Content Library 7.0 User's Guide » Creating Content
 » Guidelines for HTML Content
 
Guidelines for HTML Content
The following guidelines are intended to help you to create HTML code that renders consistently across most major e-mail clients. 
Specifying formatting 
Using JavaScript 
Do not use JavaScript.  
- Ensure there are no 
<script type=javascript> bits of code in the template.  - Remove or comment out all 
onMouseover, onMouseout calls. 
 Using cascading style sheets (CSS) 
- Avoid using CSS. 
If you must use CSS, use it sparingly and only to format text. Inline styles render consistently across major e-mail clients. Inline styles in font tags can be an effective method for controlling the appearance of your text. For example: 
<font style="font-family:Arial, 
Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif;  
font-size:12pt;  
font-color:#000000"> 
Insert copy here. 
</font> 
 - Do not use styles to control:
- Table borders and padding
 - Image float positioning
 
  
 Using tables 
Specifying unsubscribe and forward-to-a-friend links 
- Use the following syntax for unsubscribe and forward to friend links:
To unsubscribe, <a href="_UNSUBLINK__" style="font-color: #000000" target="_blank">click here</a>. 
To forward this e-mail to a friend, <a href="_FTFLINK__" style="font-color: #000000" target="_blank">click here</a>. 
 
 Note: The font color can be anything you choose. 
- Style a hyperlink either by styling the anchor tag as shown above, or by surrounding the display text with a styled <FONT> tag. 
 
 Including images 
- Define height and width properties for all images.
 - Do not resize images in HTML. 
 - Treat photo realistic images as jpg. 
 - Treat lines, text, shapes, and solid color imagery as gif.
 - Link images by placing the image tag in place of the display text.
 - Set the border size to 0.
 - Include an <alt> tag to display text if the image is missing.
 
 Using the spacer image 
- Use the spacer image, which is a transparent 1x1 pixel image, to set width and height properties.
  
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