Yesterday one of my clients asked if I could help her create a Gmail signature, and thought, “Hmmm… I’ll bet there are other people who would like to be able to do this, too.”

I have several Gmail accounts, for different purposes, but the most important service they provide me is a backup. I’m still a PC user (though I hope to add a Mac to my computing arsenal soon), and if you have ever used Outlook, you know that it is important to have a Plan B ready and waiting. Gmail is my Plan B.

But when I move to Plan B, I don’t want it to be obvious. I want my emails to look like they always do, and that means that there needs to be a signature attached to them that is consistent with all of my other emails.

We could just type our signature, but that gets old pretty quick, doesn’t it?

So, does Gmail offer a solution? Of course! And it is very easy.

Here’s how you create your Gmail signature file.

First, sign into your Gmail account and then click the little gear icon up at the top right corner. From the drop-down menu, choose Settings. The default view is the General tab. Scroll down until you find the Signature area. It looks like this:

If you have more than one account funneling into Gmail, you will see them all if you click the drop-down arrow next to the one that is visible. You can create a separate Gmail signature file for each of your email addresses.

And as you can see from the image, you have all the normal editing options for spiffing it up. So go brand yourself with some signature files.

Before you go, though, let me give clue you in to one little idiosyncrasy you’ll soon discover.

When you create a new email, your signature shows up, just like it should. However, when you reply to or forward an email, it looks like there is not signature. It is there — but it is at the BOTTOM. That means it is below everything that is forwarded.

And that’s why sometimes you will see an email that has gone back and forth between people several time that has a whole bunch of signatures at the bottom. That’s where Gmail puts them.

Personally, I like my signature to be right after what I’ve written, so I’ve just trained myself to go to the bottom of the email and move it up. A minor inconvenience, but it works.

I have not, at this time, been able to find a setting that will change that. If you know how to do it, please share!