E-mail Message Size

Use of images

Keep image use to a minimum and be sure to compress your images. Consider the number of images in your HTML e-mail message and the total size of those images. While high-speed Internet connections are more common now, some users still have modems that download at approximately 6KB per second.

There is no standard size recommendation for HTML e-mail, but you should strive to keep your e-mail size as low as possible.

Message width

Keep a comfortable line length in mind. The width of both the HTML and text portions of e-mail communications should be limited. While many people use large monitors, a person’s most comfortable reading line length has not changed.

HTML messages should be no more than 500 to 650 pixels wide, with a preferred width of 550px. This preferred width is reflected in the graphic header available with the e-mail templates. Text and other images below the e-mail header graphic should not exceed the width of the header graphic.

To avoid the jagged line lengths you sometimes see in e-mail, the plain text component of an e-mail must be left unwrapped, or be wrapped at 70 characters or fewer. 'Wrapping' a message simply means ending a line and forcing the beginning of a new line.

Message height

For the HTML part of a message, the header graphic(s) should not exceed 150px in height, and ideally will be less that 100px in height.

Consider the preview pane. Many desktop e-mail clients provide a preview pane; an area where an e-mail may be glanced at or even read in full. Space is at a premium in preview panes, and some people gauge their interest in a message based not only on the sender and subject line of a message but also on what they see in the limited area of the preview pane.

Attempt to place useful information, teasers, etc., near the top and left side of a message to help attract readers who use the preview pane. This is the e-mail equivalent of placing content "above the fold."

Use the e-mail templates

The e-mail templates provide

• HTML for use with multipart e-mails
• Text for use in text-only or multipart e-mails
• Customizable header graphics