How to Create a Professional Email Signature
Quick Answer:
You can create a professional email signature by designing one in Canva (image-based) or using a free signature generator like Si.gnatu.re, HubSpot or Signature Hound (HTML-based). Once created, you can add your signature in Gmail, Dubsado, Outlook, or any other platform that supports it.
A professional email signature is a small detail that makes a big difference. It helps you look polished, makes it easier for people to contact you, and can even bring more visitors to your website and social media accounts.
The best part is you do not need to be a designer to create one. There are free tools that let you build a signature in just a few minutes. You can then use it in Gmail, Dubsado, Outlook, or any other platform.
In this guide, you will learn:
What to include in an email signature
How to create an email signature with Canva
How to use free email signature generators
How to install your email signature in Gmail
How to install your email signature in Dubsado
Best practices for making your signature look professional
Why You Need an Email Signature
Professional image: A clean signature shows you care about details.
Easy contact: Add your phone, email, and website so people can reach you quickly.
Brand consistency: Match your brand colors, fonts, and logo so every email feels on brand.
Promotion: Add a link to book a call, view your portfolio, or follow your social accounts.
What to Include in an Email Signature
Think of your email signature as a digital business card. Keep it short and simple and include what is relevant to your business and audience.
Your Name and Title: Add your full name and role.
Business Name and Logo or Headshot: Use your company logo for branding or a headshot for a personal touch.
Contact Information: Include your email, phone number, and website.
Social Media Links: Add clickable icons for platforms where you are active.
Call to Action (Optional): A single action you want people to take, like “Book a free consultation.”
Legal Disclaimer (Optional): If required for your industry, include a short disclaimer like “This email is confidential and intended only for the recipient.”
How to Create an Email Signature with Canva
Canva has free templates you can edit to match your brand, and is super easy to use.
Steps to create your signature in Canva:
Search for ‘Email Signature’ under Canva templates
Pick a design you like and edit it with your name, title, logo, and brand colors
Add icons for social media under ‘Elements’ (search for Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, etc.)
Download your design as a PNG or JPG
Compress the file with TinyPNG so it loads faster
Upload the image to your Google Drive or to your website and copy the link to the image
⚠️ Note: Canva signatures are image files. Only one link can be clickable, so this option is more for looks than function
Canva email signature template
Edited Canva email signature
How to add your email signature in Gmail:
Go to Settings → See all Settings.
In General, scroll to Signature.
Click ‘+ Create New’ and add a name.
Click Insert Image, and add the image link OR select from Google Drive.
Choose when it appears (new emails, replies, or both).
Scroll down and click Save changes.
How to add your email signature in Dubsado
Go to Template → Canned Emails → ‘Signature’.
Under the formatting options, click the image icon to insert an image.
Select your image or drag + drop it into the box.
Click the image and select ‘Change Size’. 400px width works well.
Click the image and select ‘Insert Link’ icon. Add a link to your website or booking page. Check the ‘Open in a new tab’ option. Click ‘Insert’ when done.
To check what your signature looks like, send yourself an email using a test project.
Add your email signature image in Dubsado
How to Use an Email Signature Generator
Email signature generators create HTML code so every element inside the signature is clickable. This is the best option if you want people to click your website, or social links.
I’ve tested many free email signature generators and most of them are disappointing. They have beautiful signature templates but after signing up you find out that those options are only for paid accounts. What you have access to in a free account is limited. Below, I’m sharing a few that have worked best for me.
Si.gnatu.re
Visit Si.gnatu.re
Click ‘Create a Signature’ and start customizing your template.
Contact: Add your details (name, title), your profile image, your contact details (phone, email, address). You can add footer/disclaimer text.
Images: Add your logo and adjust its size or upload a banner, keeping in mind the maximum width limit.
Design: Change the layout of your signature, adjust the font style and size, and customize the colors and style of the social icons.
Once satisfied with the design, click ‘Finish’.
