Use a screen reader to add a signature in Outlook
Applies ToOutlook for Microsoft 365 Outlook 2024 Outlook 2021 Outlook 2019 Outlook 2016 Outlook for Android Outlook for iOS Outlook Web App

This article is for people with visual or cognitive impairments who use a screen reader program such as Microsoft's Narrator, JAWS, or NVDA with the Microsoft 365 products. This article is part of the Microsoft 365 screen reader support content set where you can find more accessibility information on our apps. For general help, visit Microsoft Support home or Fixes or workarounds for recent office issues.

Use Outlook with your keyboard and a screen reader to create and insert a signature. The signature appears automatically at the bottom of new emails, including your replies and emails you forward. We have tested it with Narrator, JAWS, and NVDA, but it might work with other screen readers as long as they follow common accessibility standards and techniques.

Decorative icon. Need instructions on how to create and add a signature in Outlook, but not using a screen reader? See Create and add a signature to messages.

Notes: 

In this topic

Create a new signature

You can have several signatures and use a different signature for each type of email. For example, a business signature might include your name, job title, and contact information, while your home signature might have just a nickname and an image.

  1. In Outlook, press Alt+F, T, M. The Outlook Options window opens with the focus on the Mail category.

  2. Press Alt+N, and then press Enter. The Signatures and Stationery dialog box opens.

  3. To create a new signature, press Alt+N, and then press Enter. The New Signature dialog box opens.

  4. Type a name for the signature. When you're done, press Enter.

    Tip: Give signatures descriptive names, such as "business closing." A good name can help you find the signature that you want in the future.

    The focus returns to the Signatures and Stationery dialog box.

  5. To add your signature text, press Alt+T, and then press the Tab key until you hear: "Edit signature." Type the signature text.

    Tip: You can also add a picture to your signature. Press Shift+Tab until you hear "Pictures button," and press Enter. The Insert Picture dialog box opens. Browse to the image you want, and press Enter to insert it to the signature.

  6. When you're done, press the Tab key until you hear "OK button," and press Enter. The focus returns to the Outlook Options window.

  7. To apply your changes and return the focus to your Inbox, press the Tab key until you hear "OK button," and press Enter.

Edit a signature

  1. In your Inbox, press Alt+F, T, M. The Outlook Options window opens with the focus on the Mail category.

  2. Press Alt+N, and then press Enter. The Signatures and Stationery dialog box opens.

  3. Press Alt+C. You hear: "Select signature to edit."

  4. Press the Down arrow key until you hear the signature you want, and then press Alt+T. You hear the currently selected font.

  5. Press the Tab key until you hear: "Edit signature." Modify the signature text as necessary. To format text, use the keyboard shortcuts described in Keyboard shortcuts for formatting signatures.

  6. When you're done, press Alt+S to save the updated signature.

  7. Press the Tab key until you hear "OK button," and press Enter. The focus returns to the Outlook Options window.

  8. To apply the changes and return the focus to your Inbox, press the Tab key until you hear "OK button," and press Enter.

Keyboard shortcuts for formatting signatures

Use the below shortcuts to format your email signature:

To do this

Press

Apply bold formatting

Ctrl+B

Apply underline formatting

Ctrl+U

Remove text formatting

Ctrl+Spacebar

Change font

Alt+T

Align left

Ctrl+L

Center text

Ctrl+E

Align right

Ctrl+R

Insert your signature

If you've created a signature but didn't choose to automatically add it to outgoing messages, you can manually add it to specific messages.

  1. While composing your message in Outlook, press Alt+N, A, S.

  2. The list of available signatures opens. If there's only one signature available and you'd like to add that one, press Enter. If you have more signatures, press the Down arrow key until you hear the one you want to use, and press Enter.

    The signature is added to your message, and the focus returns to the message.

Set a default signature

You can set signatures to be added automatically to your outgoing messages. You can separately select a signature for new messages, replies, and forwarded emails.

  1. In Outlook, press Alt+F, T, M. The Outlook Options window opens with the focus on the Mail category.

  2. Press Alt+N, and then press Enter. The Signatures and Stationery dialog box opens.

  3. To select the email account for which you want to set default signatures, press Alt+A. You hear the name of the currently selected account. Press the Up or Down arrow key until you hear the account you want, and then press Enter.

  4. To add a default signature automatically to all new messages that you compose using the selected account, press Alt+M. The New Messages menu opens. Use the Up or Down arrow key to move to the signature you want, and press Enter.

  5. To add a default signature automatically to messages that you reply to or forward, press Alt+F. The Replies/Forwards menu opens. Use the Up or Down arrow key to move to the signature you want, and press Enter.

  6. When you're done, press the Tab key until you hear "OK button," and press Enter. The Signatures and Stationery dialog box closes, and you return to the Outlook Options window.

  7. To apply your changes and return to your inbox, press the Tab key until you hear "OK button," and then press Enter.

Remove a default signature

  1. In Outlook, press Alt+F, T, M. The Outlook Options window opens with the focus on the Mail category.

  2. Press Alt+N, and then press Enter. The Signatures and Stationery dialog box opens.

  3. Press Alt+A. In the list of email accounts, press the Up or Down arrow key until you hear the account whose default signature you want remove, and press Enter.

  4. Do one of the following:

    • To remove the signature for new messages, press Alt+M.

    • To remove the signature for replies and forwarded messages, press Alt+F.

  5. Press the Up arrow key until you hear "None," and then press Enter.

  6. Press the Tab key until you hear "OK button," and press Enter.

Note: You can also delete a signature completely. In the Signatures and Stationery dialog box, press Alt+C. Press the Up or Down arrow key until you hear the signature you want to delete, and then press Alt+D. A confirmation window opens. You hear: "Yes button." To delete the signature, press Enter.

See also

Use a screen reader to add a signature in Outlook for Mac

Use a screen reader to format text in your email in Outlook

Use a screen reader to insert a picture or image in an email in Outlook

Keyboard shortcuts for Outlook

Basic tasks using a screen reader with email in Outlook

Set up your device to work with accessibility in Microsoft 365

Use a screen reader to explore and navigate Outlook Mail

What's new in Microsoft 365

Technical support for customers with disabilities

Microsoft wants to provide the best possible experience for all our customers. If you have a disability or questions related to accessibility, please contact the Microsoft Disability Answer Desk for technical assistance. The Disability Answer Desk support team is trained in using many popular assistive technologies and can offer assistance in English, Spanish, French, and American Sign Language. Please go to the Microsoft Disability Answer Desk site to find out the contact details for your region.

If you are a government, commercial, or enterprise user, please contact the enterprise Disability Answer Desk.

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