Email signatures are so easy to do well, that it’s really a
shame how often they’re done poorly. Many people want their
signature to reflect their personality, provide pertinent
information and more, but they can easily go overboard. Why
are email signatures important? They may be boring and the
last item on your list of things to get right, but they affect the
tone of every email you write.
Email signatures contain alternative contact details,
pertinent job titles and company names, which help the recipient
get in touch when emails are not responded to. Sometimes, they
give the recipient an idea of who wrote the email in case it
has been a while since they have been in touch. They are also
professional: like a letterhead, they show that you run a business
(in some countries, you’re required to do so). Here are some
tips on how to create a tasteful signature that
works.
[Offtopic: by the way, did you know that there is a Smashing
eBook Series? Book #2 is
Successful Freelancing for Web Designers, 260 pages for just
$9,90.]
Be Concise
First and foremost, the sender’s header (the “From” field)
should have a name, and you should use a company email address if
you can. If someone sees
stevies747@hotmail.com, they’ll suspect it’s spam. If the
sender’s header reads, “Steve Stevenson – Mister Stevenson Design
Company” <steve@misterstevenson.com>,
they’ll know it’s a professional email from Steve, their trusted
designer.
Start by making your website a link. Many email clients convert
email addresses and websites into links automatically, but not
always. When you’re creating the HTML for an email, make sure the
link will appear by adding writing it in HTML. And instead of
linking text like “My website,” type out the URL, which will be
useful for those who want to copy and paste the address.
An email signature shouldn’t double the email’s length, so
make it as short as possible (three lines is
usually enough). Don’t get into your life story here. The
purpose of a signature is to let them see who you are and how to
get in touch with you.
Make Sure to Include…
- Your name,
- Your company and position,
- How to get in touch with you.
No need to include 10 different ways to get in touch with you.
As in website design, less is more; and then they’ll know which way
you prefer to be contacted. Go to two or three
lines, with a maximum of 72 character per line (many email
applications have a maximum width of 80 characters, so limit the
length to avoid unsightly wrapping). An optional fourth line could
be your company address, but use caution if you work from home.
-- Steve Stevenson, Web Designer www.misterstevenson.com | steve@misterstevenson.com
Short and Concise, but Check the Rules
In some European countries, laws dictate what items you must put
in your email signature if you are a registered company. For
example, UK law requires private and public limited companies to
include the following:
- Company number,
- Address of registration,
- VAT number, if there is one.
You can be fined for not including this information on all
electronic correspondence and on your website and stationary. Many
freelancers and small businesses have ignored these rules since
their inception, risking a fine. For more information on UK rules,
go
here. Do some research to find out what rules apply in your
country.
-- Steve Stevenson, Web Designer www.misterstevenson.com | steve@misterstevenson.com 55 Main Street, London, UK, EC2A 1RE Company number: 12345678
Don’t Include…
- Personal Twitter, IM or Skype details;
- Your home phone number or address (unless you want to be called
by international clients early in the morning); - The URL of your personal website;
- Random quotes at the bottom;
- Your entire skill set, CV and lifetime achievements in point
form.
Random quotes are fun for friends, but you risk offending
business associates with whom you don’t have a personal
relationship. Unless you want clients contacting you while you’re
watching Lost, don’t share your home details far and wide. Also,
don’t share your personal contact information with your corporate
partners. They certainly won’t be interested in it, and you may not
want them to know certain details about you. However, mentioning
your corporate Twitter account or alternative means of contact in
your signature might be useful, in case your correspondent is not
able to get in touch with you by regular email.
 |
Steve Stevenson, Web Designer web: www.misterstevenson.com blog: blogspot.celebritiesneedhelp.com email: steve@misterstevenson.com |
|
| home: 613.555.2654 home (wife): 613.555.3369 work: 613.555.9876 cell: 613.555.1234 55 Drury Lane |
Don’t do this.
Images And Logos
Let’s get this out of the way now: your entire signature
shouldn’t be an image. Sure, it will look exactly how you
want, but it is completely impractical. Not only does an image
increase the email’s file size, but it will likely be blocked
before being opened. And how does someone copy information from an
image?
