Make your (email) signature matter

Consistent email signatures from all @huntington.edu email accounts are an opportunity to create brand alignment. A consistent and clear email signature presents a professional appearance and represents a necessary uniformity in all Huntington University communication.

The following are recommended guidelines for faculty and staff members using an @huntington.edu email account:

• Avoid images, logos, backgrounds and vCards: Most email clients process these as attachments or block them by default. So, if you include these in your signature, your email recipients won’t know when you send a real attachment and when it’s just your email signature.
• Less is more: Email signatures should be under 12 lines. If you feel you need to add more information, use pipes (|) to separate components adding two spaces between content and pipes. Also, refrain from using quotes or epigraphs in business communications to keep the message professional and to avoid having others assume a particular statement represents the institution.
• Font: Use 14 point Garamond (or Adobe Garamond) for your name, 9 point Arial for all other text except for “Huntington University,” which is in 11 point Garamond (or Adobe Garamond).
• Color: Green and gray are the preferable colors (see example) and consistent with the brand color palette.
• Phone numbers: Include the phone number you use regularly in an effort to make it easy for others to reach you. Do not include a cell or fax number if it’s not something you often use or want to share broadly.
• Social media: Adding links to social media channels is optional; feel free to promote the main accounts on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn (see example) or your own office, division, or center’s accounts. Remember that using links is preferable to images or logos.
• URL conventions: No need to use the “www” in a URL unless the URL won’t work without it. For example, Huntington.edu is used in the attached signature, and the link is embedded.

Posted By: Lynette Fager, Director of Communication; University Relations