How To Add A Signature In Microsoft Outlook

Who Should Read This Page:

Users of Microsoft Outlook

Like most Microsoft software programs, Outlook allows you to create a signature in a number of ways.  To lessen the chance of confusion, we will concentrate on only one of these methods in this tutorial.

Here's how to add a signature in Microsoft Outlook:

1) Open Outlook.  On the TOOLS menu, choose OPTIONS.

Outlook Tools Menu

2) In the Options window which will appear, click on the Mail Format tab.

Mail Format Tab

3) Click on Signatures button.

Signature button

4) In the new window, you can create your signature.  If you've never created one before, the "edit" area will be blank.  (Unlike our example which already has three signatures.)  

signature box

5)  One thing that is different in Outlook from many other email programs is that you do not have to keep a signature turned on.  In other words, emails can always be blank and then you can choose a signature, if you want one.  Notice in the picture below that we have New Messages and Replies/Forwards set to None.  IF we want a signature in an email, we can select that from within the email itself.

select

6) To create a new signature, click on NEW.  A window will appear asking for a name for the signature - choose a name which is meaningful to you.  (In our example, we've typed in Test Signature.)

Name the signature

7)  With the new name highlighted, create your signature in the box provided.

New name highlighted

For your information, here are what the icons represent:

Font list - you can choose which font you want.  By highlighting certain words or lines, you can use different fonts in your signature. 
Font size - Change the size of your font.  Again, by highlighting certain words or lines, you can use different font sizes in your signature.
B = Bold; I=Italics; U=Underline;
The Automatic drop-down menu is the Text color (click and a drop-down menu of colors appears)
The next three icons (with lines) allow you to choose text alignment - Left, Center and Right.
The icon which shows "Business Card" allows you to insert a business card from your Outlook Contacts. Of course, normally, this would be your own business card.
The icon which looks like a picture allow you to import a picture into your signature.
The globe with a chain link across it is to insert a website URL.  In our example, we inserted
www.k-c-c.us.

8)  When you have completed your new signature, don't forget to click SAVE to save it!  Then, if you're finished, you can click OK.

OK button

Here's an example of what we did for our Test Signature:

example

Now the you've created a signature in Outlook, here's how to use it:

1) Open a new email.  Write your email as you normally would and when you get to where you would sign it, go to step 2.

2)  In Outlook 2007, go to the Include Group of the Office Ribbon and click on the Signature drop-down arrow and choose the signature you want to use.

2a)  In Outlook 2002 and 2003, go to the Insert Menu, click on signatures and choose your signature.

That's it! 

© 2013 Keystone Computer Concepts, Inc

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