Your email signature is more than just your name and title. It's also a part of your personal branding. It needs to encourage reader response, provide contact information, and catch the reader's eye in a way that's positive and memorable.
In this article, we take a close look at email signatures. Here are 12 tips for creating email signatures that are both attractive and informative. Your reader will want to respond when they see a professional email signature on the messages you send.
Before digging into these tips, learn time-saving, professional email strategies in our eBook: The Ultimate Guide to Inbox Zero Mastery (grab it now for free).
7 Basic Elements of a Good Email Signature for 2021
The best email signatures do two jobs:
- attract the reader’s attention.
- convey information about you to the reader
Wondering what to include in an email signature? Here are some elements of a good email signature:
- Name, title and company. Your name tells the reader who sent the email. If you're representing a company, you should also include your name and title at the company.
- Contact information. Your contact information should include your business website. It should also include at least one phone number. It’s okay to include your email address although many experts say it’s unnecessary.
- Social links. It’s becoming increasingly important to include social media contact information in your email signature. Choose your most professional social media accounts to link to. LinkedIn is a good example. Avoid linking to frivolous or irrelevant social accounts.
- Logo (optional). If you work for a company or own your own business, you may wish to include your logo in your email signature.
- Photo (optional). Many email signatures include a photo of the sender. This can help the reader put your face to your name.
- Responsive design. The usage of smartphones and other mobile devices has increased. Chances are your email recipient will open your email on a mobile device. A responsive design adjusts for mobile readers.
- Legal requirements. Some countries have specific legal requirements that all business communications must meet. Check with your attorney to see if the country where your business is located has specific laws governing email signatures.
Don’t make your email signature too long or include an overwhelming amount of information. The best email signatures are short. Studies have shown that recipients tend to ignore email signatures with too much information. For example, one or two phone numbers is usually enough for a proper email signature.
The Best Professional Email Signature Templates on Envato Elements (With Unlimited Use)
If you're looking for the best email signature templates to make your emails look truly professional, Envato Elements has an offer you won't want to miss. Download as many business email signature templates as you want, all for one low price.
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Wondering why it makes sense to go for a premium email signature format? It's because premium templates tend to have great design and are well supported. Plus, they save you a lot of time. Instead of stressing about achieving the right email signature format, drop your details in and have great email signatures in a few minutes.
To find great email signatures on Envato Elements, go to Graphic Templates. Type email signature into the search box. You'll see thousands of nice email signatures you can choose from. Once you've found the template you like best, click Download, and you'll be ready to customize it and create a nice email signature for your business.
12 Top Email Signature Tips (With Great Examples for 2021)
Today’s professional email signatures make a statement about you and your business. They're as much a part of your branding as a business card or a piece of stationery. That’s why it’s important to get your email signature right.
I'll share some tips on how to create a professional email signature later in this guide. But first, let's look at the value of using an email signature template.
Email signature templates can help you build a memorable and informative email signature. You can find some of the best email signature examples on Envato Elements.
Here are 12 email signature tips with an inspiring sample of email signature templates available from Envato Elements and GraphicRiver. This way, you can get a professional email signature design that's just the right fit for your business needs.
Discover more great email signature template designs, after reading these killer tips:
1. Keep It Simple
You’ve heard the saying, “less is more.” When it comes to the ideal email signature format, it can be true. If your email signature is too busy or contains too much information your reader can become distracted or overwhelmed. Plus, some companies require the use of a uniform simple email signature for company business emails.
Here's an example from a simple email signature template that would make a great standard for a corporation or a small business. A proper email signature is a simple one.
If you use a simple, minimalist email signature be sure to include enough information so that your reader can reach you. Great email signatures don't need more - they need less.
2. Style With Fonts
Let’s face it—your email signature centers around words. The best email signatures use fonts and text effects to capture their own unique styles. When you think of how to make an email signature in 2021, always consider the font. There are a few key things to keep in mind as you add fonts to good email signatures:
- Readability. Always ensure that your fonts are easy to read. Great email signatures should be clear and concise, understandable at a single glance.
