Transcript of video:
(00:02) Introduction to Outlook for Mac Signatures
This video is to show you how to create, insert, and edit email signatures in Microsoft Outlook Outlook and um also to keep those signatures accessible for screen readers. So, I am in the desktop version of Microsoft Outlook for Mac. It might look a little bit different for you if you're using a Windows machine, but I'm using a Mac and I'm using the built-in the software that's installed on my computer.
Then we'll look at the online version later.
(00:31) Accessing Signature Settings
So, in order to get to your signatures in Outlook, you can click on settings and there's a section for email and you can click on signatures. I'm going to show you another way though cuz we're going to be working in this section.
(00:49) Managing Signatures While Composing an Email
So, if I'm composing an email, new email, it pulls it up. And you can see I don't have a signature selected. And so, um, if I want to manage my signatures, when I'm composing an email, I can do that right here, choosing the more options here with the three dots.
The first one is signature. And so, I'm going to go ahead and hit manage signatures because I want to add a new one.
(01:07) Creating a New Signature
So, I'm going to add a new one. I'm going to give it a name. And then from here, I can start adding my information. So, I'm going to add a phone number and then you could put extension whatever.
(01:33) Adding a Link
And then maybe I want to add a link to our ESU10 website. I'm going to do that. And so, make it a link. Just like in anything, you highlight it. You go find the link. I'm not seeing it. That means I got to go to the three dots, click link, and type in the URL. Fortunately, it's very short.
(01:33–01:51) Adding an Image
So, I've got what I want. It's not super fancy, but I want to add an image. And so, again, I'm looking for a tool to add an image. I'm not seeing it. So, let's click the three dots. And there's my add image.
(01:51) Inserting and Resizing the Image
So, I'm going to add an image from a file. Maybe it's your staff photo. Um, maybe it's any kind of image you want. I just chose this Bitmoji for now for this demo. So, I want to make it not quite as big. So, I'm going to decrease its size.
(02:10) Adding Alt Text
And that looks pretty good. But, I want to add some alt text. So, I need to right click on it, edit all text, and I want to be descriptive with this. So, I'm going to say Bitmoji of Peg Hoover saying regards. Okay.
(02:10–02:35) Styling the Text
And that looks good. Now, let's mess with the text just real quickly. I'm going to make it bold. I'm going to make it a little bit bigger. You can change the font style here. Um, those kinds of things.
(02:35–02:54) Saving the Signature and Setting Defaults
So, I'm good to go. I'm going to hit save. So, now I have a signature called demo 3. Now, if I want this to always be in every email, I can set that right here. I can choose demo 3. Always new messages is going to be demo 3.
Maybe I wanted it to be something else. I'm going to go back to none.
(02:54–03:14) Editing and Reviewing Signatures
Um, I prefer to just do mine one by one. So, I'm going to go back to the signature. manage signatures because I clicked out of that. I want to show you something very quickly.
(03:14) Example of an Inaccessible Signature
So remember, let's go back and edit this one just to show you everything here was separate was just actual text and then a picture that had alternative text.
Here's an example of a bad email signature. And the reason that it's bad is because it's a picture with all the information embedded in the picture. A screen reader cannot access that text when it's embedded like that.
(03:32) Never Use an Image-Based Signature
So never do that. We we were doing that. We realized like we were creating our signatures in another program and just making a picture and putting that picture as our signature. Well, it looks nice, but it's not accessible.
So, we want to make sure that any of our email signatures is just text. And then if we do have a picture, we want to have alternative text.
(03:51) Inserting a Signature While Composing an Email
Okay. So, now let's say that I am composing an email and let's send it to myself. And I don't have to have text in there. I can have it blank to be begin with, but I want to now insert a signature.
So, I click the more again, the three dots, signature, and I'm going to choose demo 3, the one that we just created.
(04:13) Viewing and Sending the Email With Signature
And now I could send that um and it would go to me and it would have that signature. I did it manually. You can set it up so that it always is added to all of your email signatures.
(04:32) Online Version: Accessing Signature Tools
Now, on the online, it looks a little bit different. So, let's talk about that. Um, same thing. I'm going to hit new email. It looks again, it looks different. I don't see that um three dots thing anymore, but I do have some options here.
(04:50) Creating a Signature in Outlook Web
So, what if I click insert? Then I can see I've got signature. So, I can choose a signature I already have created or I can manage signatures by creating a new one. That's what I'm going to do right now.
(05:08) Adding Links and Images in Outlook Web
So, same thing. I'm going to call it demo 2 and I'm going to do the same and get all the info. And just to save time, I'm not going to put all in there. We could have ESU10 website. I will show you how to make it a link just because it does look a little bit different.
(05:08–05:42) Adding Alt Text in Outlook Web
And then for a picture, look for that insert picture. There it is. I can insert that same picture. I can resize it like I did before.
And then to get all text, it's a little bit different. You don't right click on it. You click on it and then you come over to the more formatting and then you'll find that add alternative text and go ahead and put in a description.
(05:42–06:09) Finalizing and Using the Signature
And now I'm good to go. So I can hit save. And now if I want to type an email and whoever it happens to be I'm emailing to. Um if I want to insert a signature, make sure you're in the insert. Hit signatures. Choose your signature and you're good to go.
(06:09–end) Accessibility Reminders
If you um follow the accessibility guidelines for Google Docs and Google Slides, you should be fine on your signature. Just don't embed any text in any images. If you have an image, add alternative text. Keep that color contrast ratio at least 4 1/2 to 1 so that there's enough contrast and then use descriptive links.
And if you have any other questions, visit our accessibility resources hub at a11y.esu10.org.