Building Emails with Images
Images can make marketing emails visually engaging, but an email should not rely entirely on images to communicate its message. For the best combination of accessibility, deliverability, and mobile readability, we recommend balancing text and images.
Why You Should Avoid Image-Only Emails
You can build an email primarily or entirely from uploaded images, but doing so can create several potential problems.
Accessibility
Some recipients use screen readers or other accessibility tools that cannot interpret text embedded inside an image. Email applications may also block images by default, particularly when the sender is new or has not been added to the recipient's contacts or safe-sender list.
If the entire message is contained in an image, the recipient may see very little useful content until images are manually loaded. When adding meaningful images, include appropriate alt text so recipients have additional context if the image cannot be displayed. To add alt text to an image, select the image in question and then, in the settings on the right, enter the alt text information.
Mobile Display
Large images designed for a desktop screen may be difficult to read on a phone.
If an image contains a large amount of text, the entire image may shrink to fit the smaller screen, making the text inside too small to read comfortably.
Text entered into a text element can respond more naturally to different screen sizes.
Loading Speed
Large or numerous images can increase the amount of data required to load an email. Recipients with slower connections may experience delayed image loading or may leave the message before the images appear.
Optimizing images before uploading them can help reduce file size while maintaining an appropriate display quality.
Deliverability
Emails with very little text and a large number of images may appear more suspicious to some spam filters. No single text-to-image ratio guarantees inbox placement, but meaningful text gives email providers more context about the message.
Engagement Tracking
DonorDock can track clicks on links included in a bulk email.
If your entire email is a single image without links, there are fewer opportunities to measure recipient engagement.
Using buttons and text links for important calls to action can make both the action and the resulting click activity easier to track.
Recommended Approach
When building an email:
Use text elements for headlines, paragraphs, dates, instructions, and important calls to action.
Use images to support the message rather than contain the entire message.
Add links to buttons or text when you want recipients to take an action.
Include alt text for meaningful images.
Keep important text large enough to read comfortably on mobile devices.
Send a test email before sending to your full audience.
Using Images as Links
Images can also be made clickable.
When adding an image in the DonorDock email editor:
Add or select the image element.
Locate the available Action or link settings.
Enter the URL you want recipients to visit.
Save your changes.
Test the email and click the image to verify that the link opens correctly.
For important calls to action, consider also including a text link or button so the action remains visible if images are blocked.
Keep the Message Available as Text
If you already have a flyer, invitation, or newsletter designed as an image, you can still use it within an email.
Consider adding a short text introduction and important details outside of the image, such as:
Event date and time
Registration information
Donation request
Contact information
Main call to action
This helps recipients understand the email's purpose even if the image doesn't load.
Using Images Created in Canva
DonorDock does not have a direct integration with Canva. However, you can create graphics in Canva, export them as image files, and then upload those images into the DonorDock email editor.
For example, you might create a banner, event graphic, or promotional image in Canva, download it as a PNG or JPG, and then add it to an Image element in your DonorDock email.
Keep in mind that content created in Canva is uploaded to DonorDock as an image. Text, buttons, and links in the Canva design are not converted into editable DonorDock email elements.
For the best accessibility, mobile display, and click tracking, we recommend using Canva for supporting graphics while keeping important text, buttons, and calls to action as separate elements within the DonorDock email editor.