5 Most Popular Ways to Create an Email Signature

Did you know that one of the biggest mistakes many organizations make is inconsistency across email signatures? This is due to the fact that employees often use their templates and tools, leading to a lack of uniformity in email signature design.

By creating a consistent and correctly branded email signature for each member of your team, you build brand recognition among your company's contacts. According to recent studies, 20.4% of respondents value the ability to ensure consistency and brand alignment across the company through standardized email signatures. That is why you should use the same or similar template across your company to ensure that every signature matches the style and format you've approved.

Moreover, a well-structured email signature not only serves as a call to action, encouraging recipients to engage with your company further, but it also plays an important role in achieving your company's goals by running a successful email signature campaign. Crafting a professional email signature that aligns with your brand and goals, can have a significant influence over your target audience and amplify your online business presence.

How to create a company email signature

• Design development

Some believe that the best way to make an email signature is to create it in Photoshop or directly in their email program. Others prefer using Microsoft Word or Google Docs, then copy it from there, and voila, the email signature is ready to go. Nope, it doesn't work like that.

An email signature reflects your brand identity, and you should think carefully about what colors, layout, or marketing elements you are going to incorporate into your digital business card.

The help of email signature software is essential at this stage.

• Coding

If you or a team member are proficient in HTML, you can delve into coding your HTML email signature. This step allows for more customization, ensuring your signature looks just the way you want it. However, if coding isn't your strong side, there are easier alternatives.

• Testing

If you have decided to create it yourself, be prepared to do a lot of testing. You don't want to send emails with a poorly displayed email footer. Test how your signature looks on various devices and email clients, including Outlook, Apple Mail, and Gmail. Making sure it looks right everywhere is crucial for making a lasting impression.

• Distribution across all team members
  

As we mentioned before, a well-branded email footer is a tiny yet powerful detail that promotes your business with every message your employees send. Once your email signature design is ready and testing is complete, you will have to distribute it to all departments and team members.

Some email signature management companies offer central management features to automate this process for large organizations, making it easier to maintain consistency.

• Installation control

Managing signatures for a small team is simple, but what if your company has dozens or hundreds of email accounts? Ensuring everyone has the correct signature can be a challenge. Fortunately, some email signature services provide tools to help you monitor and control signature installations. Administrators can use a dashboard to track which signatures are in use and which ones still need to be installed.

Best ways to make an email signature

Below you will find the five best ways to create an effective email signature. Each method has its pros and cons, so consider your company's needs, design preferences, and legal requirements when choosing the best approach. An eye-catching email signature with your contact information, job title, social media links, and brand elements can leave a positive and professional impression on your recipients.

1. Use an email signature generator

Nowadays, there are various online email signature creators that can help you make a signature for yourself, your business, and every member of your team in an efficient way.

When it comes to creating the HTML email signature, you should consider the pros and cons, which will help you make up your mind. Let's start with the pros.

Pros

• Full control over your signature template

If you or your developer are well-versed in HTML, the possibilities are limitless. You can bring any creative idea to life with your signature design.

• Your signature can be edited at any time

Many email signature services offer subscription plans for a limited number of signatures per year. But if you want to modify your signature at any time for free, you should use HTML. Once you create your email footer, you won't have to pay anyone but will be able to edit it at any time. However, keep in mind that you will need to go through a somewhat large piece of code every time you want to change even a small bit of your signature, which brings us to the disadvantages of using HTML.

Cons

• You need to learn HTML

Learning something new is always good, but sometimes you don't have enough time. You might find yourself in a situation where you need a signature quickly, and learning HTML may not be achievable.

• Hire a developer

If you're a busy professional with no spare time to master HTML or improve your coding skills, you need to start looking for people capable of doing your project. Finding a skilled web developer can be time-consuming, especially if you lack prior experience in hiring one.

• Spend time on research

Email signatures can be displayed differently for various recipients due to the diverse tech requirements of different email clients. You'll need to invest time in understanding these requirements to ensure your signature appears as intended.

