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Author Topic: Script or tool to create HTML Signature for Outlook email  (Read 9214 times)

questorfla

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Script or tool to create HTML Signature for Outlook email
« on: August 19, 2016, 09:15 AM »
Has anyone ever run across a script that is made to create a "Business" HTML signature for Outlook with a company logo included?

I have looked for such a tool but not been able to find one that works as expected though that could be due to looking in all the wrong places.  One of the original problems was to get the company logo to a higher quality image that was provided when using cut and paste into the Outlook Signature box.   By taking my own and rewriting is line by ine using html and pulling the logo from the company website the result was a big improvement.

What I would like to find now is a way to let each person use a template to fill in things like their phone numbers, position titles, and so on into a template that would use this information to create the complete HTML code to use for the Outlook Signature.  I thought I would ask how others accomplish the same or if anyone knew of a ready made tool for doing this.

c.gingerich

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Re: Script or tool to create HTML Signature for Outlook email
« Reply #1 on: August 19, 2016, 02:37 PM »

wraith808

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Re: Script or tool to create HTML Signature for Outlook email
« Reply #2 on: August 19, 2016, 04:42 PM »
^ I've used it before, and it works great.  What stopped me from using it was their business practices fiascos, i.e. changing the terms and your signatures with no notice.  Caveat Emptor.  Or... Caveat Disputatio if you don't pay.  Which seems do be the differentiating factor.


questorfla

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Re: Script or tool to create HTML Signature for Outlook email
« Reply #4 on: August 20, 2016, 12:31 PM »
Thanks to all.  The problem was the loss of quality in the logo image and i traced this back to when someone tried to create a standard signature for everyne using outlook to doso.  That person then created signatures for each user and sent out a Word doc with the results. 
The Users then copied and pasted theirs from that Word doc which resulted in their signature starting out with a reduced quality image which only got worse when viewed on various resolution screens.  The "simple-fix" was to change out the image they used with the original HiDef Graphic.  The correct and more permanent method using tempates in the Business control Center for Office 365 has been completely redesigned. :(
I am still trying to find the proper access to mail-flow to enter the area to create a master template for all company email accounts.  The "follow-through's" that are posted online are no longer applicable. :'(

questorfla

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Re: Script or tool to create HTML Signature for Outlook email
« Reply #5 on: August 20, 2016, 03:09 PM »
i thought i might add this option if anyone here has a solution that would follow this method.  After spending the past hour on the phone with MS tech support, it is about the best option i can come up with.  To make it as "FOOL" -proof  as possible,  it needs to be an HTML template that would allow only the "text" fields to be edited.  Such a thing probably exists, most likely one could be created in excel if nowhere else, but i am hoping that there is a simpler method.  (though i admit nothing else i can think of has the ability to protect the content of fields in that manner)

Does such a tool exist that would allow creation of an HTML template where all the coding could be locked and leave only specific text fields editable?  If so, i could create the entire template including the link to the hi-def web-hosted logo so there is no chance of them getting anything but that one.  This would also solve the problem of color, font size, and logo placement position as everyone would be the same except for the text fields to make ti specific to their own email account.  Just fill in the blanks and click to generate the complete HTML code to be pasted into the Outlook Signature box.

This is essentially the same thing as these web services are offering except they only have a limited choice of layouts and I have already built the HTML for the exact layout we have to use.  Changing it is not an option.  Surely there is a way to handle this with some kind of pre-constructed template?  Something where the coding itself is locked and cannot be edited but the final result is a workable HTML file?

Shades

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Re: Script or tool to create HTML Signature for Outlook email
« Reply #6 on: August 21, 2016, 10:45 PM »
If you are dead set on having anyone fill in that kind of information themselves, perhaps is it an idea to use a webform generator from which you couple the user-filled in fields to the appropriate fields in the HTML layout you already have created.

However, I would take the necessary user info from the HR database of the company you work for. That way the user content already has been scrutinized/sanitized. In my experience, having users fill in their own content leads to more headache than you bargained for. Practically anything is better than too much user generated input, so if you don't have a HR database but only an excel sheet, use the excel sheet.

From your previous requests I recall that you are a fan of Batch scripts and you can even use that to generate user-specific mail footer. Granted, you need to be a bit masochistic for that.
Spoiler
Each time I need to generate a specific build of my software, I need to run a set of batch scripts (that hardly have been changed the last 15 years) on a specific build PC on a different continent. Last year, I was asked to extend this set of Batch scripts with a new one that generates a specific mail message including build name, number, hash codes, etc. and send this to a very specific mail group. Besides initiating this set of scripts, no other human interaction desired at all. In essence an automatically generated newsletter for a very specific mailing group. Let me say that I am pretty knowledgeable about the level of masochism you need for doing these kind of things in Batch.  :-\

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questorfla

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Re: Script or tool to create HTML Signature for Outlook email
« Reply #7 on: August 24, 2016, 05:37 PM »
Thanks shades.  Went there.  Did that. 
I created the htm template and write the script anyway.  Works great!  But, i may never allow anyone else to have it.
And i sure dont want to be responsible for making al new employees' signature so..
It was a nice exercise.  I just thought this would be an easy fine.  Something that would allow creating a wysiwyg file that would display in a browser window as typed into a script.  Seems like that would be useful for webpage design i a larger way.

One thing for sure, it solves the 'blurry logo' problem. :)  Zoomed to 500% not even a small "zig" in the lines.