21 Cool & Inspiring Email Signature Design Ideas

When it comes to email signatures, most people stop at name, title, and maybe a phone number. But with a little creativity, the email footer is a small but mighty space you can use to tell a story about who you are, your values, and your work.

For example, using an image of a Lego minifigure instead of your headshot can hint at creativity or even earn you a chuckle. 

In this post, we list examples of cool email signatures that leave your recipients with the right impression. We’ve also explained modern email signature design best practices because how you say goodbye matters even in emails. 

Key Takeaways

• Cool email signature designs showcase your brand, highlight your contact information, and include compelling CTAs without being too flashy. 
• Elements of a creative email signature include social media icons, banners, and CTA buttons and links. 
• Cool email signature ideas balance personality and professionalism. 

What Makes a Nice Email Signature?

A unique signature goes beyond providing essential contact information. It helps you stand out by subtly telling your audience you’re worth remembering. It achieves this by combining a unique color and tone to create the desired sense of personality.

For example, nice email signatures for designers should have a clean and modern look, just like their work. On the other hand, a cool signature for Instagram influencers and other creatives may combine a quirky tagline, color pops, and bold fonts to bring out their playful side. 

Remember, an email signature is like your digital business card. You should keep it visually appealing and easy to read by using a clear hierarchy, sticking to one or two brand colors, and avoiding clutter. 

Elements That Enable a Creative Email Signature

Creative email signatures balance professionalism and personal flair, making them the latte art versions of basic email footers. 

Professionalism earns you trust by showing that you are legit and take communication seriously. A creative email signature with a personal touch feels warm and helps you build connections easily.

Elements that add a personal touch to emails include; 

• A signature banner – draws the eye with a splash of color, design, and style. 
• Social media icons – only add social media platforms that matter to you. 
• Handwritten signature image – gives your emails a sense of authenticity and commitment.
• An animated GIF – can personalize your message and increase engagement. 
• An image gallery – helps recipients understand your brand more easily. 
• Email signature quotes – a good way to showcase personality and convey values. 
• Personal tagline – a line that summarizes what you believe in. 
• CTA buttons and links – passively drive traffic to your site, maximizing your marketing efforts.
• A video thumbnail – a unique way to put a face to your name and increase engagement. 
• An Instagram gallery – a way for artists and designers to showcase their visual content and enhance interactions. 
• Environmental disclaimers – to show your commitment to sustainability and to reduce your carbon footprint. 
• “Leave a review” link – shows confidence in your work while inviting conversation in a low-pressure way. 

Cool Email Signature Design Ideas and Examples

1. Use GIFs to Show Your Work

Why? Because work speaks louder than words (yes, that typo is on purpose). Hiromi, the Head Chef at Ramen, has one of the best email signature ideas in this regard.

Knowing too well that people skim emails all the time, he embeds a video, making the food come alive. 

Adding a quick video instead of a static photo gives his emails a better chance of standing out and being remembered. For those who succumb to impulse, there’s a prominent CTA button, letting them book a table without much digging. 

Notice how Hiromi limits his social media icons only to platforms his target audience will likely hang around. Using the same color for his name and logo helps maintain a clean and professional look. 

2. Be a Vibe, Not a JPEG

In this funny email signature design example, Grace uses a moving headshot to show her audience that she’s human and approachable.

A confident smile can create an expressive face, revealing more of your personality. Grace uses this fact to break the ice, add warmth, and make her audience feel like someone they might actually want to meet or reply to.

Let’s face it: a little life in your email signature will go a long way in a world where most people go for photos with neutral or still expressions. 

3. Let Your Brand Move, Literally 

Static is forgettable, but your brand shouldn’t be. Even a subtle animation brings your brand to life, helping communicate your values without a word. 

vCita has one of the best signature examples for an email footer that shows, not just tells, what their brand is about. Their cool email signature uses an innovative approach to express inclusivity, friendliness, and an invitation to join. 

Notice the consistent color palette. It gives the email signature a polished design, helping build trust and reinforce the brand. 

4. Use a Banner to Turn Your Email Into a Silent Sales Pitch 

This is a good professional signature example for salespeople, marketers, and startup owners sending emails and expecting their recipients to make a purchase.

A sales banner is like having a mini-billboard at the end of every conversation. The eye-catching animation coupled with the bold “20% Off” is a low-key pitch that urges people not to miss a limited offer without saying a word. 