- This signature is too big at 20 KB and impossible to
copy.
Any images should be used with care and attention. If you do use
one, make it small in both dimensions and size, and make it fit in
aesthetically with the rest of the signature. 50 x 50 pixels should
be plenty big for any logo. If you want to be taken seriously as a
business person, do not make it an animated picture,
dancing dog or shooting rainbow!
Most email clients store images as attachments or block them by
default. So, if you present your signature as an image, your
correspondents will have a hard time guessing when you’ve sent a
genuine attachment.
The best way to include an image is to host it on a server
somewhere and then use the absolute URL to insert the logo. For
example, upload the logo to
http://www.example.com/uploads/logo.gif. And then, in
your email signature’s HTML, insert the image like so:
<img src="http://www.example.com/uploads/logo.gif" width="300" height="250" alt="example's logo" />
Don’t Be A Fancy Pants
Use vCards With Caution
While vCards are a great, convenient way to share contact
information, in emails they add bytes and appear as attachments. It
is often said that you shouldn’t use a vCard for your email
signature, because as helpful as it might be the first time you
correspond with someone, receiving it every time after that gets
annoying. Besides, the average email user won’t know what it is.
Look at the example below. Would an average user know what that
is?
--- Steve Stevenson, Web Designer www.misterstevenson.com | steve@misterstevenson.com
If you do want to provide a vCard, just include a link to a
remote copy.
What About Confidentiality Clauses?
If your emails include confidential information, you may need to
include a non-disclosure agreement to prevent information leaks.
However, good practice is never to send sensitive information as
plain text in emails because the information could be extracted by
third parties or forwarded by recipients to other people. Thus,
including a non-disclosure agreement doesn’t make much sense if you
do not send sensitive information anyway.
Keep in mind, too, that the longer a confidentiality clause is,
the more unlikely someone will actually read it. Again, check your
country’s privacy laws. Some big companies require a disclosure
with every email, but if you’re at a small company or are a
freelancer and don’t really require it, then don’t put it in. The
length of such clauses can be annoying, especially in short
emails.
--- Warm Regards & Stay Creative! Aidan Huang (Editor) ------------------------------------------- Onextrapixel Showcasing Web Treats Without Hitch web . http://www.onextrapixel.com twi . http://twitter.com/onextrapixel --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you have received this email in error please notify the sender. This message contains confidential information and is intended only for the individual named. If you are not the named addressee you should not disseminate, distribute or copy this email. Please notify the sender immediately by email if you have received this email by mistake and delete this email from your system. If you are not the intended recipient you are notified that disclosing, copying, distributing or taking any action in reliance on the contents of this information is strictly prohibited.
-- This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential. If you have received this email in error please notify the sender and then delete it immediately. Please note that any views or opinions presented in this email are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Company. The recipient should check this email and any attachments for the presence of viruses. Company accepts no liability for any damage caused by any virus transmitted by this email. Company may regularly and randomly monitor outgoing and incoming emails (including the content of them) and other telecommunications on its email and telecommunications systems. By replying to this email you give your consent to such monitoring. ***** Save resources: think before you print.
Don’t Be Afraid to Show Some Personality
Although your email signature should be concise and memorable,
it doesn’t have to be boring. Feel free to make your email
signature stand out by polishing it with your creative design ideas
or your personal touch. Using a warm greeting, adding a cheeky key
as Dan Rubin does or encouraging people to “stalk” you as Paddy
Donnelly does, all show personality behind simple text.
The key to a simple, memorable and beautiful email signature
lies in balancing personal data and your contact details. In fact,
some designers have quite original email signatures; most of the
time, simple ASCII is enough.
-- h: http://danielrubin.org w: http://sidebarcreative.com b: http://superfluousbanter.org m: +1 234 567 8901 i: superfluouschat k: h = home, w = work, b = blog, m = mobile, i = aim, k = key
Paddy -- The Site: http://iampaddy.com Stalk Me: http://twitter.com/paddydonnelly
-- With optimism, Dmitry Belitsky http://belitsky.info
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// /// Matthias Kretschmann /// krema@xxxxxxxx.xx /// /// freelance designer & /// www.kremalicious.com /// /// photographer /// www.matthiaskretschmann.com /// /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// /// media studies / communication science & art history /// /// MLU Halle-Wittenberg /// ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-- With greetings from Freiburg, Germany, Vitaly Friedman (editor-in-chief) ------------------------------------------------- Smashing Magazine http://www.smashingmagazine.com - http://www.twitter.com/smashingmag online magazine for designers and developers
HTML?
