Email has become the communication standard for both businesses and individuals. Many people like to customize their email messages to include information such as name, address and email address. This article details how to create and customize signatures in Outlook 2010.

Outlook 2010 allows the use of a different signature for each email account that is configured in Outlook. This allows each email account to have a unique signature including different layout, fonts, information and pictures. By creating different signatures a work email can have one signature while personal email can have a different signature.

Another great option for signatures in Outlook 2010 is the ability to define when a signature can be added to an email message. This prevents having a signature appear on every email during an email conversation – this means that the signature does not have to appear on replies or forwarded email. Alternately signatures can be defined so that if the email is a reply or it is forwarded the signature is different on that email.

A signature can include formatted text, pictures, hyperlinks or a business card. Text typically includes information such as name, address, phone numbers and email address. The text font, size and color can be customized. Pictures tend be logos while a hyperlink can be used to insert an email address or link to an external website.

In addition to the basic signature a Business Card can also be used as the signature. A Business Card is Outlook is an electronic business card that is created in the address book and can be added to emails or signatures.

To Create an Email Signature:

1. Click on File

2. Select Options

3. Select Mail

4. Click on Signatures button next to Create or modify signatures for messages

5. To create a new signature click on New

6. In the New Signature dialog box type in the name for the signature and click on OK

7. Add signature to the Edit signature box and format as desired or insert a Business Card

8. Under Choose default signature select the Email account that this signature will be used for and when the signature should be inserted into the email

9. Click on OK twice

Notes:

• A new signature can be created from within the New Message window by selecting Signature from the ribbon then Signatures from the menu.

• Signatures can be manually inserted into email by selecting Signature from within the New Message window and then selecting the signature to be used.

Now that the basics of creating and inserting a signature in Outlook 2010 have been covered it is now time to learn how to create a custom electronic business card. Stay tuned to learn everything about business cards in Outlook.