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Sending Email keyboard_arrow_right Compose your Email Message - Tips and Troubleshooting

Before you send an email, we recommend to always send yourself a copy for review. You cannot edit an email once it's been sent. If the email you sent to yourself looks good, go to Email > Sent Emails and select "Copy" from the menu to make a duplicate of that email, which you can then send to your actual recipients.

This tutorial covers common issues you may encounter when composing your email message and how to resolve them.

Tips for Using the Editor

For ease of use, we recommend starting with an email layout (either through choosing one from the CorpNote library or using the layout builder) but you can also just start typing. Here are some helpful tips for getting the most out of the email editor and what to do when things appear diffently than you intended.

  • The editor works best using a desktop computer/laptop but can be used on mobile devices. Some of the more advanced features are only accessible when using a computer/laptop.
  • Copying and Pasting from other programs will likely cause formatting issues that are difficult to undo. We recommend that you remove the formatting as you paste your text into our editor. Use the keyboard commands Ctrl + Shift + V.
  • Undo works by using the keyboard commands Ctrl + Z. If needed, you can use undo multiple times.
  • "Styles" in the menu are available when you highlight content. They only display if the style is relevant to what is highlighted. See additional tips for styles in the section below.
  • Tables are used in CorpNote's library of email layouts and when you use the layout builder. Tables are helpful because they can assist in aligning images next to text and you can apply "styles" to them to easily achieve color coordinated emails. If you see a light gray dotted border when working in the editor, it is most likely a table.
    • To use the "reverse" of the colors you have set in "master styles," we recommend clicking within a table cell and choosing "Reverse Master Styles" from the editor's styles menu. You can toggle this style on and off to see its effect.
    • Right click on any cell in a table to see additional available properties. (this only works on desktop computer/laptop and not on mobile devices)
    • Cell > Cell Properties - enables you to control the width of a cell and it's alignment. You can also set a background color by entering a hex # value or clicking the "choose" button. We recommend using the color property only if it is not one of the two colors you have set for the "master styles".
    • Table Properties - enables you to set width, height, border size, cell spacing, cell padding and more. We recommend keeping the width to a percentage rather than a specific number. This will display best on the widest range of devices that people will be viewing your emails. If you set a border size, the border will be a default dark gray. We recommend using the styles for Borders (which are available in the editor's "styles" drop down menu) because using both a border size and a "style" can result in conflicts.
  • Images can be aligned using the left-center-right tools. To align images with text, we recommend using layout blocks or tables. You can adjust the size of the image by clicking the lower right corner of the image or by right clicking on the image and manually adjusting the height and width. You can also add "alt text" which will display if someone has images turned off in their email software.
  • To replace an image, click on the image you want to replace so it is highlighted. Click "Add Image" or the image icon in the editor to select from your images or the image library. The new image will replace the image you had highlighted. We recommend replacing images that are approximately the same size or smaller than the image you are replacing. Replacing a small image with a large image can cause unexpected results and break the email design.

Working with "Styles" in the Editor

The tools in the email editor let you override the settings in the Master Styles. You can use reverse styles and normal styles to create beautiful color coordinated emails but sometimes things can go awry. Here's what might be happening and how to resolve the issue.

  • "Styles" in the menu are available when you highlight content. They only display if the style is relevant to what is highlighted.
  • To turn off a style, click on the style again to remove it or choose another style. Styles work like a toggle that you can turn on and off.
  • Remove Underline – is only available when you have hyperlinked text. You can toggle this style on and off to see its effect. It is most often used when hyperlinking text on a button and you want to remove the underline for a cleaner look.
  • Reverse Master Styles – can only be used when working in a table cell. It flips the current background and text colors to create a color coordinated box within your email.
  • Normal Master Styles – returns a table cell to the current background and text colors if the colors were reversed. If you want to change a table cell from "reverse," click "reverse" again in the styles menu to toggle it off. We recommend that you not use "normal" color in this case because it can cause conflicts.
  • Setting a reverse or normal style and setting a color in a table cell may cause a conflict and give unexpected results especially with hyperlinked text. If this happens and you want to use the "reverse" color style, right click on the table cell and adjust the cell color properties to no longer have a color.
  • Border Black, White, Reversed - adds a thin border to the outside of a table cell. You will not see this style in the editor but you will see it when you "save/preview".
  • Image Border Black, White, Reversed - adds a thin border to the outside of a selected image

How to Use an eCard with an Email Layout

If you are having trouble with an eCard and an email layout not working well together, we recommend the following:

  • Select your eCard design and then click the "Insert Layout" button
  • Preview an email layout before inserting it and select a default, current or reverse style. Selecting the 'current style' might provide the best compatibility.
  • Click the 'Preview/Save' button to see how your eCard and email layout are working together.
  • Color Adjustment:
    • Reverse Color - Many email layouts use the 'Reverse' style for the color of a content block. If you want to change this color, click in the content block and choose "Reverse Master Style" from the drop down menu. The "Reverse Master Style" option toggles the master styles text color and background color.
    • Exact Color - If a 'Reverse' style is applied to the content block, remove it using the toggle instructions above. With your cursor inside the content block, right click and select Cell > Cell Properties. You can enter a Hex Value for the Background color or click the "Choose" button. Click the "OK" button to apply the color.
  • Width Adjustment: If the email layout is appearing to display wider than the eCard design, click anywhere in the content block and then right click and select "Table Properties." Change the width to be "600px" and click the "OK" button.
  • Click the 'Preview/Save' button to see how your eCard and email layout are working together
  • Continue to adjust your content as needed

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