Email messages are a form of official college communication. As such, it’s important they reflect a sense of professionalism—regardless of whether the intended recipient is outside of or within the NWC community. Following the guidelines below will ensure your message is readable and consistent with other email communication from Northwestern.
Background
Stay with a plain white background for your email messages. Black text on white is easiest to read. Colored or patterned backgrounds, decorative elements, photos, and emoticons (also known as “smileys”) detract from a professional appearance. The former increase the size of email messages, while emoticons can spread spyware and viruses.
Fonts
Recommended fonts and sizes include Times New Roman (11 pt.), Palatino Linotype (10 pt.), Arial (10 pt.), and Lucida Sans (9 pt.). Be aware that using uncommon fonts may mean your message won’t display as you intended if the recipient doesn’t also have that font.
Signature
External email signatures should contain, at the minimum:
- Name
- Title
- Northwestern College
- Orange City, Iowa
- Phone number
- nwciowa.edu
Internal email signatures can be abbreviated to:
- Name
- Department
- Extension
Outlook makes it possible to create different versions of an automatic signature—for example, your complete signature for a new email and an abbreviated signature for replies/forwards. For assistance, contact Northwestern’s computing services department.
You can create an approved signature that includes Northwestern’s word mark, like the example below, by using our signature generator.
Example:
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Northwestern College
101 7th Street SW
Orange City, Iowa 51041 |
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