- Consistency. Choose a font for your email signature design and stick with it. Using many fonts in a single email signature format is confusing, and it looks messy.
- Style. Default fonts are out of style in 2021. Choose from thousands of new options that help you build your own great email signatures.
The email signature template below is one of the best email signatures with custom fonts:
Don’t forget: Envato Elements has custom fonts, too! As a member, you can download as many custom font designs as you want. Then, use them to bring your email signature ideas to life.
3. Get Social
Social media provides another way for your readers to connect with you. That connection can be an important part of building an ongoing business relationship.
If you include social media contact information, the social media accounts you link to should be professional.
This professional email signature template has prominent social media information display options.
A large percentage of business professionals are on social media. Your readers will appreciate that you’ve made it easier to connect with your social accounts.
4. Use a Hierarchy Style
When you think about your email signature format, always consider your goal. You want readers to see key details about you and your organization. This means that you should use a structured, hierarchical format. Your email signature design should fit together in a readable way.
A hierarchy style is a great way to build a proper email signature. These place your name first. Then, you’ll see key contact details, along with sections for your organization and skills. Hierarchy email signature examples group items by category. This is preferable to grouping details in random order.
Consider an example like this one:
A hierarchy style is common in organizations that use standard email signature formats. Email signature etiquette like this demands a uniform style, which hierarchy layouts provide.
These email signature formats also save you time because they've got all your content placeholders pre-built. Just fill in your key details and you’ll have the best email signatures ready to use in moments. It's a quick way to build an impressive email signature design.
5. A Photo Finish
If you use a photo in your email signature it needs to be a professional image. Avoid using selfies or obvious crops from other photos.
Here are some pointers to help you get the most from photos in your business email signature:
- The image should be small. An image that’s too large takes too long to load.
- Use a neutral photo background. A busy background distracts the reader.
- Dress professionally. Make sure your hair and grooming are also professional.
- Look straight at the camera for a more approachable image.
- Use a headshot rather than a full body photo. (Your face will be too small in a full body image.)
This email signature design template includes a prominent placeholder for your photograph:
Email signatures with photos are often perceived to be friendlier. This is a great choice for professionals with client contacts. Some examples include salespeople, freelancers, or those in customer support.
6. Be Colorful
When considering how to create an email signature, one of the easiest ways to catch attention is to use color. Readers are more likely to pay attention to a signature with a pop of color. Great email signatures embrace eye-catching colors.
You can overdo color in your signature, though. Too many colors can make your email signature look childish or sloppy. Here are some guidelines for using color to achieve great email signatures:
- Pick one or two colors that complement each other and stick with them.
- Don’t use too many colors.
- Avoid using colors that clash (like purple and orange) unless those colors are part of your brand.
- If you're in a creative field, you can get away with brighter colors. Otherwise, stick to subdued tones.
- Make sure that the colors you select fit in with other branded materials such as your website, your stationery, and your business cards.
The email signature below makes an effective use of bright colors:
A good, colorful email signature is sure to attract attention. Color is a good choice for most businesses. Creative professionals can get away with using more colors in brighter tones.
7. Be Bold with Black and White
A flashy email signature isn't appropriate for some industries and brands. The use of too much color may be against corporate policy. Or it may be frowned upon in more formal business communications. Email signature etiquette sometimes dictates that black-and-white schemes win.
Just because you don’t use color, that doesn’t mean that your professional email signature can’t be eye-catching. A black and white signature can be just as effective as one that uses color. When creating nice email signatures, the key is in the design and font usage.
Look for a design with a bold, crisp font and lots of white space for contrast. Here's an effective black and white design template from GraphicRiver:
Black and white email signatures can be perceived as more conservative or formal. That makes them a good fit if you're in a more formal profession such as finance or law. Depending on the design, a black and white signature may also be perceived as modern.
8. Options Galore
Since your email signature represents your brand, it’s good to have choices. It’s also a good idea to have choices if your email signature needs a change.