Click ‘Copy HTML’. A pop-up will appear letting you know that the code was copied to your clipboard.
Hubspot
Click ‘Create my signature’.
Templates: Choose the template structure that works best for you.
Signature Details: Add your personal information (name, title), phone number, website, email, address and enter all your social links. You have the option of adding information in a custom field (office hours, pronouns, etc.).
Styles: edit the colors and font of your signature.
Upload Images: add the links to any of the images you’d like to use in your signature (profile picture, logo). You need to host the images on your website for them to display properly. You can also add a custom CTA with its own text, link, colors and image.
Once your signature looks the way you want, click ‘Create signature’.
Next click ‘Confirm & submit’.
Click ‘Copy signature source code’.
Signature Hound (now paid)
Go to Signature Hound and sign up for a free 30 day trial.
Click ‘Create a new signature’. Once your template appears start working your way down the far left menu.
Templates: Choose the template structure that works best for you. I chose ‘Vertical 02’.
Personal Info: Add your profile image if you’d like. Adjust the size, fill in your personal info (name, job title, department, email, phone number).
Business Info: Add your logo if you’d like (it will appear under your photo). Fill in your business info (company name, address, website, social links).
Design: toggle on/off the elements that you want. Set the style of icons you want to use, set the color of different elements, set your font size and line height, and more. I love the level of detail you can control.
Call to Action: add a call to action image underneath your email signature. I didn’t add this one as it felt like the signature would be large. But if you’re launching a book or a course this feature is great to add to your email signature. It gives you a unique link to help promote your offer during your launch period.
Disclaimer: you can add a company disclaimer to your emails.
Click ‘Install Signature’ at the top right of your screen.
Click ‘Copy Signature as Source Code’, next click ‘Copy Source’.
Email signature made in Signature Hound
How to add your email signature code in Gmail:
Go to Settings → See all Settings
In General, scroll down to Signature
Click ‘+ Create New’ and paste your HTML code or insert your image.
Choose when it appears (new emails, replies, or both)
Scroll down and click Save changes.
How to add your email signature code in Dubsado:
Go to Template → Canned Emails → ‘Signature’ above the list of canned emails
Click the ‘Code View’ icon and paste the copied code into the signature box
Click ‘Code View’ again to see the end result
To check what your signature looks like, create a test project/client and send yourself an email
Note: You might see light gray lines around your signature when sending emails. These lines are not visible to the recipients. To check what your signature looks like to clients, create a test project and send yourself an email.
Add your email signature code in Dubsado
Best Practices for Email Signatures
Keep it under 5 lines of text.
Use web-safe fonts.
Make sure links open in a new tab.
Avoid large images that take long to load.
Test by emailing yourself before sending to clients.
TL;DR
A professional email signature builds trust and makes it easier for people to connect with you. You can:
Use Canva for a branded image (looks great but can only add one link to the image).
Use signature generators like Si.gnatu.re, HubSpot or Signature Hound (paid) for fully clickable designs.
Add your signature in Gmail through settings or in Dubsado under Canned Emails.
Include only the essentials: name, title, contact info, social links, and one call to action.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What should I include in my Gmail signature?
Include your name, title, business name, phone, website, and a few social links. Add a simple call to action if you want.
2. Should I use an image or HTML code for my email signature?
Text-based signatures with HTML are more functional because every element can be clicked. Image-based designs look polished but usually allow only one link.
3. Can I add my logo or headshot to my email signature?
Yes, but keep it small. Large images slow down email loading.
4. What is the best free email signature generator?
Si.gnatu.re email signature generator is reliable and free. Hubspot is another good option.
5. How do I make sure my email signature looks right for clients?
Always send a test email to yourself. Some email platforms show extra spacing or lines that you will want to adjust.
Video tutorial: How to create an email signature
Here is a quick step by step tutorial in YouTube. Learn how to create an email signature using Canva and Signature Hound
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