How to Make an Arabic or Hebrew Email Signature (Right-to-Left)
RTL signatures break in ways LTR users never see: punctuation jumps to the wrong end, phone numbers reverse, and half the layout stays stubbornly left-aligned. Here's how to build one that renders correctly — and stays correct in replies.
Step by step
Set the direction on the container, not the text
The signature's outer table or div needs dir="rtl". Styling text right-aligned without setting direction is the classic mistake — alignment changes, but punctuation, commas, and mixed words still order themselves left-to-right.
Right-align deliberately
With dir="rtl" set, add text-align:right on text cells so clients that partially support direction still align correctly. Icons and photos flip sides too — a photo-left layout becomes photo-right.
Protect the things that must stay LTR
Phone numbers, email addresses, and URLs are left-to-right even inside Arabic or Hebrew text. Wrap them in <span dir="ltr">…</span> (or <bdi>) so “+1 (415) 555-0142” doesn't render scrambled.
Mind mixed-language lines
A line like “مديرة التسويق — Acme Inc.” mixes directions. Put the RTL text and the LTR brand name in their own spans with explicit dir attributes; otherwise the dash and ordering shuffle unpredictably between clients.
Choose fonts that carry the script
System font stacks handle Arabic and Hebrew fine (-apple-system, Segoe UI, Tahoma, Arial). Avoid decorative Latin webfonts as the only declared font — clients fall back inconsistently for non-Latin glyphs.
Test where it counts
Send a test to Gmail, Outlook, and Apple Mail. Check: overall right alignment, punctuation at the correct (left) end of lines, phone number readable, and the layout mirrored — not just the text.
Or flip the whole design with one switch
Autograph has a native RTL toggle: the entire template mirrors — photo side, icon rows, alignment, direction attributes — and LTR fragments like phone numbers stay protected automatically.
RTL is a toggle, not a project
Every Autograph template mirrors to right-to-left with one switch — direction attributes, icon sides, and LTR-protected contact details handled for you.
Download Autograph free See the templatesCommon questions
Why does my punctuation appear on the wrong side?
The text is right-aligned but the container's direction is still LTR. Set dir="rtl" on the signature's outer element — alignment alone doesn't change text ordering.
Why does my phone number render backwards or scrambled?
Numbers and plus signs are direction-neutral, so the RTL context reorders them. Wrap the number in a span with dir="ltr" and it renders exactly as typed.
Can one signature contain both Arabic and English?
Yes — that's normal for bilingual professionals. Give each fragment an explicit direction (RTL for the Arabic/Hebrew, LTR for names, brands, and contact strings) and the line renders predictably in every client.