How do you ensure your email templates are readable and responsive across devices?

1 Choose a responsive framework

A responsive framework is a set of pre-made code and styles that help you create email templates that adapt to different screen sizes and resolutions. A responsive framework can save you time and effort, as you don't have to write all the code from scratch or test it on every device. Some popular responsive frameworks for email templates are MJML, Foundation for Emails, and Email on Acid. These frameworks provide you with ready-made components, layouts, and templates that you can customize and use for your email campaigns.

2 Use fluid and flexible layouts

A fluid layout is a layout that uses percentages instead of fixed widths to define the size and position of the elements in your email template. A fluid layout allows your email template to adjust to the available space on the screen, without creating horizontal scrollbars or gaps. A flexible layout is a layout that uses media queries to change the appearance and behavior of the elements in your email template based on the screen size or orientation. A flexible layout allows you to hide, show, resize, or reposition elements in your email template to optimize the user experience on different devices.

3 Optimize your images and fonts

Images and fonts are essential elements of your email template, as they convey your message and brand identity. However, they can also affect the readability and responsiveness of your email template if they are not optimized properly. To optimize your images, you should use web-friendly formats (such as JPG, PNG, or GIF), compress them to reduce their file size, and use responsive images techniques (such as srcset or picture) to deliver the most appropriate image for each device. To optimize your fonts, you should use web-safe fonts (such as Arial, Verdana, or Georgia) or web fonts (such as Google Fonts or Typekit) that are compatible with most email clients, use relative units (such as em or rem) to define the font size, and use fallback fonts in case your preferred font is not supported.

4 Test your email templates

The final step to ensure your email templates are readable and responsive across devices is to test them before sending them to your subscribers. Testing your email templates can help you identify and fix any issues or errors that might affect the display or functionality of your email template on different devices, browsers, and email clients. There are several tools and services that can help you test your email templates, such as Litmus, Email on Acid, or Mailchimp's Inbox Preview. These tools and services can show you how your email template looks and works on various devices and email clients, and provide you with feedback and suggestions to improve it.

5 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?