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ZDCoe
12-07-2008, 03:10 PM
Hey guys, does anyone know how to create/send an html email newsletter? GameArtisans, Conceptart.org, and a million other people/sites use them but I can't seem to get my email to do it. I tried a simple design and did a test send, but when I opened it from my other account it was still just a list of html code, no tables or graphics at all. Anybody know how it's supposed to be done? Thanks!
Wynn
12-09-2008, 12:17 PM
what email client are you using? That might be the problem.

Mind posting your html, or at least the header section? My only guess is that if its not your client, you have missing tags or something and it isn't being recognized as html. Make sure you have your html tags at the beginning and end of the document.

Also, just a reminder about html emails;
Use tables to layout your page design; CSS isn't read very well in email clients; so only use CSS to control things like color, fonts, backgrounds etc.

There's also http://www.mailchimp.com. They have a free mailing service where they offer templates and a free account can send out to 100 addresses at a time, 6 times a month. It might be helpful to join, download a free template and then work from there or see what your missing and send it out yourself.
ZDCoe
12-09-2008, 12:43 PM
Here's the code I used when I test emailed to myself, borrowed it from the last GA newsletter email:

<html>

<head>

<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8">

<title>:.::GameArtisans Newsletter - Unearthly Challenge News, Special New Mini Challenges, Inspiring Artwork:.:: - Yahoo! Mail</title>

<noscript>

<link rel="stylesheet" href="http://mail.yimg.com/a/lib/mg/css/cmn/20081024/common.css">

</noscript>

<script type="text/javascript">

<!--


var head = document.getElementsByTagName('head');

var commonCss = document.createElement('link');

commonCss.setAttribute("href", "http://mail.yimg.com/a/lib/mg/css/cmn/20081024/common.css");

commonCss.setAttribute("rel", "stylesheet");

head[0].appendChild(commonCss);

-->

</script>

<script type="text/javascript">

<!--

function Print() {

// The following line is required to show the print dialog after

// mail is rendered. Affects IE browser.

document.body.offsetHeight;

window.print();

}

-->

</script>

</head>
ZDCoe
12-09-2008, 12:43 PM
ARGH! for some reason the code didnt' copy :(
Wynn
12-09-2008, 01:41 PM
hmmm... wonder why thats not working.. maybe the forum blocks code or something..

maybe take a screen shot of it and post it as a jpeg?
FredH
12-09-2008, 02:03 PM
Yup, the forum blocks most codes.

In the past, I used to send out resume emails with images in them. I believe at the time, I used Microsoft Outlook to achieve this.

As for GA's newsletters, I had to install a plugin to send html newsletters. Now, all I do is send everything in a table. No header or body tags are needed. One note, you should read up on newsletter do's and dont's. Using divs, certain css codes, header tags, body tags, messes up the email in certain clients like hotmail, and it could potentially get you black listed.
Wynn
12-09-2008, 02:10 PM
ahh i didn't know that about the header/body tags... kind of nice you can just place everything in a table then.
ZDCoe
12-09-2008, 02:11 PM
Here it is. Thanks for the input Fred, I'll have to check out the plugin thing too!

http://www.zdcoe.com/postpics/htmlemailcode.jpg