How to Insert a Graphic or Animation in Your Outlook Email Signature

Your email signature can send a strong professional or promotional message. This is true for text, but images can often convey meaning even faster and in a richer manner. Of course, pictures can be added just for fun, too.

In Outlook, adding a graphic or animation (an animated gif, for example) to your signature is as easy as adding a picture to an email you send.

Insert a Graphic or Animation in Your Outlook Email Signature

To add an image to an email signature in Outlook:

• ›› Step by Step Screenshot Walkthrough (using Outlook 2003)

• Create a new message in Outlook using rich HTML formatting.
  • If you want to edit an existing signature, see below.
• Design your desired signature in the body of the message.
  • It is best to keep your signature to 5 or 6 lines of text, but not much more.
  • Use the standard signature delimiter.
• Position the cursor where you want to insert a picture.
• Use Insert | Picture... to add the image or animation.
  • Make sure the image is a GIF, JPEG or PNG file and not too big. Other formats such as TIFF or BMP produce files too big. Try reducing the image size or resolution in a graphics editor and saving the graphic as a JPEG if the image file size exceeds, say, 150 KB.
  • After inserting the image, you can highlight it and add a link, for example.
• Press Ctrl-A to highlight the entire body of the message.
• Press Ctrl-C.
• Now select Tools | Options... from the main Outlook window's menu.
• Go to the Mail Format tab.
• Click Signatures... under Signatures.
• Click New....
• Give the new signature a name.
• Click Next >.
• Press Ctrl-V to paste your signature in the Signature text entry field.
• Click Finish.
• Now click OK.
• If you have just created your first signature, Outlook has automatically made it the default — automatically inserted — for new messages. To use it for replies as well, which I recommend, select it under Signature for replies and forwards:.
• Click OK again.

Edit an Existing Signature to Add an Image

To edit an existing signature using the method described above:

• Select Tools | Options... from the menu in Outlook.
• Go to the Mail Format tab.
• Click Signatures... under Signatures.
• Highlight the signature you want to edit.
• Press Ctrl-A.
• Hit Ctrl-C.
• Use the Esc key three times.
• Create a new message in Outlook using rich HTML formatting.
• Click in the body of the new message.
• Press Ctrl-A.
• Now hit Ctrl-V.
• Proceed as above. Instead of creating a new signature again edit the existing.