• Spend time on testing

Remember that testing your signature across multiple email clients is necessary to ensure it maintains its appearance after being sent.

• Preview issues on different devices

It's hard to imagine our life without mobile devices, especially smartphones and tablets. Many professionals use mobile devices for their business emails. Therefore, it's crucial to ensure that your email signature looks correctly on all types of devices. Over half of all mobile phones in the United States are smartphones, making it even more important to cater to this audience.

Crafting your own HTML email signature

1. Understand your purpose

An HTML signature isn't just a visual element – it's a marketing tool – with backlinks to your website or social media, to boost traffic. Whether you use it for personal needs or business, you should clarify your goal. Knowing your goals helps you choose the right information to include.

2. Choose a tool

Several software options can help you create an HTML signature. Most offer similar functionalities, so pick one that suits your needs. Make sure also that the software supports your mail client, as there may be some surprises.

We at Newoldstamp work with all popular providers. We are welcoming you to make the signature of your dream.

3. Begin either with a free or paid option of an HTML email signature

Most software features both free and paid options. Free versions often provide basic templates and functionalities for contact information, social media links, and photos. However, paid versions offer greater customization, allowing you to create a unique signature aligned with your brand.

For corporate needs, consider purchasing a package for multiple users.

4. Be selective about the information you provide

Do you remember your goals from step 1? Include only the relevant information. You should think over:

• your job title and company;
• corporate website or any other sites;
• phone number, email, post address (if applicable);
• social media profiles;
• Images (logos, headshots).

Most online generators provide dedicated fields for this information.

5. Fill in the required fields and copy an HTML email signature to your mail client

When you’ve decided on the information, insert it into the fields of your software. Upload photos and add links. Experiment with different designs to find one that aligns with your preferences or brand identity.

Finally, copy the generated HTML code and paste it into your email client. Send a test email to ensure everything displays correctly.

There are numerous tutorials online that teach you how to craft your signature using Photoshop. But is this the best approach? Let's find out!

Pros

• The sky's the limit to your creativity

If you're a Photoshop guru, this is the ideal choice. A wide range of image-editing functions allows you to get not just a signature, but a work of art! But don't overdo it, all right?

• Full control over your signature template

You have full control over every aspect of your email footer. You can customize the contact text, labels, social media icons, fonts, colors, styles, margins, images, banners, and more to align with your brand.

• Your signature can be edited at any time

Just like with HTML (as discussed previously), you won't have to pay again and again every time you want to change something.

Cons

• Learn Photoshop or hire a designer

For non-Photoshop people among us, creating an email signature in this editor can be quite hard. You have two options: you either need to improve your graphic design skills or hire a professional who can do the work for you.

• Problems with signature visibility in email

When you design a Photoshop email signature, be aware that the image might end up as an attachment and won't be displayed automatically. To see your signature, the recipient may need to click a "download images" button. Also, you risk that some recipients won't be able to see it at all because they have disabled images in their email client.

• Your email signature won't be interactive

Even if images are enabled, your recipients still won't be able to interact with your links, social media icons, banners, or calls to action. Imagine a customer wanting to visit your Facebook page or subscribe to your newsletter and being redirected to the signature itself because it's just an image with a single clickable area. Frustrating, isn't it?

• Code it to make elements clickable

As you can see, you need to know a lot about the details to get it to work (including how to create an HTML email signature in Photoshop). When designing a signature with Adobe, ensure that the HTML email signature elements are clickable. Keep in mind that some email software may not handle HTML well.

• Long time to upload in email

Important note—when creating an email signature Adobe Photoshop always saves it as an image. Sometimes images take an insanely long time to upload.

• Spam issues

Be cautious; if your signature is solely an image, your message might be flagged as spam and never reach its intended recipient.

Another popular way of designing a professional signature for emails is by using a Microsoft Word template. So, how to make a signature in Word? You probably heard of Word Rendering Engine by Microsoft for creating the HTML code. The produced code looks the same across almost all Microsoft products like Outlook, Word, and Excel.

