Custom CSS/HTML Signatures (1.1.2)

[mjames]

I seen this article and wanted to do it but I'm on vista.

On one note though this doesn't cover embedding an image because most email clients won't display them or blocks them so I kept my sig strictly html/css.

Also before starting this, be sure and change the signature from the default "Sent from my iPhone" to anything else so it will create the xml key we'll need later.

Anyways, after some looking around I found everything I needed online to do it without a mac.

First SSH into your phone to: ./private/var/root/Library/Preferences

and copy com.apple.mobilemail.plist to your desktop.

But it's binary so we need to covert it to XML, so go to:

http://140.124.181.188/~khchung/cgi-bin/plutil.cgi

and it will covert it to XML and prompt you to save the converted file, you can just replace the current one on your desktop.

Next, open the com.apple.mobilemail.plist in a text editor (I used wordpad).

Look for:

<key>SignatureKey</key>
	<string>*YOUR SIGNATURE HERE*</string>

This is where the css/html will be placed (obviously)

You can go here:

http://htmledit.squarefree.com/

to use a real-time html editor to view your work if you don't have a local html editor.

After you get something you like you need to encode it the xml won't take to the css and html tags outright.

So go here:

http://centricle.com/tools/html-entities/

and paste the css/html into the box and hit Encode.

Now you can take that code and replace your signature text in the string.

So if you wanted to add:

<div style="color: green">This is my sig</div>

It would look like:

<key>SignatureKey</key>
	<string>&lt;div style=&quot;color: green&quot;&gt;This is my sig&lt;/div&gt;</string>

Save the com.apple.mobilemail.plist and replace (backup original as it has other email settings in there as well) and your done.



Hope this helps.

[Digital Oxygen]

That's pretty neat. I'll give it a go. Thanks.

[Kyle Matthews]

Nice write-up.

[mjames]

thanks

[NetMage]

Very nice.

[MOSHO92]

Thank you so much! This is very useful.

[MOSHO92]

Bumping this because I think more people might want to see it...

[WyldPhoenix]

Awesome find guys!

Quick question: Can you change the actual font face (from Times New Roman --> Tahoma) for the REST of the email ???

e.g. I use Tahoma font for my signature. But when I type an email the body of the email is in Times New Roman.

Can't I change the iPhone email app to use Tahoma instead of Times New Roman ????

Thanks

[iPhoneMadness]

Wow your right, really good find.

Work with 1.1.4?

[Stugotz]

Cool,
Can I put my picture w/signature doing this??

[MOSHO92]

If you can make it work in HTML, then you can make it show up in your signature. Whether or not the recipient can view it depends on their email reader. Unfortunatly, because you can only modify the signature portion of the message, you can't change the rest of the message outright (font, color, etc.).

One trick that might work would be to make a message template as you signature. Create a "dummy" charachter in the font/ style of your choice, then use that paragraph to compose your email. It could work, but is a pita...

[Stugotz]

Is there a way I can attatch a photo when replying to an email addy on the web instead of writting down their email addy then selecting a photo from my gallery then typing it manually?

[MOSHO92]

Is there a way I can attatch a photo when replying to an email addy on the web instead of writting down their email addy then selecting a photo from my gallery then typing it manually?

That's kind of a whole other topic... But short answer: no. To email pictures you currently must select the "email photo" button from the gallery and then compose a new email.

[WyldPhoenix]

This does not work in the new v1.2 firmware ... can't find the "sig" string in the plist file!

[MOSHO92]

Did you make sure you changed the default signature to something other than "Sent from my iPhone"? I'm on windows, so I cant help much right now, but this mod is the main reason I want to jailbreak.

[phreakwenci]

Best tutorial I've used so far... few changes tho. I used this to convert binary to xml online: Binary — XML .plist converter - iAppCat

THANKS!!

[skeredmobile]

awesome guide! still works on firmware 2.2.1 (except the .plist is found in: /private/var/mobile/Library/Preferences/ )

thanks

[Mp3Supply]

everytime I go and replace the file in the dir, and restart my phone it doesn't work. I i look at the file I uploaded to the phone, and re download and open it, its the 'stock' file, but I know im uploading my modified .plist..

do I need to set permissions or somthing on the dir?

[Kembond]

@mp3supply did you ever get that issue fixed? On my 3g it worked fine, but now on my 3gs I'm having that exact same issue. I put in the modified file and it does not work, if I restart it gets overwritten.

Anyone tried this on the new model? Or even the old 3g with the 3.0 software?

Thanx

[skeredmobile]

not sure about the files being overwritten but I did notice that if you use Supreme Preferences 3.0 you can just manually type the html code into the Signature field (Settings > Supreme Preferences > Applications > Mail, Calendars > Signature)

try that, it should work