Your email signature should include your full name, contact information, job information, any important links, legal requirements, a call to action, and your pronouns.
Include your full name, job title, phone number, website URL, photo or logo, and social media icons. Then, you can add an animated GIF or a banner that will make it pop. You can have some fun with this, but make sure it's aligned with what your business does.
Professional email signatures look best when they are kept simple and short. That's why you should try and limit your signature to 3 to 4 lines of text, mentioning only the essentials like full name, job title, and contact information.
It's Unique to You
The point of a signature is usually to say you agree to a document, like a contract, or to verify your identity. Therefore, the idea is your signature should be unique. You can make your signature unique through the letters you chose to include or the way you write them — or both!
Regardless of what the signature looks like—whether it's written neatly, scribbled, or typed—it's proof that conditions have been considered and accepted. As long as a signature is representative of who a person is and their intent, any kind of mark is considered legal.
Because your signature identifies you, it should be consistent. It doesn't have to be your full name — unless you're specifically trying to match a previous authorized signature. You can choose to use just your initials instead, as one example.
Using regards in an email closing suggests that you have respect for the recipient, but not necessarily a close relationship with them. Because it is less formal than sincerely, expressions with regards are perfect in emails, which tend to be less formal than letters anyway.
For example, consider emphasizing the first letter of your name and making the rest of your letters small. You can also have fun with certain elements of your name or underling your signature if you want to add emphasis. Add flourishes, loops, zigzags and other designs as you see fit.
It can be -- as many signatures end up -- a series of squiggles, a picture, or historically, even the traditional "X" for people who couldn't read and write. As long as it adequately records the intent of the parties involved in a contractual agreement, it's considered a valid signature.
You Have to Mark the Document
That's good, but a valid signature can be any mark representing you. It can be a squiggle, an image, or a simple X. A 'valid' signature is any signature that records the intent of the parties involved in the agreement (more on below).
Signatures that include just your initials (with or without the middle initial) are usually considered more formal and businesslike than full-name signatures. If you're worried about forgery, consider making your signature longer and more legible. Include your entire first and last name. Be sure to write clearly.
Under English law, what constitutes a signature is flexible. A person's intention can determine whether they have entered into binding agreements or transactions. Many electronic signature platforms can establish enough evidence to prove intention, should someone later dispute the validity of the contract.
A best practice to keep in mind when creating your email signature is that you should only use common image formats like PNG or JPEG. Make sure that images are scaled down before you put them into your signature. If you have some coding skills, you can scale them with CSS and HTML.
Email sign-offs also represent an opportunity. They can signify your status or reinforce your personal brand. They can be used to convey care, concern, and collegiality. They can even encourage prosocial behaviors and increased self-worth.
Does my signature have to be in cursive? Traditionally, signatures are in cursive, but it's not necessarily a requirement. The most important things about your signature is its authenticity and the intention it represents. You could even simply print your name as a valid signature.
Yes, you can use just your initials as a signature — initials are 100% legally binding and accepted as a signature.