customized document in less than ten minutes.

First, load up your preferred template. Make sure you've selected All Documents from the Template section located at the top left corner of the screen. Scroll down until you see Document Borders. Double-click on the border of the page you want to modify. From the Tools tab, double-click on Page Setup. Next, switch over to Margins. On the right side of the panel, scroll down until you spot Header / Footer Tab. Highlight this field and fill in the appropriate details. Do the same thing with Column Tabs, Section Breaks, and Group Labels tabs. Continue doing this process throughout the entire template. Finally, head over to Font Dialog. Pick the font you prefer, size, style, color, and weight. Fill in the rest of the boxes accordingly. Hit OK and close the application.   

How do you create a professional signature?

For anyone looking to stand above the crowd, having a professionally designed custom signature is highly recommended. Most people don't know how easy it really is. If you're still unsure, give us a call today and our team will help guide you through the steps needed to create a stunning signature.

There are many tools online where you can upload an image and manipulate it to fit your specifications. One popular option is PicMonkey. Simply download the app and follow the instructions provided. Another great tool is Canva.com. This site lets you design all types of graphics, photos, logos, banners, posters, etc. Essentially, you can turn yourself into a graphic designer overnight.

Once you've got your design downloaded, either print it onto paper or copy it to your clipboard. Head over to GIMP and paste your file. Right-click on the picture and pick Image - Edit - Paste. Go ahead and play with the settings until you arrive at the perfect result. Don't forget to adjust the transparency level of your background layer. If you want to learn more about modifying pictures, take a peek at our How to Modify Pictures series.   

Once complete, cut out your signature and place it somewhere prominent in your home office. Every time you log into your computer you should instantly recognize it. If you don't have much space, try pasting it on your desktop instead. Also, consider placing it on your monitor itself. Having a constant reminder always nearby helps keep you focused and ready for action.   

How do I create an editable signature in Mail?

Outlook Express used to offer an extensive library of customizable templates. Unfortunately, Microsoft decided to discontinue its support on April 11th, 2014. Fortunately, there are alternatives. Two particular programs worth mentioning are Hloom [Broken URL Removed] and EudoraWeb. These two applications provide users with fully functional webmail services as well as powerful editing capabilities. Both sites sport numerous features similar to MS Office's Ribbon interface. Additionally, both provide users with useful customization options. If you're interested in trying these apps out, here are some helpful tutorials outlining how to install them properly.  

Hloom claims to contain more advanced functionality compared to traditional email clients. Its biggest selling point is its ability to import existing contacts' addresses and auto-fill data. If you already have a list of friends and family members saved on another service, importing them into Hloom shouldn't pose too much trouble. Creating a new account is fairly straightforward. Simply visit hloom.com and register an account. Since Hloom uses IMAP technology, incoming emails will sync seamlessly between your local machine and the server. After completing registration, navigate over to My Contacts. You'll notice that your imported contacts are listed alongside everyone else. At last, you can receive notifications via Growl.  

EudoraWeb provides an even better experience. Not only does it boast a clean UI, but it also utilizes HTML5 standards. Users can access their inboxes locally rather than remotely. It works very similarly to Yahoo! Pinstripe. Opening the program reveals a familiar ribbon layout, allowing users to perform tasks quickly and efficiently. What makes EudoraWeb exceptional is its ability to utilize third party plugins. By downloading additional extensions, users can enhance the core functionality. Some examples include integration with Slack, Dropbox, Zendesk, Zapier, Google Drive, WordPress, Facebook Messenger, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Tumblr, etc.  

Have questions about setting up a signature in Gmail or another email client? Contact us today and someone will gladly assist you.