How to Fix Common Outlook Html Email Rendering Issues
Email Rendering Issues in Outlook and How to Resolve Them
Designing HTML emails that look great across all email clients can be tricky, especially when dealing with Outlook. Outlook versions from 2007 onwards use the Microsoft Word rendering engine, which often causes unexpected issues, making it one of the most challenging email clients to work with.
In this blog post, we’ll explore some of the most common Outlook email rendering problems and show you how to fix them, so your emails look perfect in any version of Outlook.
1. Use Tables for Layout
Problem: Div-based layouts often break in Outlook, causing content to misalign or stack improperly.
<!-- Broken in Outlook -->
<div style="width: 600px; padding: 20px; background-color: #f3f3f3;">
<div style="float: left; width: 50%;">Left Column</div>
<div style="float: right; width: 50%;">Right Column</div>
</div>
Solution: Use tables instead of <div> elements to ensure proper layout.
<!-- Works in Outlook -->
<table width="600" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background-color: #f3f3f3;">
<tr>
<td width="300" style="padding: 20px;">Left Column</td>
<td width="300" style="padding: 20px;">Right Column</td>
</tr>
</table>
2. Set Explicit Table Widths and Heights
Problem: Auto-sizing tables may collapse or expand unpredictably in Outlook.
<!-- Unreliable in Outlook -->
<table style="width: 100%; height: auto;">
<tr>
<td>Content goes here</td>
</tr>
</table>
Solution: Define explicit width and height attributes.
<!-- Reliable in Outlook -->
<table width="600" height="200" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0">
<tr>
<td>Content goes here</td>
</tr>
</table>
3. Avoid Background Images
Problem: Background images don’t display in many versions of Outlook, leaving your design incomplete.
<!-- Background image not supported in many Outlook versions -->
<div style="background-image: url('background.jpg');">
Content goes here
</div>
Solution: Use a solid background color as fallback, or apply a VML workaround for Outlook.
<!-- VML Background Image for Outlook -->
<!--[if gte mso 9]>
<v:rect xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" fill="true" stroke="false" style="width:600px;height:400px;">
<v:fill type="frame" src="background.jpg" color="#f3f3f3"/>
<v:textbox inset="0,0,0,0">
<![endif]-->
<div style="background-color: #f3f3f3; width: 600px; height: 400px;">
Content goes here
</div>
<!--[if gte mso 9]>
</v:textbox>
</v:rect>
<![endif]-->
4. Use Inline CSS
Problem: Outlook often ignores CSS styles placed in the <head> of your email, leading to inconsistent styling.
<!-- Styles in <head> might be ignored in Outlook -->
<head>
<style>
.button { background-color: #007bff; color: white; padding: 10px 20px; text-align: center; }
</style>
</head>
<body>
<a href="#" class="button">Click Me</a>
</body>
Solution: Apply styles inline.
<!-- Inline styles ensure compatibility -->
<body>
<a href="#" style="background-color: #007bff; color: white; padding: 10px 20px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; display: inline-block;">Click Me</a>
</body>
5. Stick to Web-Safe Fonts
Problem: Custom fonts may not display correctly in Outlook, leading to fallback fonts that alter your design.
<!-- Custom fonts might not render correctly -->
<p style="font-family: 'CustomFont', Arial, sans-serif;">This is some text</p>
Solution: Use web-safe fonts like Arial or Helvetica.
<!-- Reliable web-safe fonts -->
<p style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">This is some text</p>
6. Margins and Padding
Problem: Outlook doesn’t fully support margin and padding styles, often causing unwanted spacing.
<!-- Margins and padding might not be respected -->
<div style="margin: 20px; padding: 20px;">Content</div>
<!-- Consistent spacing using cellpadding -->
<table width="600" cellpadding="20" cellspacing="0">
<tr>
<td>Content</td>
</tr>
</table>
Use table attributes like cellpadding and cellspacing, or use spacer images.
A spacer image is a small, transparent image used in HTML emails and web design to control spacing and layout. You should create a spacer image with the desired width and height for the spacing you need and use it in your HTML emails.
<!-- Spacer image to control spacing -->
<table width="600" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0">
<tr>
<td><img src="spacer.gif" width="20" height="1" alt="" /></td>
<td>Content</td>
</tr>
</table>
7. Fix Image Gaps
Problem: Gaps may appear between images, disrupting your design’s flow.
<!-- Gaps might appear between images -->
<img src="image1.jpg" />
<img src="image2.jpg" />
Solution: Set display: block; on images and line-height: 0; on the parent container.
<!-- No gaps between images -->
<div style="line-height: 0;">
<img src="image1.jpg" style="display: block;" />
<img src="image2.jpg" style="display: block;" />
</div>
8. Be Cautious with Media Queries
Problem: Outlook doesn’t support media queries, making responsive designs difficult.
<!-- Media queries might not work in Outlook -->
@media only screen and (max-width: 600px) {
.content { font-size: 14px; }
}
Solution: Consider using a fluid hybrid design that adapts without media queries.
<!-- Fluid hybrid layout adapts without media queries -->
<table width="100%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0">
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; max-width: 600px; margin: 0 auto; padding: 20px;">
Content here
</td>
</tr>
</table>
9. Avoid Unsupported CSS Properties
Problem: CSS properties like float, position, and min-width are not supported in Outlook, leading to broken layouts.
<!-- Float might not work as expected -->
<div style="float: left; width: 50%;">Left Column</div>
Solution: Use tables and avoid unsupported properties.
<!-- Tables provide a more reliable layout -->
<table width="100%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0">
<tr>
<td width="50%">Left Column</td>
<td width="50%">Right Column</td>
</tr>
</table>
10. Use Conditional Comments for Outlook-Specific Fixes
Problem: Some issues only appear in Outlook and need specific targeting.
<!-- Apply styles only for Outlook using conditional comments -->
<!--[if mso]>
<style type="text/css">
.outlook-specific { padding: 10px; }
</style>
<![endif]-->
You can target specific versions of Outlook’s desktop clients by adding the version numbers mentioned below:
- Outlook 2000 - mso 9
- Outlook 2002 - mso 10
- Outlook 2003 - mso 11
- Outlook 2007 - mso 12
- Outlook 2010 - mso 14
- Outlook 2013 - mso 15
- Outlook 2016, Outlook 2019, and Office 365 desktop - mso 16
11. Test Thoroughly Across Different Outlook Versions
Problem: Different versions of Outlook may render your email differently, causing inconsistencies.
Solution: Use testing tools like Litmus or Email on Acid to preview your email across various Outlook versions.
12. Use mso-line-height-rule for Consistent Line Heights
Problem: Inconsistent line heights can make your text look uneven and unprofessional in Outlook.
Solution: Apply mso-line-height-rule: exactly; to ensure consistent line heights.
<!-- Ensure consistent line heights in Outlook -->
<p style="line-height: 1.5; mso-line-height-rule: exactly;">This is some text</p>
Conclusion
By applying these coding techniques and strategies, you can overcome common Outlook email rendering issues and create emails that look great across all email clients your recipients use.
Happy coding, and may your email designs shine in every inbox!
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