Sales is all about connection. Carlos’s email signature photo with a smile helps break the cold email ice and creates a perception of a friendly salesperson you like already.

5. Let Your Talent Do the Talking 

If you’re into photography, motion design, or art, “Best regards” won’t exactly shout creative genius. Your email sign-off is a prime space to let your talent speak for itself. 

We like how Zander blends two cool tricks into a single email footer design, making him stand out as a visual artist. The most notable trick is how he uses his email signature photo to present himself and his creative artistry. 

Once the photo has earned him a second glance, Zander pulls in yet another trick – adding a strip of his latest work on Instagram and a clickable link providing instant access. 

Using these two tricks, Zander can turn every email into a mini-portfolio that invites his recipients to engage with the content on his social media account. 

6. Personalize Your Goodbyes With a Handwritten Sign-Off

Another way you can create unique email signatures is by adding a handwritten sign-off. Traditional typed-out sign-offs are fine, but a handwritten one will help add a human touch to even the most professional emails.

Handwritten email signatures tell your audience that the message comes from a real person, not an auto-response machine. It sneaks your personality into your emails, helping soften the tone and build connections. 

Ashely has one of the best examples of email signatures with a handwritten sign-off. One of the best features of this email footer is customization. You can change your sign-off from Kind Regards to Cheers or even your name to match the overall tone of your email and your specific recipient. 

7. Keep Your Email Signatures Fresh

In the world of professional signature ideas for email, timely means click-worthy. An email signature with a sales banner from last year is not just a turn-off; it showcases a lack of professionalism and attention to detail. 

On the other hand, a timely email signature shows that you’re active and your message is relevant. It also gives your recipients a reason to engage now, not later. 

Updating your email signature with the seasons is not the only way to keep it fresh. You should also refresh your photo, swap your sign-off style occasionally, and clean out old links. You can also update your email signature layout to the recent trends, but always keep your brand colors and fonts. 

8. Make Their Next Step One Click Away

The coolest email signatures have one thing in common: they are clear. They tell the recipient what to do and even make it easy to take the next step. That’s because if it takes your audience two or more clicks to figure out how to do something, the odds are that they won’t.

Got a new product? Don’t just mention it; add a clickable link that will direct your readers to the product. Hosting an event? Make it ridiculously easy to sign up for the event. 

Chris Gardner has one of the best email signature block examples here. We like how he provides his audience with two options for reaching him in person. The “Let’s meet up on Zoom” button suggests that Chris is already waiting for his audience on the Zoom platform. For those who can’t contact him immediately, Chris allows them to set up a meeting at their most convenient time. 

Cool Email Signature Design Best Practices

A good email signature can elevate your entire email game;  the wrong one can ruin a great message. Use these best practices to create amazing email signatures that build trust and drive action. 

Standardize Your Business Signatures

There are times when it makes sense for employees to use different email signature templates. For example, when each template is tailored by a brand or meant for various audiences.

However, it’s important to have clear guidelines on the layout of the email signatures to avoid confusion. The sweet spot would be having everyone use the same logo, colors, and fonts but different elements, such as CTA and banners, based on their roles. 

Stick to These Email Dimensions 

Email signature size matters. Make it too small, and you’re invisible. Go too big, and your email footers will be taller than your actual email message. Our recommendations for ideal email signature dimensions are a width of 300 – 400 pixels and a height of 150 – 200 pixels. 

Stick to Web-Friendly Fonts

Your cool email signature designs won’t mean anything if they aren’t readable on your recipients’ screens. Using the best web-safe fonts for email signatures guarantees that your email footers will appear as intended across all email clients and devices. 

Use Just One or Two Primary Colors

Unique signatures stick to one or two colors from their brand palette. Using minimal colors helps your CTA buttons and links pop out. This guides your readers’ eyes, making it easier to get the message and take the desired step. Simple color schemes make your email signatures look polished and professional. 

Final Thoughts on Cool Email Signatures 

Now that you have cool email signature ideas for inspiration, don’t let your email footer sit like an empty lot again.

Your email signature is a prime real estate that goes out hundreds, if not thousands, of times weekly. Maximize this exposure to tell your audience who you are, build trust, and drive your business or personal goals. 

Time to Design Your Signature 

You don’t need to know code or be tech-savvy to create cool signatures for email. With our free online signature generator, you can create cool-looking signatures in about five minutes and have them installed automatically for different email clients.

Click here to convert your email footer block into a meaningful brand touchpoint because great emails deserve great exits.