For instance, if you copy your Word email signature template and paste it directly into a message in Outlook, it will be appropriately displayed in most versions of Outlook. Although this method is free, some specific things will go wrong if you choose to follow this approach.

The issues include:

• Problems with formatting

The HTML email signature code produced by the Word Rendering Engine may not be compatible with other email clients like Gmail, Thunderbird, or Apple Mail. Recipients using these email applications may encounter issues such as extra spacing, gaps, and incorrect fonts in your signature.

• Problems with visibility in email clients

Your beautifully formatted email signature in Word template will most likely look okay in Outlook but appear unformatted in all other major email clients. Sometimes, it might not even display properly for the recipient. Unless you know that all your recipients are using Outlook, it is not recommended to create an email signature in Microsoft Word.

• Problems with images

Your logo and other images in the signature might end up as attachments, causing inconvenience to the recipient.

• Signatures are not mobile-friendly

If you have insufficient knowledge of HTML, creating email signature templates in Word can result in a signature that doesn't adapt well to mobile devices, making it look unattractive.

Fiverr is a freelance marketing website for people who want to sell or buy services, including email signature design, starting from five bucks. From graphic design and web development to copywriting, translation, video creation, and digital marketing, Fiverr offers a multitude of options to cater to your needs.

Pros

• Can be cheap

Fiverr can be a budget-friendly option for creating an email signature. You might just stumble upon a talented individual who can craft a unique email signature template for you at a very cheap rate.

• Can be lucky to have a custom email signature template

Besides, you can find a person who will be able to transform your vision into a signature design that truly represents your brand rather than take a ready-to-use template.

• Save your time

Since you don't need to learn how to create an HTML email signature or how to use Photoshop, you'll save a lot of time focusing on more important things on your plate.

Cons

• Your vendor can be not reliable

Although you can see the ratings of freelancers who provide services, you can never be sure that you'll be 100% satisfied with the result, the freelancer’s way of working, and adherence to deadlines.

• The vendor has control over your email signature

Keep in mind that your chosen vendor will have control over your email signature. Any future updates or design tweaks will require you to reach out to them.

• Your vendor can use an email signature generator

Some freelancers may opt for email signature generators to create your signature. Why not take it out for a spin?

You've just set up your virtual business card, complete with your brand logo and contact details, and sent your first email. However, you might face various issues. Let's delve into a few common problems and how to address them.

• Signature corrupts after being forwarded

Sometimes, your carefully crafted email signature may not appear as intended when the recipient replies. This can happen if the recipient's email settings force plain text replies. Unfortunately, you can't fully control this.

• Pictures don’t show up in my email signature

You can either see a blank square with a red "X" or your images can go to attachments. This usually occurs when you copy and paste images directly into your email signature. To fix this issue, consider hosting the images online.

For this purpose, you can use your web server or image hosting sites like Imgur, Tinypic, and Photobucket. However, be aware that some email clients can automatically block any externally hosted pictures for security reasons.

• Email signature doesn't look good on my phone

Crafting an email signature that looks great on mobile devices requires some special attention. Mobile screens are smaller, and space is limited. Therefore, the objects must be larger, while the number of them smaller.

Because a typical smartphone screen is vertical, be sure to align your email signature elements vertically too. You should also remember that social media icons must be big enough to be clickable. We usually recommend limiting their number to three for a cleaner look.

• Email signature appears in an attachment

Ensure that your email signature isn't a single image. A common mistake is creating a signature as one image, which can lead to it being treated as an attachment.

Tips to make your email signature look professional

Many people very often underestimate the power of email signatures. Those signatures provide you with an opportunity to make it clear who you are, make it simpler for your customers to reach you, and give people a possibility to learn more about you, your business, and your services.

According to The State of Business Email Marketing report, 82% of marketers use email signatures to increase brand awareness and reputation.

