Adding a professional email signature in Microsoft Outlook can make your messages look more polished and put together. A signature usually includes your name, job title, company name, phone number, email address, website, and sometimes even a logo or headshot.
With a few simple steps, you can create a nice-looking custom signature in Microsoft Word and then copy and paste it into Outlook in just a few minutes.
Benefits of Using an Email Signature
Here are some of the benefits of adding a signature to your Outlook emails:
- Professionalism – A signature gives your emails a more professional, business-like appearance. This can inspire confidence in recipients.
- Branding – Including your company logo, tagline, or other branding elements helps reinforce your brand.
- Credibility – Listing your job title and credentials highlights your expertise.
- Contact information – Your email, phone number, and other contact details make it easy for people to get in touch.
How to Make a Signature in Word
Microsoft Word provides an easy way to put together an email signature using a pre-made template. Here’s how:
Step 1: Open the Email Signature Template in Word
- Open Microsoft Word
- Click on File > New
- In the search bar, type “email signature”
- Select the template called “Email signature gallery”
- Click Create to open the template
Step 2: Choose a Signature Layout
The template contains 20 different pre-made signature layouts. Browse through them and select the one you like best by clicking on it.
Step 3: Customize the Layout
Once you’ve chosen a layout, you can customize it by:
- Changing the photo/logo
- Replacing the name, job title, company, contact info, etc. with your own
- Altering colors/fonts
- Adding/removing elements
Make sure to only provide the details you want displayed in your signature.
How to Add the Signature in Outlook
Once your signature looks good in Word, adding it to Outlook only takes a minute:
Step 1: Copy the Signature
In Word, select all the signature elements and copy them (Ctrl/Command + C).
Step 2: Open Outlook and Paste
In Outlook, open a new email message. Place your cursor at the bottom, then right-click and select Paste.
Your signature will now appear at the bottom of emails sent through that Outlook account.
Signature Best Practices
Follow these guidelines when creating an email signature:
- Be concise – Signatures work best when brief and scannable. Only include essential information.
- Use business branding – Incorporate logos, colors, or fonts that match your overall brand identity.
- Include a call to action – Invite people to call, email, or visit your website.
- Proofread carefully – Double check for any errors before adding your signature.
- Be consistent – Use the same signature across all your business emails for a cohesive look.
Customizing Signatures for Different Accounts
You can create customized signatures for different email accounts in Outlook. For example, you may want to have slightly different signatures for your work versus personal accounts.
To do this:
- In Outlook, go to File > Options > Mail
- Select Signatures
- Choose the account you want to edit
- Make any desired changes to the signature
- Click OK
- Repeat for other accounts as needed
Now when you switch accounts in Outlook, the correct signature will automatically be added to outgoing emails.
Conclusion
Adding a professional email signature in Outlook only takes a few minutes but can make a great impression on anyone receiving your emails.
With Word’s pre-made template and the ability to copy/paste signatures between programs, you can quickly create a polished, branded signature that elevates your communications.
Just be sure to keep your signature concise, carefully proofread it, and use it consistently across all your business emails.
