Why can images in an email signature be problematic and how to deal with it?

Why can images in email signatures cause problems?

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• Different email clients: Each email client renders HTML in its own way, which can lead to distorted or missing images.
• Image blocking: Many users have images disabled by default in their emails, which can leave your beautiful signature invisible.
• File weight: Large images can slow down the loading of your message and even cause it not to be delivered.
• Responsiveness issues: Images may not display properly on different devices (computers, smartphones, tablets).
• Dark mode. Be aware of dark mode, especially on mobile devices. It is increasingly popular, and when designing the signature and graphics you should also take this mode into account. Otherwise the signature will be poorly visible or not readable at all.
  
  

What are the most common problems with images in email signatures?

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• Scaling: Images may be scaled differently on different devices or in different email clients.
• Bad display: Images may be, deformed or not display at all.
• Long loading times: Large image files can slow down message loading.
• In dark mode, whole elements or parts of graphics are not visible. If you have used a background fill in a logo or icon as dark there is a risk that they will no longer be visible when processed by dark mode. Working with dark mode is a skillful balance between the colors used versus the black used.
  
  

How to solve problems with images in email signatures?

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• Optimize images:some text
  • Size: Reduce the size of the image file without losing quality. Ideally, the image should be the original dimensions and the file size optimized and uploaded to the hosting.
  • Format: Choose an appropriate file format (e.g. JPEG, PNG). Do not use SVG extension, this format is not supported in captions.
• Use HTML tags:some text
  • width and height: Specify the exact dimensions of the image in the HTML code. Remember to add them in the <img> tag.
  • alt: Add alternative text that will be displayed if the image fails to load or is blocked by your email client. Alternate text can also help prevent your message from ending up in the spam folder.
  • Linking: Make sure images are properly linked from external servers that are accessible and stable to avoid loading problems.
• Styling:some text
  • max-width and max-height: Set these values in CSS, similar to the <img> tag, so that the image does not extend outside the container.
  • object-fit: Use object-fit: cover; or object-fit: contain; so that the image fills the container well without distortion.
• Host images on an external server:some text
  • Loading speed: Images hosted on external servers load faster, which speeds up signature loading and improves user experience.
  • Ease of updating: Changing an image on an external server will automatically update it across all signatures, eliminating the need to edit each signature separately.
• Best practices:some text
  • Inline CSS: Many email clients, including Outlook, have limited support for external style sheets. Use inline CSS to ensure styles are applied correctly.
  • Use tables: To provide better control over layout in email clients, use HTML tables to arrange images and text.
• Testing:some text
  • Posts: Test how the signature displays in different email programs (Gmail, Outlook, Thunderbird, etc.).
  • Devices: Test how the signature looks on computers, smartphones and tablets.
  • Programs: For testing, you can use programs such as Litmus, Mail on Acid or test by the gSignature team.
    
    

How can gSignature help you?

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gSignature offers many tools to help you create and manage email signatures with images:

• WYSIWYG Editor: With an intuitive editor, you can easily add and format images in your signature.
• Image optimization: Thanks to the expertise of our team, we can point out which graphic elements should be corrected or defined differently.
• Image Hosting: You can host your images on gSignature's servers without worrying about them not being available to the public.

Signature preview: See how your signature will look on different devices by using tools such as Litmus or Mail on Acid, or by contacting our team via the contact form to verify and improve your signature

Images in an email signature can significantly improve its appearance, but they require knowledge and proper preparation. By following the tips above and using tools like gSignature, you can create professional and aesthetically pleasing signatures that will display well on a variety of devices and email clients.

Want to learn more about how to create perfect email signatures? Try gSignature for free and see for yourself, or contact us to have us prepare your signature.