Structuring your email campaign is more than placing text and images in a specific order. The layout of an email can determine how a message is perceived, how easy it is to read and how likely a subscriber is to engage with your email. One element that impacts the email layout is email template sizing. Understanding email dimensions can determine how the email is perceived across different devices. From setting the correct HTML email width to choosing the best width of email template, each dimension is going to impact the experience and engagement of a user. Setting the correct email width pixels can lead to an aesthetically pleasing design for different inbox environments.
Email Template Sizes and Email Dimension Guidelines
The first technical aspect that can lead to the creation of an aesthetically pleasing email campaign layout is email template sizing. While design is a large aspect when creating an email campaign, the campaign must adhere to specific rules to design an aesthetically pleasing email campaign in order to ensure the email will be compatible with the best email clients.
The width of templates in emails is ideally 600 pixels. This is considered universally applicable for most email clients. 600 pixels is also a good width to optimize the email template for different clients, as it is small enough to avoid horizontal scrolling.
When determining email width, keep in mind the direction and freedom of the height, padding, margins, and spacing adjustments. Still, the height and other design elements will dictate the overall flexibility and usability of the email design, and the width will keep the design elements anchored into a stable structure. If the width of your email html is too far above or below the ‘safe width’ for emails, you may experience the emails breaking, losing alignment, or being clipped in various email inbox previews.
Why is 600 Pixels Seen as the Standard?
Due to the previous design of email previews, and the horizontal preview pane of most desktop email clients, email previews, email designers established 600px as the maximum width for email designs. This email width standard has worked well for decades, and email responsive design has seen emails centered around this width as well.
The same layout above will ensure all your designs will have:
- An uncluttered design
- A balanced mix of white space
- Ease of reading
- Cross-client compatibility
The height of the template will align your images and buttons correctly within the overall html email height
The Height of Responsive Design Email Templates
A responsive email designed template will adapt for use. A 600px layout will work well for desktop, however a 600px layout will not work for mobile.
Most responsive emails have a permanent desktop width and mobile widths that are defined as a percentage.
Your email’s width in pixels can affect mobile scaling. Emails that are too wide can lead to awkward content compressions. Conversely, templates that are too narrow can lead to larger screens being filled with ever-increasing whitespace.
Desktop vs Mobile Email Dimensions
The structure that desktop emails need, generally, can be broken down into parts.
- Width of main container: 600px
- Padding of the body: 20 – 30px
- Width of cat button: 200 – 300px
- Width of image: 600px (full)
- Side margins: auto-centered layout
Keeping measurements that way makes the dimensions of the email usable, while also helping to keep the width of the html email to the user’s readability in mind. Keeping to this standard makes sure that your email template sizes are usable, no matter if your recipients are using Gmail, Outlook, or Apple Mail.
Keeping email width pixels consistent burns time in loading, especially if photos are correctly sized to the width of email template.
Arranging Content Within the Width of Email Template
Once the html email width is correctly set, the next challenge becomes content arrangement. The internal structure of the email template sizes you select is what controls reader engagement with your email.
Typically, a balanced layout is organized in a coherent manner. The balanced layout should include the following:
- Header that contains the logo
- Hero section that contains the headline against an image
- Body content blocks
- Call-to-action blocks
- Footer with other essential links
Each section needs to comply with the defined pixel width per section. Even in email, emails that do not comply will lead to uneven spacing, or in most cases, a broken email.
The email template has a direct relation to the typeface/ fonts used in the length of the email. Longer lines of type/text will lead to a greater likelihood of less readability. An email template size that is narrower will lead to an easier readability.
Using the email guidelines will also lead to an easier readability. Cramped sections are, mathematically, easier to define.
Optimizing Visual Elements for Proper Email Dimensions
Images are also another part of the email that can hinder the readability. Like the email templates, images need to not be wider than the email dimensions.
The recommended width should be 600 px. If you want a higher quality image, the recommended width also applies.
Correct image file sizes in emails offer:
- Better image quality
- Improved email engagement
- Faster load speed
- Less email layout distortion
The location of your email images should also comply with your email design specifications for best results. Consistency in the width of your emails in pixels equals professionalism.
The same goes for the width of your email CTA buttons. Buttons that are too wide are set in email width boundaries that are too wide, making emails look bad.
There must be a balance between design and email template sizes
Layouts and designs are of great importance and should be kept within the template sizes set for emails. Most innovative designs end up with a look that is less than optimal.
The first use of your widest margin should be html email width. More clear designs with greater order in alignment with the right space are of greater quality than busy designs.
The restrictions of your email template layouts also apply to your font designs. If a font is larger vertically, less horizontal space should be used to avoid a cluttered appearance. Consistency means greater email width pixels, and greater mobile reading.
Great campaign layouts integrate the best and leave no space unoccupied in:
- Text order
- Visual order
- Spacing order
- Email width optimal order
- Template sizing order
Excellent use of the html email width alongside your creativity is a great email design in itself.
Testing and Refining Email Width Pixels for Maximum Performance
It is necessary to test email templates despite what is suggested. Every email client has a different way of processing html email width.
Prior to a campaign launch, check the width of the email template on various devices. Search for the following:
- Horizontal scrolling
- Image scaling that is broken
- Padding that is uneven
- Buttons that are misaligned
Testing will ensure that the email width pixels you select will be the same every time. To improve email dimensions without ruining the layout, you may have to make email width pixel adjustments.
Reacting to performance metrics will be just as important as the metrics themselves. Lack of engagement may suggest a need to review email template sizes. Readability and engagement may be linked to small adjustments to the html email width.
Consistency of email width pixels promotes familiarity. Subscribers become used to a particular email structure, which is a useful way to improve a brand’s recognition.
Conclusion
Email campaigns require a combination of structure and artistry to develop an effective layout. Email template sizes that are suitable will develop a solid base, and the appropriate email width pixels will enhance readability and accessibility.
The standard width for html emails is 600 pixels, which will always deliver the same results. Sticking to the email template width guidelines will save you from layout struggles and enhance your responsiveness. Keeping email width pixels the same will protect the user’s experience while engagement and structure are strengthened.
Ultimately, a planned campaign is not only reliant on appealing content. It also relies on the design aspect, consistency around email templates, and precise measurements when it comes to email templates. When the width of your html email is compliant with industry standards, email width pixels, and other elements, the email template optimizes elements to work together.
When you know the technical side of layout and email dimensions to drive the results you want, you ensure your email campaigns are professional.
