Consistent email signatures across all departments and programs help to ensure that all email on behalf of Knox College meets professional standards, represents the quality of our work and the College's business, and provides relevant information to support business processes. It is the policy of Knox College that all employees with @knox.edu email who use an email signature follow the guidelines outlined below:
- Keep it simple: Don't get overly complex when formatting your email signature and keep the number of lines to a minimum.
- Images and logos: Except for the Knox College, Prairie Fire, or other official Knox logos (e.g. Venture Boldly) use of images within the email signature is not recommended. Images can come across as attachments and add to the complexities of downloading an email for the recipient. It is also important to note that many email clients and mobile devices block the appearance of logos and images. To use a College logo in your signature, please use the email signature template (see link at bottom of page).
- Web addresses: The inclusion of the Knox College web address (knox.edu) is recommended for all College email signatures. A second web address specific to a department, program, or professional page can be added to the signature.
- Social media links: The inclusion of social media links is recommended when they promote important College communication channels, such as the Knox College or Prairie Fire Athletics Facebook page or the College's LinkedIn page. No more than two links should be listed. The inclusion of personal social media links is discouraged unless the link is used for business purposes, e.g. student recruitment.
- Quotes: The use of personal or favorite quotes or epigraphs in an email signature is inappropriate in a professional setting and should not be used in any communications on behalf of the College.
- Taglines, Anniversaries, Awards, and so on: Some departments may have taglines or other slogans (special anniversary notifications or awards) that may be necessary for promotional purposes of the College (e.g. Knox College: A College that Changes Lives or Your Future is Wide Open); these slogans must be cleared through the Office of Communications. Legal addendums may also be necessary for some offices; please contact General Counsel (bnolden@knox.edu) before using.
To add or change your email signature, follow these steps:
- Starting from your Knox College email inbox, find the Settings page by clicking on the Cog Wheel on the top right side of your Inbox.
- Once there, scroll down to the Signature box. (Choose “see all settings” if you do not see the Signature Box.) You can now copy the signature style of your choice (see link at bottom of page) and paste it into the Signature box.
- Make changes to the name, title, and phone numbers as needed.
- You can download a logo from the attached examples (click the logo and right click for options) or contact Communications (communications@knox.edu) if you need assistance.
- If you need help adding a signature to your email, please contact Information Technology Services at help@personalsupportcenter.com or by calling extension 7700.
Additional Email Guidelines
Logos: Email signatures should be kept as small as possible, with image files not exceeding 100 KB and dimensions around no more than 300 px in width and 150 px in height. The preferred file format is JPG or PNG.
Body Font: With the advent of smartphones and tablets, individuals are reading email on a variety of devices, all with different screen sizes. To ensure that email is readable on all devices, it is recommended that individuals use Sans Serif body fonts (Arial, Verdana) set to Google's Normal size (no smaller than 10 point font).