For example, if you change careers or companies you need to change your email signature to reflect your new position. Also, if you’re currently branding or rebranding your business, choose a flexible template that you can adjust once you finish your branding.
The flexible signature template below lets you combine 50 designs with 20 colors. That gives you up to 1000 unique email signature choices:
So, if you expect to change your email signature soon, make sure that any template you use is flexible enough to accommodate your changes.
9. A Corporate Look
If you work for a business or organization, you may want a more uniform corporate look to your email signatures. You may also need to display your corporate logo in your email signature.
Remember, business emails sent using your corporate email signature represent your company. It’s important to meet corporate standards with your email signature, which may include:
- Confidentiality statement. Many companies require that you include this statement with each corporate email.
- Corporate colors and fonts. To help standardize the look and feel of corporate communications, your organization may limit the colors and fonts you use.
- Corporate links. Your company may prefer that you link to their site and social media accounts rather than your own.
- Address. Corporate email signatures usually include the location of the main corporate office.
When thinking about how to make an email signature, it's worth knowing that some countries have laws requiring business emails to contain certain elements. In the UK, for example, there are specific legal requirements for business communication for certain types of businesses. Those laws also apply to email. Check with an attorney familiar with business law in your area to see what regulations might apply to you.
The corporate email signature template below provides ten different email signatures that all have a similar professional look and feel. Here are two samples:
10. Design For Mobile
You’ve seen plenty of ideas for what to include in email signature designs. The next step is to think of where users will read them. In 2021, more and more email signature styles are viewed on mobile devices. This means that you should consider how your signature design will look on small screens.
Good email signatures often seamlessly transfer between devices. But it pays to choose pre-built email signature examples designed for mobile use. A great example is the Email Signatures pack from Envato Elements:
These email signature ideas look great on any device.
11. Use a Builder
Use an email signature template with an online editor. This allows you to build and customize your email signature, without having to know any coding skills or HTML knowledge.
Use a builder to quickly edit the text, change the colors, add in your social links, company logo, and export the customized result.
Otrion e-signature builder offers an online editor and many choices. It exports a fully responsive result.
12. Get Modern
A modern email signature design fits well with many brands. The sleek, clean font and fresh look conveys a timeless feel without seeming dated.
If you feel a modern design style fits your business, here are some things to look for:
- uncluttered look
- crisp, clean font (avoid script or calligraphy fonts)
- flat or semi-flat design (avoid textures or 3-D looks)
- a small splash of a bold color
- large text
Here's a unique modern email signature style:
A modern email signature style is great for any company that wants to project a progressive image. It works equally well for a tech firm or a creative professional.
5 Best Simple Email Signatures on Envato Elements
If you're wondering what to include in an email signature, these nice email signature templates from Envato Elements will help you get started:
1. Yellow Email Signature
This simple email signature template really pops with the yellow color scheme. It's got room for an image, to give it that personal touch, as well as for all your social media links. This simple design looks truly professional.
2. Music Email Signature
In the music business? Then this cool, crisp email signature example is perfect for you. With a mellow feel, crisp fonts, and plenty of white space, this email signature will get the right kind of attention for your musical enterprise.
3. Blue Box Email Signature
Blue Box is a simple business email signature template with a clean, professional design. It's easy to edit and will give your emails a touch of understated elegance to wow your recipients.
4. ADL Email Signature
If you're wondering how to create a professional email signature, this clean email signature template is a great start. With easy to read sans serif fonts and plenty of room for business contact details, this template takes a businesslike approach to creating an email signature.
5. Simple Green Signature
It couldn't be simpler to create an eye-catching and elegant business email signature with this simple template. It's easy to edit with plenty of room for business contact details, social media links, and your photo.
How to Quickly Customize Email Signature Examples (For 2021 Designs)
We’ve explored the very best email signature template designs available today. These help you build great email signatures in moments. But do you know how to make an email signature? It only takes five steps! Let’s learn how to customize the best email signatures in 2021.
