Gmail HTML Signature

With the new Gmail signature format is simply possible to add rich text format and online picture in to the signature. But what if you want to add html code in order to add classic features like alternative text or new windows opening to the image or text in the signature? There is no way to add the code directly. What you have to do is easier to make than say.

These instruction are for those people that want to add an image with an alternative text and an hyperlink from the image to another site, and let it opening in a new window.

1. Upload the image you want to use in the signature to a public server (like picasa web album, flickr, or other free image hosts but all of them must have public access) paying attention to the height of the image (too big images are ugly, but too little are incomprehensible).
   • If the image is not too big (but you have to test it by yourself), you can convert it in to Base64 Mime Code (there are online tools that do it) and use the code in to the source field in the image html link. Remember that there is a limit in the signature lenght, so if your converted code is too long, Gmail won't accept the signature.
2. Create a text file (with a text editor like NotePad for Windows or TextEdit for Mac) with all the features you want in simple html, like the image source from the external public server, an alternative text, no border, the hyperlink to a site that will open in a new window.
3. Save the text file directly as htm or rename it after save.
4. Load it into a browser (Firefox, IE, Opera, what ever you want).
5. Copy all you see in the browser with Ctrl-A followed by Ctrl-C (Command-A and Command-C in Mac).
6. Open Gmail Settings.
7. In the first tab of Gmail settings, past the previously copied signature in to the Gmail signature field with Ctrl-V (Command-V in Mac).
8. Save Gmail Settings.
9. That's it.