How to Use Text Formatting and Images in Apple Mail Signatures

Create a better signature in Apple Mail

What to Know

  • Go to Mail > Preferences > Signatures > choose signature. Select Format to choose a font, color, and style.
  • Use Spotlight or Finder to locate an image, then drag and drop it to the desired location in the signature.
  • In Preferences window, go to Composing tab > ensure Rich Text is selected under Message Format.

This article explains how to use text formatting and images in Apple Mail signatures. The instructions apply to Mac OS X 10.4 (Tiger) and later.

How to Use Text Formatting and Images in Apple Mail Signatures

To add colors, text formatting and images to a signature in Apple Mail:

  1. Select Preferences under the Mail menu at the top of the screen.

    The keyboard shortcut is Command+, (comma).

    Mail preferences
  2. Go to the Signatures tab.

    Signatures tab
  3. Highlight the signature you want to edit.

    Mail preferences > Signatures
  4. You have several options for formatting the text in the right window:

    • To assign a font, select Format | Show Fonts from the menu and select the desired font.
    • To assign a color, select ​Format | Show Colors from the menu and click the desired color.
    • To make text bold, italic or underlined, select Format | Style from the menu, followed by the desired font style.
    • To include an image with your signature, use Spotlight or Finder to locate the desired image, then drag and drop it to the desired location in the signature.
    Formatting tools in Mail
  5. Go to the Composing tab in the preferences window.

    Composing tab
  6. Make sure Rich Text is selected under Message Format for formatting to be applied to signatures.

    Composing > Rich Text

For more advanced formatting, compose the signature in an HTML editor and save it as a web page. Open the page in Safari, highlight all and copy. Finally, paste into a new signature in Mail. This will not include images, which you can add using the above method.

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