What a professional signature should (and shouldn't) include
An effective signature is functional, not decorative. It must answer three questions in under 2 seconds: who you are, where you work, how to reach you. Everything else (motivational quote, corporate slogan, secondary social handles, oversized logo, long legal disclaimers) competes with that essential info. If your signature takes up more visual space than the message body, it's wrong.
Styles
- Classic. Stacked info, horizontal divider, accent color. Works in any industry.
- Minimal. Name + title + email. No phone, no logo. For senior profiles who mostly communicate by email.
- Block. Logo on the left, info on the right. Ideal for brands with strong visual identity.
Compatibility per client
Outlook 365 and Outlook desktop render HTML very differently from Gmail (Outlook uses the Word engine, which doesn't support modern CSS). That's why this tool's HTML uses only tables, inline attributes and basic styles β exactly like signatures from paid services. Apple Mail, Yahoo and Thunderbird are more permissive.
How to install your signature
- Gmail. Settings β General β Signature β Create new β paste the HTML directly.
- Outlook 365 web. Settings β Mail β Compose and reply β Email signature β paste the HTML.
- Outlook desktop. File β Options β Mail β Signatures β paste the HTML.
- Apple Mail. Mail β Preferences β Signatures β "+" β paste as rich text.
About the logo
The logo must live on a stable, public URL. Hosted on your site or a CDN, recipients will see it. On a private or local server, it'll break. Recommended size: 80-120px tall, transparent PNG. Avoid large images β they bloat the email and many clients block them by default.
Common mistakes
- Personal quotes. "Save the planet" in a corporate signature distracts.
- Whole signature as image. Clients that block images will see nothing.
- 200-word legal disclaimer. Adds nothing in most companies. Trim to the minimum viable.
- Multiple social handles. One max. LinkedIn for B2B; Instagram only if you sell visually.
- Loud color. Bright red text or dark backgrounds look bad in many clients. Use a subtle accent.