Your e-mail signature, sometimes called a signature block, is a way to efficiently convey all necessary contact information to each person you e-mail. They serve as effective marketing pieces and—most importantly—they make it easy for people to reach you.
Elements to Include
- Name
- Title
- Department name
- Name of university
- University address
- Phone (Office and/or lab)
- E-mail
- Company web address
- If necessary for the type of work you do, disclaimers or confidentiality statements are appropriate below your signature.
Optional Elements
- Degrees
- Any additional titles
- Fax number
- Company social media account links (if they are important to your work)
Elements to Leave Out
- Refrain from philosophical statements or quotations.
- Avoid images pasted into your signature. Spam blockers may reject them and many e-mail programs will show them as attachments.
- Avoid using the [tab] key to align text. The spacing may look different or uneven on others’ displays. Instead, use dashes or commas to separate text phrases.
- Emoticons
Style Rules
- Choose professional colors such as black or gray and limit the number of colours you use. Since most links will default to blue, you run the risk of having an unattractive multicolored signature by introducing too many shades.
- Simple fonts like Arial, Verdana, and Calibri are easier to read on computer monitors and screens than more complex script and cursive fonts.
- Restrict font use to one font, if at all possible, and limit the number of lines your signature takes up. Ideally, limit the length of the signature to 4–6 lines.
- Stretch your signature wider rather than longer by using bullet points or pipes ( | ) between elements. You will commonly see phone, fax and web address all on the same line in this manner.
Template
A suggested template for creating your University e-mail signature follows; depending on your University role, not all fields may be applicable.
Name [in bold]
University Position Title | University Department
University of Toronto Mississauga | 3359 Mississauga Road (Include office location if different from mailing address)
Phone Number | (Fax number optional) | E--mail address
Web Address (www.utm.utoronto.ca)
Above all, remember that your e-mail signature reflects on you and the University
For more information please contact: Nicolle Wahl, Director, Content, Office of Communications