Thus, it’s better to carefully think about the data you want to include in your email signature so that you can benefit from all the advantages an email signature provides.

Want to create a professional email signature that leaves a lasting impression? Here are a few suggestions that will help you create a professional-looking email signature.

1. Select only significant information for your professional signature email

Focus on elements like your name, job title, department, and contact details. Consider your preferred communication channels when deciding what to include, such as phone numbers for companies relying on calls or website links for those preferring online forms.

This is also related to your social media profiles and other possible contact information. Just figure out what communication channels would fit you best and add them to your email sign-off.

2. Check the information that you selected

The professional signature should contain your business information. Some people neglect that. If you represent a company, it’s better to include your corporate email, and your title, and share your website. For personal needs - feel free to be more creative.

3. Make it simple and minimalistic

Simplicity becomes a synonym for competency. When it comes to your email signature, make sure you make everything about it clear and to the point so as not to confuse your addressee.

“Make every detail perfect and limit the number of details to perfect”, as Jack Dorsey says. Simple and even minimalistic approach rocks.

4. Pay attention to design

Design matters. When designing a professional email signature, it’s all about presenting your information in a modern, stylish, and matching corporate identity way.

5. Check your professional email signature when it is completed

Test your email signature to ensure everything is correctly formatted. This small tip can help you avoid many mistakes.

Are you sure your signature looks professional?

Are you sure your signature looks professional? Check the following templates to make sure you’re on the proper way.

Email Signature Examples

Create your ideal email signature in minutes or choose a preset you like from a variety of well-crafted email signature templates. Get inspired by the best email signature examples created with Newoldstamp.

Email Signatures for Marketers

Using email signatures for marketing has never been so simple.

Email Signature for Sales Managers

Your sales team can engage with the customers by adding personalized call-to-action in every email.

Email Signatures for Realtors

With a professional email signature, you can increase trust in your realtor’s brand and generate more leads with every email.

Email signatures for Non-profits

It is challenging to earn customer trust as a nonprofit organization (NPO). Using professional signatures and showing the human side of your business may contribute to winning customer trust and loyalty.

Armed with all these email signature tips, you can create your own signature that aligns with your brand and brings your emails an extra touch of professionalism.

Conclusion

Email signature marketing plays a vital role in your brand's success. Also, a carefully composed and professional email signature can set your business apart from others. While you might think that the best way to create an email signature is to do it yourself, achieving a consistently appealing display across different email clients can be quite challenging.

Since you're dealing with a signature, not a document or an image, using Microsoft Word or Photoshop is not recommended. Our best recommendation would be to use email signature generators, which offer a variety of templates created by professional designers and come with excellent technical support. One of the noteworthy benefits of these generators is that they ensure full email signature compatibility with all email clients.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best way to make an email signature with a logo?

The best way to create an email signature with a logo is to use a professional email signature generator, like Newoldstamp. These tools can help you design beautiful email signatures with logos and other key elements.

How do I create a professional email signature?

To craft a professional email signature, keep the details short but accurate. Prioritize the two or three most important links and social media accounts you want to include. Consider adding a logo or a simple headshot for added authority and trust.

Use an email signature generator like Newoldstamp to design and deploy your signature automatically. You can use our templates as a guide while creating your email signature.

Should I use pictures in my email signature?

Yes, using a logo or other images in your email signature can enhance its visual appeal and professionalism. Make sure the images are appropriately sized and do not make your signature too large. For guidance on using images effectively in your signature, check out our guide here.

How to add a logo to an email signature?

For a streamlined approach to adding a logo to your email signature, consider using professional email signature generators like Newoldstamp. They make it easy to incorporate logos for various email clients. Learn more at How to Add Logo to Email Signature.
What should be in your email signature?

A well-crafted email signature includes:

• Full name, position, and company
• Contact number
• Email address
• Website link
• Social media links
• Company logo or photo for a personal touch
• Call to action.

Create customized signatures for your team - find inspiring email signature examples created with Newoldstamp.