Graphic and technical design of your email

The visual structure of your email is essential to guide the reader's attention and encourage clicks. Good design increases engagement — but due to technical limitations across email platforms, you need to follow strict formatting rules to ensure consistency.

HTML Rendering Across Email Clients

Email remains a tricky medium for layout and design. Webmail services like Gmail and software like Outlook all interpret HTML differently. Some support certain tags or CSS properties, others don't — which means that a beautiful design on one platform can look broken on another.

Email Images: Best Practices

Most email clients block images by default. As a result, users may receive an "empty" message unless they manually enable image display.

To avoid this:

• Always add alt attributes to your images. This text will show if the image is blocked.
• Encourage recipients to add your address to their contact list — images will then display by default.
• Never send an email made entirely of one image — it's a spam trigger. Always mix text and visuals.
• Host images on a reliable external server. Embedded images can increase file size and trigger filters.

Also, consider that many users only read emails in a preview pane. Keep the essential message above the 300px height line and limit the full width of your email to 600px maximum.

Font Choices

Most email clients don't support web fonts retrieved via CSS. To avoid display issues, use standard system fonts such as Arial, Verdana, or Georgia. These are universally available and ensure consistency across devices.

Designing Effective CTAs (Call to Action)

The CTA is the most important element of your email. It's what drives the click. Make sure your CTAs:

• Use high-contrast colors that stand out from the background
• Are placed near the top of the email for visibility
• Include icons or arrows to draw attention and add meaning
• Use action-driven text like “Get Started”, “Download Now” or “Verify My List”

Structure your email so the CTA has greater visual weight than other elements.

Responsive Email Design

With more than 60% of emails read on mobile devices, responsive design is no longer optional. Your layout must adapt to screens of all sizes — desktop, tablet, and smartphone.

Responsive emails use CSS media queries to include two display versions:

• A desktop version, for larger screens
• A mobile-optimized version, for narrow screens

If you're using a drag-and-drop email builder, make sure it supports responsive design. If you're coding manually, you'll need to master responsive HTML/CSS techniques.

Conclusion

To maximize results, follow visual and technical best practices: mix text and images, use standard fonts, optimize layout for mobile, and create visually strong CTAs.

Want to be sure your email is compliant? Before sending, follow our checklist for successful campaigns, and clean your email list to improve deliverability.