Want to follow along with this mini-tutorial? Download the stunning Web Designer Email Signature from Envato Elements today.
Let's get started:
1. Open the Template in Photoshop
Once you’ve downloaded your favorite email signature template, it’s time to customize it. The best way is to use Adobe’s powerful Photoshop software. When you download an email signature design from Envato Elements, it comes packaged as a .zip file.
Extract the .zip to its own folder, then open it up. Many email signature ideas from Elements come with several file formats. If you’re editing in Photoshop, choose the .psd file format. Browse the styles available to you, then double-click on one to launch the app.
Photoshop opens and you’ll see your template in the main window. Now, you’re ready to begin making edits to create your very own good email signatures.
2. Add Your Own Text
The best email signatures from Elements come with pre-built text placeholders. This is a powerful feature because it saves you so much time.
You don’t have to design an email signature format from scratch. Instead, fill in the blanks with your own content to build your email signature design. You don’t even have to think of what to include in email signature designs. Always let the templates guide you.
Begin by double-clicking on any block of text. Photoshop will select it. Then, type over the placeholder text with your own words. Repeat this throughout your email signature design, adding in your own content. You’ll see your custom proper email signature begin to take shape.
3. Change Background Colors
Changing background colors of your email signature helps add your own personal style. It’s easy and it only takes a few clicks.
Begin by opening the Layers menu in the lower right corner of the Photoshop app. You’ll see four options in this example, the last one being Background. Double-click on the white square. Photoshop will launch the Layer Style menu.
Click on the Color Overlay box, then open up the Blend Mode color chooser. Explore the array of custom colors and choose your favorite to use it in your email signature style. When you’re finished, click OK.
4. Change Text Colors
Once you change the color of your background, you may want to change text colors too. To do that, you’ll need to select a block of text again by double-clicking on it. Then, go to the Color menu on the right-hand sidebar in Photoshop.
Here, you can select from any color in the rainbow. Click on one and Photoshop will apply the color to your email signature format. It’s an easy way to add even more personal style to your great email signatures.
5. Export the Finished File
Great email signatures are meant for sharing. When you create your own version, it’s time to export it and share your email signature design with the world.
Photoshop offers several great ways to do exactly that. Begin by going to the File dropdown in the upper left corner. Then, hover over Export to see the full list of options. Quick Export as PNG will instantly render your great email signatures in .png form. Or, for more creative control, choose Save for Web (Legacy). Here, you can customize file formats, image quality, and much more.
As you can see, Photoshop is the best way to build creative email signature examples. Try it out to build your own great email signatures in 2021.
More Template Resources
I've shared lots of examples of email signature templates throughout this guide. Let's look at more resources to learn what to include in email signatures. If you still need more inspiration for how to make an email signature, check out the email signature template roundups below:
Marketing18 Best Free Email Signature Templates (Download HTML + PSD for 2021).jpg)
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Communication19 Creative Modern Email Signature Templates With Beautiful Designs (2021)- Email25 Professional (HTML + PSD) Email Signature Templates 2021 Designs
Your Next Step
Your next step is to create an attractive professional email signature that's uniquely yours. A great place to start looking for email signature examples is Envato Elements. You can also find more of the right email signature templates on GraphicRiver, which has dozens of designs available to choose from.
When designing your professional email signature, remember to think about:
- social media links
- including a headshot
- staying simple or going modern
- using a color design or sticking with black and white
- corporate and legal standards
- using a template or email signature builder
Get More Great Email Tips
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Some Final Thoughts
Once you’ve created your professional email signature, keep it updated. Check it often to make sure that the links, phone numbers, and other information are current. Replace outdated links and add new information as needed.
An email signature with outdated information leaves a bad impression about your brand and your business. Why not download a good email signature template today?
Editorial Note: This post was originally published in 2016. It's been revised to make it current, accurate, and up to date by our staff—with special help from Sharon Hurley Hall and Andrew Childress.
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