by Learn how to create a personal, team-wide or company-wide email signature from template in Outlook 365, new app, and web.
With some time and effort, you can create a nice-looking email signature directly in Outlook or Word. But for polished, professional communication, signature templates designed by professionals are often the best choice.
Free Outlook signature templates from Microsoft
While many specialized email signature generators exist on the web, you may want to start with the free email signature gallery provided by Microsoft. Here's how you can use these templates:
- Download a signature template. Visit the Microsoft signature gallery and browse through the available templates. Once you find one you like, click the Customize in Word icon in the lower-left corner, and then click Download.
- Open in Word. Once downloaded, open the signature template file in Word.
- Copy the signature. Select all elements of the signature using Ctrl + A and press Ctrl + C to copy them. Or right-click the selection and choose Copy from the context menu.
- Create a blank signature in Outlook. In the Outlook app, create a new blank signature. If you're not sure how, refer to:
- Paste the signature. Paste the copied signature in the Edit signature box in Outlook. For this, use the Ctrl + V shortcut or right-click and select Paste.
- Customize the signature. Once the signature is pasted, you can customize and personalize it to fit your needs:
- Update the text with your personal details.
- Adjust text formatting to your liking.
- Change the photo or logo as needed.
- Add hyperlinks to your website or social media profiles for easy access.
- Save the signature. Save your new Outlook email signature.
By using these free templates, you can create a refined email signature quickly, and adding your personal details will make it truly your own!
Limitations:
Free templates from Microsoft Gallery only offer a visual version without HTML code. After pasting into Outlook, some elements – such as text styles, colors, or fonts – may be distorted and need additional adjustments.
Useful tips:
- Enable editing. A downloaded signature template may open in Word in Protected View. To edit the template, click Enable Editing at the top of the document.
- Copy into email. The signature editor in Outlook has limited options. For easier customization, paste the signature into a new message first and make any necessary changes there.
- HTML templates. If your signature template includes an HTML version, you can add the signature's HTML code directly to Outlook to preserve the original design without distortion.
- Set as default. To add the signature automatically to new messages, replies, or forwards, set it as your default signature in Outlook.
Customizable signature templates for Outlook (visual designer & HTML code)
For Outlook users who respond to routine emails daily, Shared Email Templates is an invaluable time-saver. However, this tool isn't just limited to creating email templates – it also includes a wide range of customizable signature templates. Using these templates, you can quickly craft a professional email signature for personal use, team-wide consistency, or company-wide branding. Plus, they work smoothly across all Outlook versions (classic, new, and web) and platforms (Windows and MacOS).
Creating an email signature from a template is done using a visual editor in a browser. Here's how:
- Choose the signature type. Decide whether you want to create a signature for personal use, a specific team, or your entire organization.
- Pick a color theme:
- Select from 10 predefined color themes, each offering a harmonious color palette for various signature elements such as text, links, icons, dividers, borders, background, etc.
- Alternatively, choose custom colors that match your personal style or company branding.
- Select a layout template:
- Set the base design for your email signature by selecting from 14 available templates.
- You can then customize the template by removing unneeded fields or adding custom ones.
- Personalize signature template. Enter details such as your name, job, email address, company, social media icons, photo, logo, disclaimer, etc. As you add information, the preview updates instantly, allowing for easy adjustments.
Tip. When creating a team-wide and company-wide signature, link certain fields to the relevant user, team, or company properties. This ensures each signature automatically updates with individual details – such as the user's name, job title, or phone number – while keeping shared information like the company and team name consistent across all users.
- Additional styling options. Use additional options such as a card-like style or underlined links to give your signature an elegant finish.
- Signature's HTML code. If you prefer working directly with HTML, you can switch to the HTML tab and edit the signature's code instead of using the visual editor.
- Save the signature. When you're satisfied with the design, save the signature.
To insert the signature into an email:
- Double-click the signature in the Shared Email Templates pane.
- Alternatively, you can set it as the default signature to have it automatically included in all new messages, replies, and forwards.
Using these adaptable templates, you can quickly design signatures that reflect your brand's style while maintaining professionalism in every message you send.
Interested in testing it out? Download the free trial from Shared Email Templates and see how quickly you can design a standout email signature from a template.
