Why does my Outlook signature look different when the recipient replies or forwards my email?

Amy Lockwood
Amy Lockwood
Co-Founder & Head of App and Web Design (15+ Years Experience)
Updated On: Feb 11, 2025
Outlook

When your Outlook signature looks different after the recipient replies to or forwards your email, it is expected behavior and not necessarily an indication that your signature looked bad when the email was initially received. This only occurs during replies or forwards due to how email clients handle formatting in those contexts. Here’s a detailed explanation:

Why does my Outlook signature look different when the recipient replies or forwards my email?

As a leading SaaS provider specializing in HTML email signatures for over 13 years, we’ve helped thousands of businesses troubleshoot email signature issues, including formatting changes in Outlook replies and forwards. If your email signature looks different when a recipient replies or forwards your message, you’re not alone, it’s a common and expected behavior across many email clients, including Outlook.

Unlike the initial email, which preserves the original formatting, replies and forwards are handled differently by email clients. Outlook, in particular, may strip or modify HTML, change fonts, resize images, or convert rich HTML emails to plain text. This does not mean your signature was received incorrectly, only that it has been reformatted during the reply or forward process.

In this article, we’ll explain why this happens, how Outlook processes email formatting differently in replies and forwards, and what you can expect when sending professional emails with an HTML signature.

Why Does This Happen?

  1. Email Formatting in Threads:
    • Many email clients simplify or modify formatting in replies and forwards to maintain consistency within an email thread. This can lead to:
      • Changes in font size, style, or color.
      • Removal of images or hyperlinks.
      • Altered alignment or spacing.
  2. Recipient's Email Client Settings:
    • Email clients like Gmail, Outlook and Apple Mail handle forwarded or replied emails differently. Some may strip out or adjust HTML and CSS elements for simplicity.
    • For instance:
      • Plain Text Mode: If the recipient uses plain text for replies, your signature will lose all formatting, leaving only plain text elements.
      • Rich Text or HTML Mode: Formatting may still be altered based on the recipient's email client capabilities.
  3. Compatibility Across Clients:
    • While your signature may appear perfectly formatted when the recipient first receives your email, email clients often have limited support for complex HTML or CSS in replies/forwards, which can lead to inconsistencies.
  4. Corporate or Security Policies:
    • Some organizations enforce strict email formatting rules, such as removing images or custom fonts, especially in replies or forwarded messages.

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What This Means for Your Signature

  • The Original Email: Your signature likely looks fine when the recipient first receives your email. This issue is limited to replies and forwards.
  • Replies/Forwards: The appearance of your signature is influenced by the recipient's email client and settings, not by a flaw in your design.

‍Example of What Happens

  • When First Sent: Your email signature includes your name, title, contact information, and a logo. It looks polished and professional in the recipient's inbox.
  • When Replied/Forwarded: The recipient replies, and their email client converts the thread to plain text, removes your logo, and changes the font style. This is expected and does not reflect on the quality of your original email.

Key Takeaways

  1. This is Normal: Changes to your signature during replies/forwards are standard behavior across email clients.
  2. First Impressions Matter: Your signature’s appearance in the original email is what counts most.
  3. Be Prepared for Variations: Simplify your design and test across platforms to minimize noticeable differences.

Understanding this behavior can help you design an Outlook signature that remains effective and professional, even with the limitations of replies and forwards.

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At Email Signature Rescue, we specialize in designing and testing professional HTML email signatures across 60+ email clients and CRMs, including Outlook, ensuring the best possible display in initial emails. While reply formatting changes are unavoidable, our optimized templates help minimize inconsistencies so your signature maintains a professional appearance across as many scenarios as possible.

‍

Amy Lockwood is the Co-Founder of Email Signature Rescue with over a decade of experience in HTML email signatures for 60+ email clients, apps and CRM software including Outlook, Gmail, Apple Mail. She is the Head Designer of the Email Signature Rescue apps and website.

📩 Need help with your HTML email signatures? Contact Amy at emailsignaturerescue.com.

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