Email Design

Most major email clients feature a preview pane by default. This week’s tip focuses on the importance of optimizing for the visual restrictions the preview pane presents.

Here are the results after sending a Northern Trail email to the following major email clients. Results are based on default preview pane settings in a 1024x768 px (pixel) environment.



*Default Outlook positioning



Click image to view actual size

Our recommendation? Place as much important information as you can in the preview pane within reason. That comes out to roughly a 400 x 300 px upper left slice of common area. Important information can include your brand’s logo and anything else appropriate – possibly a call to action or bookmark links to important content further down in the email. Use as much html text as possible – images are usually turned off by default and this can increase your chances of getting the subscriber to open your email.

Learn more about preview panes in a previous Email Design Tip of the Week.
See all five stages of viewing in the Design Team's Whitepaper.