Email Layouts

[StaceyM803]

As a graphic designer, I find the design functions to be quite limited and cumbersome. It would be fabulous if there was more flexibility, better tools & features, etc., with which to create more dynamic email designs.

[Caitlin_M]

Hi @StaceyM803. Could you explain more about what you're looking for exactly? What tools would be useful for you? What type of flexibility is missing? 

[StaceyM803]

Hi Caitlin,

My name is Anita. Our Constant Contact account was set up with my boss's name and email address but I am the person who manages the account. 

I don't expect Constant Contact to have all the dynamic features of using a design program such as InDesign or as many font options, etc., but here are a few of the things for which I'd love to see more flexibility and options:

1. The layouts are fairly rigid. It can be a bit difficult at times to get images, text, etc., placed right where you want them. There is no way (or at least I haven't figured out a way) to place elements in a free-form style.
   1. For instance, I can add three image blocks side by side across the email, but it can be tedious to adjust size and spacing, plus there are no alignment tools to use.
   2. Another issue is, there's no way to wrap text around an image or shape.
      1. For one thing, all the text and images are in their own separate blocks.
      2. However, even if they weren't there are no tools or options to let you wrap the text. This is something that can be done in a simple Word.doc.
   3. You can't even add text on the left, an image in the middle, and another text block on the right.
   4. In addition, there are no tools or options to create columns within a text block.
   5. Also, there is no way to format bullets and sub-bullets. Just as in this response, you can see if I have a bullet and add a sub-bullet underneath where, in something like a Word.doc, when you tab in to create a sub-bullet under a numbered bullet, the sub-bullet changes to a lowercase letter. Tab in again and it becomes a roman numeral. 
2. There are very little options to format text. For example, in a simple Word.doc, there are several pre-packaged word art options as well as options for text outlines, text fill color, and text effects where you can do things like add a drop-shadow, reflection, glow, bevel, 3-D rotation, and transform or warp the text. 
3. The same with images. In a simple Word.doc, there are several prepackaged effects you can apply to an inserted image to add a frame, transform the edge of the image (rounded corners, beveled edges, drop-shadows, reflections, soft edges, 3-D rotation, etc.) All of which are simple ways to create a more visually dynamic email.
4. There are very few options for formatting buttons. You can change the button color and the font type, color, and size, but you can't add a gradient, you can't customize the shape of the button, you can't add any effects (drop shadow, stroke color, bevel, or other effects to make it look more three dimensional). There are no options to do something like make the button change color when you hover your mouse over it or when it's clicked on.
5. The design tab features are very limited. You can't add color gradients to either the outer or inner backgrounds (or any of the specific image or text blocks. There are few patterns offered and even if you upload your own patterns, they can only be used for the outer background and not the inner background or specific image or text blocks. 

Anyway, it just seems like there could be more design options and flexibility that aren't overly complicated, where even a person without design skills can easily use them to create a more visually dynamic email. 

[JenniferF91]

Following. I agree with all the suggestions above.

[Caitlin_M]

We wanted to follow up on this post. A lot of great and valid points are made here. I'll address a few of them

• Wrapping text around an image is available in the CPE editor. When an image is dragged into a text block, a pink rectangle will appear, allowing you to place it on the left or right of the block. There is a request for more options regarding text wrapping, such as including the wrap in the middle of a text block. I'll link the thread below.
• While columns can't be inserted into one single text block, a text or image block can be inserted to create a column layout. There is a premade layout that includes columns.
• Our CPE editor includes more button customization for rounded corners! For other options, you can comment or kudo the post linked below

We want to be transparent and say that for most of these requests that don't have additional information to share or a feature request linked below, there are no current plans to implement them in the editor. For the sake of proper tracking, we're requesting to have you or anyone else comment or kudo (thumbs up) on the following threads:

• Customize sub-bullets
• Include more frame options in the image editor
• Add background images to individual blocks
• Customization for buttons
• More options for text wrapping around images

Interacting with these posts allows for better tracking and escalating to the proper teams