Apple Mail signature

Below are the steps in full, how to keep a pasted signature's formatting, and the common snags.

Add a signature in Mail on Mac

1. Open the Mail app.
2. Choose Mail > Settings, then click Signatures.
3. In the left column, select the email account the signature is for.
4. Click + below the middle column and type a name. This is the name you'll see in the Signature menu when you write.
5. In the right column, type your signature or paste one. Use the Format menu to change the font and colour, and the Edit menu to turn text into links. Drag an image into the column to add one.
6. At the bottom, use Choose Signature to make it the default for that account.

Two shortcuts from Apple: drag your card from the Contacts app into the right column to add your contact details, and untick Place signature above quoted text if you want it below the email you're replying to.

Keep your formatting when you paste

If you paste a designed signature, untick Always match my default message font. When that box is ticked, Mail changes the signature to the message font from your Fonts & Colours settings, and your layout loses its fonts.

To make a formatted signature, use the generator below. Fill in your details, press Copy signature, and paste into the right column in Mail.

Why you can't choose your signature

If you created the signature while All Signatures was selected in the left column, it isn't linked to an account yet. Drag it from the middle column onto the account. The same drag lets you use one signature for several accounts.

Set or change the default

Select the account in the left column, then use Choose Signature at the bottom. Apart from a single default, you can let Mail use all the account's signatures in turn or at random.

On your other Macs

If you use iCloud Drive, Apple says your signatures are available on your other Macs that have iCloud Drive turned on with Mail selected in its options.

On iPhone

1. Open Settings and tap Apps, then Mail.
2. Tap Signature, below Composing.
3. Edit the text. Tap Per Account for a different signature per account.

Apple says iPhone Mail signatures can only be text, so pictures and layouts don't carry over. Keep your phone signature short.

For an HTML signature, see HTML email signature for Apple Mail. To add your photo or logo, try Apple Mail signature with image. If you also use Outlook on your Mac, see Outlook signature on Mac.