How to create and add an HTML email signature to Outlook 2007?

By default the email signature editor in Outlook 2007 does not allow for using tables and table backgrounds. But it is possible to work around this limitation. Here is how to do it:

1. Open the Outlook 2007 E-mail Signature editor.

You can do this either via Tools, Options, Mail Format tab, Signatures…:

or by opening a new email, selecting the Insert tab, clicking the Signature button and then the Signatures… option:

2. In the E-mail signature editor click New, type in the name of your signature (mine will just be called ‘New signature’) click OK and then Save.

3. What you can do now is, compose your own signature in the Edit signature section and click OK:

But I want to use one of the free email signature templates we offer here at The Email Signature Resource. Let’s say I’ve already downloaded it and accessed its HTML code e.g. by opening it in an Internet browser and viewing its source:

When I do this, a new window or tab with the HTML source of the template will open. Now I have to copy the HTML source by pressing ctrl+a (select all) and ctrl+c (copy) on my keyboard.

Here is what I have to do next:

4. Close Outlook’s Signatures and Stationery window by clicking OK, find the place where the ‘New signature’ email signature HTML file is stored and open the file in Windows Notepad.

5. Highlight the ‘New signature’ HTML source by pressing ctrl+a on the keyboard and replace it with the free email signature template’s code by pressing ctrl+v on the keyboard.

Note that, by editing the HTML file, you can adjust the design or add new HTML elements.

6. Press ctrl+s to save changes and close Windows Notepad.

7. Go back to Outlook’s Signatures and Stationery menu and replace the {First name} {Last name}, etc. placeholders with your personal details and click Save, OK.

8. Test the new signature.

That’s it! Now, whenever you want to create another signature, apply the same procedure.

To modify the signature, go back into your Outlook’s Signatures and Stationery menu (Step 1. of this guide), highlight the name of the signature you want to modify, introduce your changes and click Save, OK.

Suggested reading

Free HTML email signatures for private and corporate use
Create or modify an email signature in Outlook 2010 and 2013
Ways of managing employees’ email signatures centrally