How to Add a Picture to Your Outlook Email Signature: A Step-by-Step Guide

Adding a picture to your Outlook email signature is a great way to give your messages a more personal or professional touch. Whether it’s a photo of yourself, your company logo, or something that represents your brand, getting it right can make your emails stand out from the crowd. A little effort goes a long way when done properly.

Getting Started with Your Image

So, why bother adding an image? A good photo can convey a lot without words—showing professionalism or revealing a bit of your personality. If you’re finding it tricky to do, you’re not alone. Navigating the menus can sometimes feel like a mini treasure hunt, especially at first.

Accessing the Signature Editor

First, open the signature settings in Outlook. For Windows:

Go to File > Options
Select Mail on the left side
Click on Signatures…

On macOS:

Open Outlook
Click on Outlook > Preferences
Then select Signatures

You’ll see a toolbar that guides you through adding your image. It’s a few more clicks than you might like, but hey, it’s Microsoft — what can you do?

Creating or Editing Your Signature

In the editor, you can click New to start fresh or choose an existing signature to update. A quick tip: having multiple signatures can be handy — one for work, another for personal emails, for example.

Inserting Your Image

Now for the fun part. Click the image icon (it’s unmistakeable) on the toolbar. This will open a window where you can browse files on your computer. You can also paste an image if you’ve copied one from elsewhere.

Note:

Make sure your image is saved on your PC, preferably as a PNG or JPEG file.
Keeping the width under 150 pixels usually ensures your signature looks neat without overpowering the message.
It’s best to store your image somewhere easy to find, like C:\Users\YourName\Pictures\logo.png on Windows or ~/Pictures/logo.png on macOS.

To insert the image, simply click the insert icon, locate your file, and press Insert.

Adjusting Image Size and Position

After inserting, you can resize the image. Click on it — you’ll see small squares at the corners, which are resizing handles. Hold Shift while dragging to keep proportions intact (though this can sometimes behave differently across versions).

Pro Tip: Manually setting the size via image properties helps keep things looking consistent, especially if you stick to that 150-pixel width rule.

Saving Your Signature

Happy with how it looks? Click OK to save. To make this your default signature for new emails:

On Windows:

Go to File > Options > Mail
Click on Signatures…
Set your new signature as the default for New Messages and Replies/Forwards

On macOS:

Select your signature in the Signatures panel and choose it as the Default Sig

And that’s it! Your signature should now automatically appear in your outgoing emails.

Best Practices for Images in Signatures

Using https links for images is best for ensuring they display correctly across all devices. Avoid large images — they can bloat your email and slow down loading times for recipients.
Make sure your images are hosted somewhere accessible to prevent broken links.
If you need online hosting, services like OneDrive or SharePoint work well for sharing images publicly.

Common Questions About Signature Images

How do I add a company logo?

The process is the same as adding any image. For consistent display:

Host the logo online, such as on your website or a cloud storage service accessible to all recipients.
Insert it using a direct URL, like:

<img src="https://yourdomain.com/logo.png" width="120" height="60" alt="Company Logo">

This keeps the logo looking sharp and not too big in emails.

Can I add images in the Outlook mobile app?

Not yet. The Outlook app on mobile devices doesn’t support inserting images into signatures directly. But if you set up your signature on the desktop, it should show up when you send from your computer. Some folks create it on desktop and then sync it to their mobile devices.

How do I ensure my image fits perfectly?

Use simple editing tools (like Paint or online editors) to resize your images beforehand. Stick to that under-150-pixel width guideline for a neat, professional look — no awkward stretching or pixelation.

Can I include multiple images in my signature?

Absolutely. You can add several images, just keep the total size under around 1MB to keep things smooth. Use the toolbar icon for each image and arrange them neatly.

Will images show in replies and forwards?

If everything is set up correctly, yes. Images can appear in all types of messages — just make sure they’re embedded properly or hosted online so they display consistently.

Final Thoughts

Enhancing your Outlook signature with visuals can really elevate your emails. Keep it professional, host your images properly, and be mindful of size. Updating your signature periodically to reflect branding updates or new contact details keeps things fresh. And if this saves someone a headache or two, it’s worth sharing!