Add graphics (e.g. a company logo or user photos) to signatures
CodeTwo Exchange Rules Family allows you to insert various graphics into your disclaimers and signatures, including logo of your company, marketing banners or even high-resolution users photos. This article is divided into several sections. Use the links below to find out more.
- Overview: linked and embedded images
- Configuring a new rule
- Inserting graphics (e.g. a company logo)
- Inserting user photos from Active Directory
Overview: linked and embedded images
Graphics may be included either by targeting the remote resources on the Internet or as hidden attachments. The first option allows you to change images without using the Administration Panel (by replacing the remote resources), but your recipients may be prompted to download external content. For more information about the pros and cons of online and embedded images, see our Knowledge Base article.
Configuring a new rule
- First, configure a new rule with the Insert signature or Insert disclaimer action.
- You can set conditions to decide which messages should be stamped with the signature.
- Finally, select the Insert signature or Insert disclaimer action and click Edit to open the template editor.
Tip
All messages in the HTML format will be stamped with this signature. However, please keep in mind that some messages are sent in the Plain Text format (most often from mobile devices), consequently you need to convert them into the HTML format prior to inserting the signature or disclaimer. This can be done using the Force e-mail format action, which is available in CodeTwo Exchange Rules Pro.
Inserting graphics (e.g. a company logo)
On the editor's ribbon, you can find the Picture button, located in the Insert group (Fig. 1.). Click it.
Fig. 1. The Insert picture button.
The Insert picture window (Fig. 2.) allows you to choose the image from the following two locations:
- internal (Local picture) - this option is recommended as images are always embedded in the final messages, so your recipients can easily view them without being prompted to download remote resources. However, adding multiple large images may result in an enormous size of the final message.
- external (Online picture) - this option could be useful either if you want to change the media without entering the Administration Panel or to limit the size of your messages. However, various mail clients may ask the recipients to download external images or might even block a message.
Learn more about local and online pictures
Fig. 2. The Insert picture window.
The Size section enables you to scale the image. If you want to scale the picture keeping the aspect ratio, provide only one dimension - the other one will be calculated automatically preserving the proper aspect ratio.
Tip
The PNG format of images is the most recommended one, as it offers professional appearance with high compression ratio and compatibility between various platforms.
To keep the text of your signature in line with the logo file, you can use the Table functionality. To do so, insert a table with e.g. one row and two columns and place the image and the rest of the content in separate cells (Fig. 3.).
Fig. 3. A signature with a logo and the rest of the content inside separate cells.
Inserting user photos from Active Directory
One of the most important components of any signature is a high-resolution photo of the sender. CodeTwo Exchange Rules Pro allows you to insert users' pictures directly from your Active Directory.
Tip
You can easily upload your photos to Active Directory using our freeware application, CodeTwo Active Directory Photos. The program allows you to set high-resolution photos with just a few clicks. Moreover, you can enrich your experience while using other applications (like Microsoft Lync).
In order to insert a user photo, you may use the {Photo} placeholder available on the editor's ribbon, under the Placeholder > Message Sender menu (Fig. 4.). You can keep the original dimensions of the photo or adjust them to fit the rest of your signature.
Fig. 4. Inserting the {Photo} placeholder into a signature.
Thanks to that, all messages stamped with your signature will contain the sender's photo in the location of the {Photo} placeholder. You can easily check how the final message will appear using the Preview feature available in the View group on the editor's ribbon (Fig. 5.).