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How to: Email Signature

 

For staff who already have an existing signature, view the section directly below. To install an HTML signature in the Apple Mail desktop application for the first time, click here. For Gmail (browser-based), click here. Each section has a video walkthrough. For best viewing, use Fullscreen mode.

Updating Your Signature and Adding Your Pronouns

Click here to skip to Gmail instructions

Apple Mail:

  • Quit Apple Mail while you make updates so that when you restart, your new signature will be applied.
  • From the Finder menu at the top, click on Go.
  • While in the Go menu, hold down the Option key. You will see Library appear halfway down the list.
  • Click on Library to open it in Finder and scroll to the Mail folder. It’ll be alphabetically located in the list of files.
  • In the Mail folder click V7 (your version might be different, but will always start with V)>MailData>Signatures.
  • Your current signature will appear there with a lock in the lower left-hand corner and ends with .mailsignature
  • Right click the .mailsignature file, mouse over Open With and select TextEdit (default).
  • In the TextEdit window, click the top where you see the filename to drop down a box and unlock the file for editing.
  • Open your new signature file by right clicking>open with>TextEdit.
  • Locate the pronoun placeholder text and either enter your pronouns or delete the text if you do not want your pronouns listed. Save your changes, then select all (command+a) and copy the code (command+c).
  • In the .mailsignature window, highlight all the text below the last line in the upper section (Mime-version: 1.0…) and use command+v to paste over it with your new signature.
  • Click the title bar again to re-lock the file, then save the file and close both windows.
  • When you restart Apple Mail, your new signature will be applied.

If you have any trouble with installation or displaying your new signature, email Annaliza for assistance.

 

Gmail:

  • Open your new HTML signature file by right clicking>open with>TextEdit.
  • Locate the pronoun placeholder text and either enter your pronouns or delete the text if you do not want your pronouns listed. Save your changes and then close the window.
  • Double-click the HTML signature file to open in a browser window.
  • Select the entire signature using command+A
  • Copy the signature using command+C
  • Open a new tab (command+T) and go to gmail.com.
  • From your Inbox, open Settings using the gear icon in the upper right-hand corner.
  • Scroll to the Signature section.
  • Place the cursor in the editor window, select your current signature and delete it. Once the box is empty, paste in your new signature using command+V
  • The signature should look identical to the version you copied. If it doesn’t, contact the Digital Content Coordinator for help.
  • Click save to apply your signature to Gmail.

If you have any trouble with installation or displaying your new signature, email Annaliza for assistance.

 

Apple Mail

Create a placeholder signature in Apple Mail:

  • Launch Apple Mail and click on the Mail menu. Select Preferences, then click on the Signatures tab.
  • In the window, click the + button underneath the center pane. A new signature named Signature #1 will appear with your default information displayed in the right-hand pane. Leave the information as-is.
  • Click and drag Signature #1 to the left pane and drop it onto “Google” to associate it with your Gmail account.
  • IMPORTANT: Make sure that the “Always match my default message font” box is unchecked. This will ensure that your signature displays properly.
  • Close Preferences and quit Mail.

 

Set TextEdit to View HTML files as HTML Code:

  • Open a new Finder window and click on Applications in the left-hand column. TextEdit should be alphabetically located in the list of programs.
  • Open TextEdit and from the menu, select TextEdit>Preferences.
  • In the Preferences window, click the Open and Save tab and check “Display HTML files as HTML code instead of formatted text.”
  • Close Preferences.

 

Locate and Open your Placeholder Signature File:

  • Open a Finder window and from the menu at the top, click on Go.
  • While in the Go menu, hold down the Option key. You will see Library appear halfway down the list.
  • Click on Library to open it in Finder and scroll to the Mail folder. It’ll be alphabetically located in the list of files.
  • In the Mail folder click V6>MailData>Signatures.
  • There should be three files in the folder. Your placeholder signature will have an alpha-numeric filename that ends with .mailsignature
  • Right click the .mailsignature file, mouse over Open With and select TextEdit (default).

 

Copy and Paste the HTML Code into Your Signature:

  • Right click the signature.html file that was emailed to you, mouse over Open With and select TextEdit from the list of available applications.
  • Select all the HTML code and copy it (command+A, then command+C)
  • In the .mailsignature window, highlight everything below the Mime-Version line and then paste the HTML code to replace it.
  • Save the file, but do not close the window. You still need to lock the file.
  • At the top of the window, there is a gray bar with the file name displayed. Click on the file name and a dialogue box will appear.
  • Check the Locked box and then close the file. The file icon will now show a locked tag.

 

Add Your Signature to All Future Emails:

  • Open Mail again and go to Preferences.
  • In the Signatures tab, there is a dropdown near the bottom of the window that says Choose Signature:
  • Use the dropdown to select Signature #1.
  • Close preferences.
  • Now when you create a new email, your signature will always be displayed.

Gmail

Open Signature in Browser and Copy:

  • Double-click the HTML signature file to open in a browser window.
  • Select the entire signature using command+A.
  • Copy the signature using command+C
  • Open a new tab (command+T) and go to gmail.com.

 

Open Gmail in Browser Window:

  • From your Inbox, open Settings using the gear icon in the upper right-hand corner.
  • Scroll to the Signature section.
  • Place the cursor in the editor window and paste the signature (command+V)
  • The signature should look identical to the version you copied. If it doesn’t, contact the Digital Content Coordinator for help.
  • Click save to apply your signature to Gmail.