If you can, stay away from HTML formatting. Every Web designer
knows the pain of HTML newsletters, and while HTML is supported for
email signatures, you’ll likely have problems with images and
divider lines in different email clients. Some nice ASCII
formatting may work in some cases.
-- carole guevin . editor //// design + digital culture magazine //// http://netdiver.net
-- Min, Tran Dinh Chief Creative Designer - Frexy Studio Website: http://frexy.com | Blog: http://min.frexy.com | Email: info@frexy.com Cellphone: (84) 012 345 678
- -- Rene Schmidt -- Berater für Web-Entwicklung & eCommerce, Linux-Webserver-Systemadministration & Web-Programmierung Vordamm 46, 21640 Horneburg; http://www.reneschmidt.de/ Tel: 0123.456.7.890; Skype: reneATreneschmidt.de Steuernummer 43/141/09180; USt-IdNr 219014862 -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v1.4.9 (MingW32) Comment: Using GnuPG with Mozilla - http://enigmail.mozdev.org/ iEYEARECAAYFAktit8sACgkQucSanG9drm2ZYACggIeQST/C226LIsd/czEmrnrR TjUAniVPXI2lkA68fy3n+nUawdAE1nJ/ =+vZR -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----
--- Geoff Teehan Teehan+Lax Web Platforms | Digital Campaigns | Mobile Applications | Strategic Consulting T: 416 123 4567 x 890 | teehanlax.com | twitter.com/@teehanlax
---------------------------------------- Dmitry Dragilev ZURB | Marketing Lead getstarted@zurb.com http://www.zurb.com ------------------------------------------ Follow our blog at: http://www.zurb.com/blog Follow us on Twitter: @zurb http://twitter.com/zurb Check out Notable - Easiest way for teams to provide feedback on websites. http://www.notableapp.com ------------------------------------------
______________________________________________ Website: www.webdesignerdepot.com Twitter: www.twitter.com/DesignerDepot
Regards, Matt Ward Echo Enduring Media Web - http://www.echoenduring.com Blog - http://blog.echoenduring.com Twitter - @echoenduring - Follow me!
-- Dan Rubin Sidebar Creative { Director of Training & User Experience } mobile: +1 234 567 8901 http://sidebarcreative.com
-- David Leggett Tutorial9 Founder 555.012.34567 @theleggett Tutorial9.net
Gareth Hardy Graphic Designer | Down With Design www.downwithdesign.com gareth@downwithdesign.com +44 (0) 0123 456 789
Grant Friedman www.colorburned.com Follow me on Twitter! http://twitter.com/colorburned ----------------------------------------
Many thanks, Yaili. yaili.com | webdesignernotebook.com | londonchronicles.com +44 (0) 1234 567890 skype: inayaili
Thanks! Jonathan Cutrell, Editor FuelYourInterface.com | @FuelInterface | @jCutrell
-- All the best, Rob Bowen Copywriter | Designer | Creative Consultant Co-Founder/Editor @ Arbenting & Dead Wings Designs http://arbent.net/blog http://deadwingsdesigns.com
Arseny -- Please consider the environment before printing this email. --- Arseny Vesnin http://designcollector.net Calendar: http://2010.designcollector.net Profile: http://designhub.ru Twitter: http://twitter.com/designcollector Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/groups/designcollector-6 Vimeo: http://vimeo.com/channels/designcollector Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/designcollector
Warm regards, Dipti Kankaliya { dipti.kankaliya@studiomarch.com } Studio March Private Limited 12 Moledina Road Camp Pune 1 India Phone: +91-20-26334002 { http://www.studiomarch.com } MarchCast – The Studio March blog { http://www.studiomarch.com/mc } -- This is an official email from Studio March Private Limited and is protected by a disclaimer. If you are not the intended recipient of this email, please visit: http://www.studiomarch.com/legal/email.
