How to create email newsletter in DreamWeaver

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greiggy

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I'm experimenting with a html email newsletter (styled text, graphics etc in a layout but sent out to a list as an email). Can I put this together in DW? What do I need to change or amend for it to appear correctly in an email client? Can I use layers or should I stick to tables?

My first attempt just fell to pieces in the email client. Since then I've done some research and haven't come up with much apart from templates and list managers, and some cgi/perl scripts which I didn't really understand.

What I'm trying to do is quite simple but it needs to look right. I'm up to tweaking the coding a bit but I'm at a basic level with hand coding.
 
HTML in e-mail is a touchy thing, and there's no easy way to guarantee it'll work as intended. You best bet when sending such a message is to use a mulit-part version, where both a HTML and RTF/plain text copy of the message is sent.

Another issue is most if not all e-mail clients will only work well with a stripped down HTML. It's not going to display exactly like what a web browser will produce, so extra care has to be taken there. Regardless of what you decide, make sure you live by the sayings: "Less is more." and "Keep it simple stupid", both well known in the design field.

If possible, try and stay away from DIVs and TABLES. Use tags appropriately for structural content (h1-h6 for headers, p for paragraphs, lists for lists, etc.).

Finally, there's security and SPAM issues involved. A strong method of filtering SPAM has been to target all messages that are HTML based, though some of the less 'hard-line' filters will allow multi-part messages through. Some programs also effectively filter the display of HTML messages, more of a security safeguard than anything.

There are a few programs out there which will handle the conversion to a message from standard HTML and merge it with a DB source. Some work well, some don't. Most that are easy to use will run locally as a normal app on your computer. Try searching YAHOO!, Google, or VersionTracker. They should be easy enough to find if you're that set on it. Sorry, but I don't think it's a good idea to openly promote the name and location of such software on a public forum as, IMO, it's primary use is for SPAM.
 
I agree with the last poster. A company I am doing contract work for right now tries to send out "email blasts" in HTML, thinking this will lend them credibility when in fact the attached HTML is like showing up at someone's house uninvited.

A better way is to provide a link to the client's website where an interested person can see the graphics in their full glory. Remember the scene in the Empire Strikes Back where Leia eats her rations before she gives it to the Ewok, just so it knows the food is safe? Same principal here, computer-virus wise. :)
 
That's helpful, thank you. I've located a couple of server side cgi/PERL scripts that should do the job. I have a small list of a few hundred, all of whom I know personally and who will be glad to get the news update. We can do it in plain email but some pictures and graphic content will help. This is not at all like SPAM or even an "email blast" of clients but could be good, sought-after communication -- if I can get it to work. Thanks for responding.
 
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