HTML in Email

[GR Web FX]

Hi there

Im trying to create a HTML email but i am having trouble finding out how to do it. Have you ever received an email where you open it and it says 'Click to download images' and when you click it, it looks like a website? Well thats what i want to create.

I do not want any interactivity within the email, more like a brochure. Does anyone know how i go about this?

Cheers
:-)

[peter_budo]

Have look on links in this google search, they should help google result

[HI2Japan]

What program do you use for emailing? If you used Microsoft Outlook by setting the email format as HMTL, you can enter pictures, tables, and everything else you would need to send an email that looks like a brochure. For web based mail you will need to get the POP3 and SMTP addresses to use Otulook to send and receive. That is how I set my father up to send mails like that.

[GR Web FX]

Hi Peter_Budo and HI2Japan

Thanks for your replys :-)

I will have a look at those searchs Peter thankyou.

I am using Microsoft Outlook to create the HTML email but i would like all email systems to be able to recieve it.

I use Dreamweaver to create my websites. How would i transfer the code from dreamweaver into an email?

Thanks again for your help.
Gary

[peter_budo]

I don't know I never use it, if I had to I will code it in Java so no joy there for you. Just realy have look on that search result they are helpful. The first one is good and was recently updated (11th Dec 2007) http://www.anandgraves.com/html-email-guide

[HI2Japan]

So are you trying to put a webpage into the email or do you just want the email to display pictures with content? If it is just pictures with content, If you edit your email using MS Word (Tools --> Options --> Mail format --> check the box that says to edit with MS Word) you can insert tables and text and pictures directly into the email and when it is sent out it will prompt for the downloading of the pictures, etc.
I cannot think of a way to insert a webpage into an outlook email although I can think of a workaround. Do you have MS FrontPage? (I know, I'm not a huge fan of FrontPage either but it works quite well with Outlook) Do you have Dreamweaver set as the default web editor for the computer? I know if you have FrontPage set as the default editor, when you go to put in a signature in Outlook (Tools --> Options --> Mail Format --> Signature) when you are creating a new signature and click the advanced edit button, it will open up the default web editor. You wil essentially be able to create a webpage signature. I do not know whether it will open dreamweaver if that is set as the default editor, but I do know it will open FrontPage and if you dont have frontapge it will defaultly open MS Word. Anyway, give that a shot. If it opens dreamweaver, you can copy and paste the html into it and that will be a signature you can place within an email. It will display pictures, tables, etc. Just specify within the email to use the signature you just made. If it doesn't work with Dreamweaver, set FrontPage to the default editor and again copy and paste the code. Unfortunately going from dreamweaver to frontpage might cause some errors. If you don't have FrontPage, then I do not have any other suggestions. I guess some research with the links provided by peter_budo might be beneficial. Good luck, let me know if this works (if you try it).

[GR Web FX]

Hi Guys

Thanks again for help it is much appreciated.

OK i have been trying out this stuff and this is where i am at.

I have created a newsletter in dreamweaver which contains 3 images. When you upload a standard website you would have say index.htm and then you 'images' folder containing your images. The path for this from index.html would be images/image1.jpg for example.

To get it to work in an email i have uploaded the images and index file and changed the path inside the index file to http://www.whateversite.com/images/image1.jpg

Now using Outlook Express you can go to 'Create New Message' and then go to 'Insert-->Text from file'. Then select index.html file and it displays it in your email :-) Hey presto :-)

Now the person who wants to be sending these emails uses Outlook 2003 and there doesnt seem to be a 'test from file' option.

So i am half way there!! i have tried copying the table from dreamweaver and pasting into a new email but had no joy.

I carry on trying the other things suggested though.

Thanks for your help guys
Gary

[MidiMagic]

Remember that some ISPs automatically bar displaying html in emails.

[Aedelon]

1.Open the page in dreamweaver

2. Preview the page in IE

3. Then go to File - Send - Page by email

Remember this won't guarantee everyone will see it. If people choose to turn off images or receive email in text only that's beyond your control, but the majority will see it.

[joecocker]

1.Open the page in dreamweaver

2. Preview the page in IE

3. Then go to File - Send - Page by email

Remember this won't guarantee everyone will see it. If people choose to turn off images or receive email in text only that's beyond your control, but the majority will see it.

My problem is:
Once performing similar steps as you have specified above...the recipient wants to forward the email I just sent and the new recipient gets the email with out the image and all html formatting is gone (but the text is in the email).
Q: Can anyone comment on why the entire email --- 1st received gets messed up at the forward recipients destop?

[HI2Japan]

What are they using to check their mail? Its possible their mail app can't read HTML.

[joecocker]

I will have to check that out. I know there is something within Outlook that has to be checked to receive html. I have tried viewing the software companies source code on the emails I have received and forwarded to friends and I don't experience what is happening when I try the email marketing. Would you have any thoughts on where the original documents reside (currently they are on my harddrive) (should they be out on my web server)?
Thanks.

[C6H12O6]

Here is my technique

1)create an html document
2)screen capture your document (edit it and save)
3)load image to host (ftp site)
4)reference source of image file within email (**dont forget hyperlink**)
Example code for source refrence:

[joecocker]

Thank you C6H1206

I don't have any issues getting the html file to send as email...the issue comes when anyone forward the original email on...the next recipient only get text and the image area is left blank without the standard box with an x in it.

[C6H12O6]

Thats ok. I work with mass email and people respond to me with the same concerns.

Its not the code itself, its the settings on the end user. For security purposes people have source destinations, such as image files, blocked from being dowloaded to keep their computers safe from viruses. Its hard for people like us to send a clean set of code to an end user who has external content blocked on their third party software (such as Outlook). Theres not a whole lot you can do about that.

[Aedelon]

Two things they need to look at that they are set to receive html email and that they have their mail set to send html - note on this one if using outlook etc you can set contacts specifically to send in other formats individually so they need to check the person they're sending to is set to be sent to in html

[tiger86]

I would send it as an attachment that way they can open it without any email problems. In out look to attach it all you have to do is go up and hit insert- file attachment- then you find the file on your pc and then hit attach. I think that would be the easiest way to do what your trying to do.

[Aedelon]

Not sure on that one. Typically I don't open attachments I'm not expecting. Particularly if they're forwards from somewhere else.

[tiger86]

I was assuming that he is sending this to clients or people that are expecting the email then they most likely would open it plus with virus scanners in email programs it is a little safer. I always scan a file after I download it even if the site already scanned it you can never be to safe.

[MidiMagic]

Thank you C6H1206

I don't have any issues getting the html file to send as email...the issue comes when anyone forward the original email on...the next recipient only get text and the image area is left blank without the standard box with an x in it.

You can't control this. This setting belongs to the user who forwarded the email. It's a setting on his computer.