Of course, if you’re really keen to use HTML, keep it
simple:
- Make sure it still looks good in plain text.
- Use black and standard-sized fonts, and stay away from big,
tiny and rainbow-colored fonts. - Don’t use CSS. Inline HTML formatting is universally
accepted. - Use common Web fonts.
- Including a logo? Make sure the signature looks nice even when
the logo doesn’t load or is blocked. - Check how it looks when forwarded. Do all the lines wrap
correctly? - You may want to load your company image as your gravatar from
Gravatar.com as Joost de Valk does. - Feel free to experiemnt with your e-mail signature: Jan Diblík
uses a signature with dynamicaly changed promo image.
–
 |
Steve Stevenson, Web Designer www.misterstevenson.com | steve@misterstevenson.com |
Separate Signature From Content
Your signature should clearly be a separate entity. Wikipedia
explains the correct way to separate the signature:
“The formatting of the sig block is prescribed somewhat more
firmly: it should be displayed as plain text in a fixed-width font
(no HTML, images, or other rich text), and must be delimited from
the body of the message by a single line consisting of exactly two
hyphens, followed by a space, followed by the end of line (i.e., “–
\n”). This … allows software to automatically mark or remove the
sig block as the receiver desires.”
There are other less standard ways to separate your signature.
While not automatic formatting, a line of —–, ======, or _______ or
even just a few spaces will visually separate your signature from
your email.
-- ---------------------------------- Dan Oliver (editor) .net magazine (www.netmag.co.uk) ---------------------------------- Twitter: danoliver Email: dan.oliver@futurenet.com Phone: 01234 56789 ---------------------------------- Address for deliveries: .net, Units 1 & 2 Cottrell Court, Monmouth Place, Bath, BA1 2NP ----------------------------------
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Elliot Jay Stocks Elliot Jay Stocks Design Ltd. Registered in England & Wales #1234567 http://elliotjaystocks.com - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
### Cheers, -Dan
Vennlig hilsen Lars Bæk Byråleder & Tekstforfatter ................................................... JØSS! Storgata 15, 2408 Elverum Mob (+47) 01 23 45 67 xxxx@joss.as | www.joss.as
---------------------------------------------- Information Architects Inc. Tokyo Zurich Oliver Reichenstein, Founder http://informationarchitects.jp http://webtrendmap.com http://twitter.com/iA ----------------------------------------------
Wrestling With Your Email Client
Offering general advice on signatures is easy, sure. But anyone
who has tried to implement automatic signatures in Outlook, Gmail
or Yahoo knows it’s not always that simple. Here are some resources
to help you get yours right every time.
Outlook
Changing Outlook’s signature is a real pain, but here’s a
guide that teaches you a few things. If you use Outlook 2003,
here’s another
tutorial on custom signatures.
Entourage
Microsoft’s mail for mac works differently.
Here’s a tutorial on how to set it up.
Gmail
Want just one basic signature?
Here’s how to change the text. You’d think Google would
allow you multiple signatures, links and a bit of formatting. If
you’re looking for something a little more designed or wish to
choose between multiple signatures,
here are five ways to do it in Firefox.
Hotmail
Tips on custom images and more for Hotmail (Oh my!) can be found
here. If you use Windows Live,
here is a tutorial on adding images and HTML. The detail is
helpful, even if the images are awful.
Yahoo
After a bit of research, I found that Yahoo used to support HTML
signatures, but no longer.
Here’s how to change your signature using rich text.
Apple Mail
Here is a pretty decent tutorial, with some inline HTML for
formatting. It then explains how to implement it in the
application. You even get some hints on how it will look on the
iPhone.
Palm Pre
Learn how to customize your message on your Palm Pre here.
iPhone
Customize your “Sent from my iPhone” message here.
BlackBerry
Some information on how to change your message on BlackBerry
smartphones here.
Resources
The 4 Personalities of Poor Email Signatures
20 Tips for Creating an Effective Email Signature- About the Signature
Block on Wikipedia
Email Signature Etiquette
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How To Create A Great Web Design CV and Résumé?
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