Creating an HTML email

"Hey Andy, I am wondering if you can advise me on something. I am trying to design a graphic email blast where the graphic appears in the body of the email, and different images within the graphic, when clicked on, open up a new window and take the user to a web link.

I have CS3 on my mac, and I am wanting to create the graphic using InDesign and/or Photoshop, and then add images in InDesign.

I have Dreamweaver but have never used it; is that what I would need to use to create/activate hyperlinks within this graphic? Should I embed everything in InDesign and then export as a pdf first? This may not make any sense, and I admittedly am not real sure what I’m doing, but if you could provide me with some guidance or basic fundamentals I’d reallllly appreciate it!

Thanks! PJ"

Hey PJ,

The quickest and easiest way, requires no web design experience at all. There are much more complicated ways using Adobe DreamWeaver, but you don't want to add that learning curve to your project. I can go into that later if someone really wants to know.

Go ahead and use Adobe Photoshop to create your images, but use Microsoft Word to do the layout and to create the HTML. You can start with either a word document or html page.

1. Create tables to help you put images in place. use border lines to match up layout, and change to no borders when layout is complete.

2. Link each image to an image that is on a dedicated server. Your VT web space will do. Make sure url is relative, example - http://www.servername.com/images/image01.jpg

3. Use text as needed to complete layout completely.

4. If you need a background image behind everything, use a stationary template.

5. When layout is complete "Save as" HTML document.

6. insert into email,

7. Make any corrections necessary and send to self for testing layout and hyperlinks, before mass mailing.

Let me know if I can provide additional help and good luck!