E-mail Signatures
Because of a wide variety of formats and, in some cases, errors in e-mail signatures used by faculty and staff, the Office of Communications and Marketing has established a standardized signature format.
An example of this signature is provided here. This example can be used to copy and paste the signature into your e-mail programs. Instructions for doing so are provided below.
Note: While job title and office are included on the same line in the example, you may choose to move the office or department to a new line beneath the job title. Should you care to add a website address to the ASU home page or a departmental page, the URL can be added beneath your e-mail address. If additional contact information is needed for your specific use or department, it can be added as well, maintaining the existing formatting and styles.
Outlook 2010 Instructions
Highlight the example signature above and copy it to your clipboard (press Ctrl-C or right-click and choose Copy).
In Outlook
- Select the File menu.
- Select Options.
- Select the Mail tab.
- Click the Signatures button.
- Click New.
- Type a name for the new signature.
- Click OK.
- Right-click in the Edit signature field and choose the Keep Source Formatting Paste option.
- Edit the signature, replacing the placeholder information with your own contact details.
- Highlight the e-mail address at the bottom of your signature.
- Click the Insert Hyperlink button.
- Select the E-mail Address button.
- Type your e-mail address in the Text to display field.
- Type your e-mail address again in the E-mail address field ("mailto:" will be added automatically before the address).
- Click OK.
- Choose the name of your new signature under the New messages and Replies/forwards dropdowns.
- Click OK to close the Signatures window.
- Click OK to close the Options window.
Multiple signatures
If you manage multiple e-mail accounts you can set up multiple signatures following the same directions as above. Only one signature can be set as your default, but you can switch between signatures when composing a message.
In a new message window:
- Choose the Insert tab in the ribbon.
- Click the Signature button and choose the signature you would like to use.
Outlook Instructions
Highlight the example signature above and copy it to your clipboard (press Ctrl-C or right-click and choose Copy).
In Outlook
- Select the Tools menu.
- Select Options.
- Select the Mail Format tab.
- Click the Signatures button.
- Click New.
- Type a name for the new signature.
- Click OK.
- Right-click in the Edit signature field and choose Paste.
- Edit the signature, replacing the placeholder information with your own contact details.
- Highlight the e-mail address at the bottom of your signature.
- Click the Insert Hyperlink button.
- Select the E-mail Address button.
- Type your e-mail address in the Text to display field.
- Type your e-mail address again in the E-mail address field ("mailto:" will be added automatically before the address).
- Click OK.
- Choose the name of your new signature under the New messages and Replies/forwards dropdowns.
- Click OK to close the Signatures window.
- Click OK to close the Options window.
Multiple signatures
If you manage multiple e-mail accounts you can set up multiple signatures following the same directions as above. Only one signature can be set as your default, but you can switch between signatures when composing a message.
In a new message window:
- Choose the Insert tab in the ribbon.
- Click the Signature button and choose the signature you would like to use.
Outlook Web Access Instructions
Note: OWA does not support images in signatures.
Highlight the example signature above and copy it to your clipboard (press Ctrl-C or right-click and choose Copy).
In Outlook Web Access
- Click the Options button.
- Select Messaging in the Options list.
- Right-click in the E-mail Signature field and choose Paste.
- Edit the pasted signature, replacing the placeholder information with your own contact details.
- Highlight the e-mail address at the bottom of your signature.
- Click the Insert Hyperlink button.
- Make sure "mailto:" is selected in the Type field and that your e-mail address is entered in the URL field ("mailto:" should automatically precede the address).
- Click OK.
- Make sure "Automatically include my signature on outgoing messages" is checked.
- Click Save.
Outlook Web Access Light Instructions
Note: OWA Light does not support images or formatting in signatures.
If you have access to Internet Explorer, use the full Outlook Web Access, not Outlook Web Access Light, to set your signature.
Highlight the example signature above and copy it to your clipboard (press Ctrl-C or right-click and choose Copy).
In Outlook Web Access Light
- Click the Options button.
- Select Messaging in the list.
If you DO NOT already have an Outlook Web Access signature set:
- Right-click in the E-mail Signature field and choose Paste.
If you want to replace an existing Outlook Web Access signature:
- Make sure "Replace my current signature with the following" is checked.
- Right-click in the E-mail Signature field and choose Paste.
- Edit the pasted signature, replacing the placeholder information with your own contact details and removing the blank lines that may have been inserted between each line.
Note: Outlook Web Access Light does not support formatting in e-mail signatures.
- Make sure "Automatically include my signature on outgoing messages" is checked.
- Click Save.
Outlook:Mac 2011 Instructions
Highlight the example signature above and copy it to your clipboard (press Command-C or right-click and choose Copy).
In Outlook
- Select the Outlook>Preferences menu.
- Select Signatures.
- Click the Add button in the Signatures window.
- Type a name for the new signature.
- Right-click in the signature field and choose Paste.
- Edit the pasted signature, replacing the placeholder information with your own contact details.
- Click the Default Signatures button.
- Click the Default signature dropdown and choose the signature you just created.
- Click OK.
- Close the Signatures window.
Entourage Instructions
Note: Entourage does support images in signatures, but it will be added below.
Highlight the example signature above and copy it to your clipboard (press Command-C or right-click and choose Copy).
In Entourage
- Select the Tools menu.
- Select Signatures….
- Select New in the Signatures window.
- Type a name for the new signature.
- Right-click in the signature field and choose Paste.
- Drag and drop or save the logo image above to your Desktop.
- Add an extra blank line before the name line in your new signature.
- Drag and drop the logo image from your Desktop into the new signature window.
- Edit the pasted signature, replacing the placeholder information with your own contact details.
- Close the new signature window.
- Close the Signatures window.
- Select the Tools menu.
- Select Accounts….
- Double-click the name of your e-mail account.
- Choose the Options pane.
- Click the Default signature dropdown and choose the signature you just created.
- Click OK.
- Close the Accounts window.
Apple Mail Instructions
Note: Apple Mail does support images in signatures, but it will be added below.
Highlight the example signature above and copy it to your clipboard (press Command-C or right-click and choose Copy).
In Mail
- Select the Mail menu.
- Select Preferences.
- Select the Signatures pane.
- Select the name of your Exchange account from the list on the left .
- Click the Create a signature button.
- Type a name for the new signature.
- Delete any default signature text that may be present in the signature field.
- Right-click in the signature field and choose Paste.
- Drag and drop or save the logo image above to your Desktop.
- Add an extra blank line before the name line in your new signature.
- Drag and drop the logo image from your Desktop into the new signature window.
The logo will appear distorted when it is added, but it will appear normal once the signature is saved.
- Edit the pasted signature, replacing the placeholder information with your own contact details.
- Highlight the e-mail address at the bottom of your signature.
- Select the Edit menu.
- Select Add Link….
- Type your e-mail address in the URL field.
- Click OK.
- Click once anywhere in the empty area of the signatures list (this is necessary to make your new signature appear in the Choose Signature dropdown).
- Choose the name of your new signature under the Choose Signature dropdown.
- Make sure the Place signature above quoted text checkbox is checked.
- Close the Preferences window.