Blog
The Google Font API and HTML Email |
|
05.24.2010 Google, in conjunction with Typekit, just released a new Font API that allows designers to easily import non-standard OS fonts into their web pages. The API uses the CSS @font-face rule but relies on their CDN to provide the data bandwidth, which is probably much faster than yours. After hearing about this we wanted to investigate and find out the email client support for such an API. Get connected with Email on Acid for up-to-date news and information on the subject of email design, development, and testing!
|
Email on Acid Introduces Mobile Devices!
We are excited to announce that we have just completed several major enhancements to our testing platform! New product updates include mobile device simulations (iPhone & BlackBerry), new and improved HTML validation, convert your embedded styles to inline, Outlook 2010 final release, updated test archiving and discounted subscription plans.
Monday, 24 May 2010
The Google Font API and HTML Email
Google, in conjunction with Typekit, just released a new Font API that allows designers to easily import non-standard OS fonts into their web pages. The API uses the CSS @font-face rule but relies on their CDN to provide the data bandwidth, which is probably much faster than yours. After hearing about this we wanted to investigate and find out the email client support for such an API.
Monday, 8 February 2010
Email on Acid Updates and New Features
We are excited to announce that we have just completed some enhancements to our email testing platform! We've added an Email Inbox, Outlook Express, Send Results to a Friend and Translation tools. Be sure to jump online and test drive the new product features, we'd love to get your feedback!
Sunday, 10 January 2010
The Best Strategies for Testing Your HTML Email
Although our email testing simulation is intended to make your life much easier, it is still vitally important to test your email in each of the popular web browsers as well.
In taking into account the complexity of testing your email, we must first consider the most popular email applications used today. Then we will take a look at web based email clients, and finally we will touch on ways to ensure that your email will render correctly on mobile devices.
Tuesday, 5 January 2010
An Email Marketer’s Guide to Previewing Your Email Before You Send It
How to test your HTML email if you are not a programmer or web designer.
We have had a few people ask us how they can use our email testing simulation tool if they do not have access to their URL or HTML code. If you are an email marketer and you are using a third party service or application to create and manage your email campaigns, this article is for you.
Sunday, 3 January 2010
Email Simulation API
Allow your customers to see an instant preview of their email in the top 15, most popular email clients using Email on Acid's API (Application Programming Interface).
Our API is completely customizable and you can utilize any or all of the features provided. Such features include the email preview in any of the email clients we support, our code analysis, the plain text generator, image blocking, and future spam analysis tools.
We currently offer two distinct integration options:
 |
Reseller Program The first is a reseller program designed to help you generate additional revenue from your current member base. As a reseller, you can mark up our flat rate per scan as much as you want. The flat rate is discounted based on monthly volume. Resellers have the option to private label or, for a discounted rate, they may use the existing Email on Acid brand header and footer. |
 |
Monthly Subscription The second integration option is a monthly subscription allowing for unlimited email tests (or scans). This program is designed to help you provide a value added service to your existing members. Monthly API subscribers pay a royalty fee based on volume of scans per month. |
At this time, we are open and flexible regarding our API and would be happy to discuss the best possible integration solution for you. You may even consider using a blend of the two options if it better suites your pricing model.
Read more about our api technology and usage ideas...
Sunday, 20 December 2009
Announcing the Official Launch of Version 1.0!
After much anticipation, we are proud to announce that our online email testing tool is no longer in Beta! Our new and improved email simulation now includes the following enhancements...
Sunday, 22 November 2009
Outlook 07 Preview and Code Analysis Update
We are excited to announce that we have recently made some drastic improvements to our Outlook 07 preview. We are hoping that this will give developers a better understanding of how to design and construct HTML and CSS emails that comply with Outlook's often frustrating MS Word engine.
Monday, 16 November 2009
What is an Email Testing “Discrepancy?”
In our email simulation tool, we use this terminology in two different ways.
1.) Acid Test Result Discrepancies - designed to identify exactly which lines of code are not supported for each email client.
2.) "Report a Discrepancy" Feature - intended for customer service and support. If you run an acid test and find inconsistencies between our simulation and actual email client results - we want to hear about it!
Click here to learn more about our email testing terminology and features regerding "discrepancies."
Monday, 31 August 2009
Absolute vs. Relative References
It is important to note: Our Email Test only supports absolute references to links and images embedded within your email. So what's the difference between the two? Hopefully this article will shed some light on the subject...
Saturday, 22 August 2009
Email Renderability
Market research has led us to the conclusion that most emails are NOT getting tested for renderability - after all, is that even a word?
When we initially started developing our Email Test, our primary goal was to make life easier for the email designers and developers of the world - those who are hired to produce a professional template or layout for their clients. After all, it seems as though making sure the email "looks good" is a responsibility which falls entirely on them and most often their customers assume it's an easy enough task to accomplish.
The fact is, aside from memorizing the web standards chart provided by Campaign Monitor, having 15 email accounts, installing 11 different desktop clients, and managing several virtual machines - ensuring renderability is much easier said than done. We won't even touch the subject of mobile devices and service plans. So how come it's so rarely talked about? And how many corporate advertisers are being tasked with ensuring the quality of their campaigns? After all, isn't it the corporate identity that's at stake here?
Wednesday, 19 August 2009
An Email on Acid Update
Our HTML Email Simulation is Getting Rave Reviews!
We are happy to report that our Email Test has been very well received since going live one month ago! In fact, we are averaging over 100 acid tests per day and we have several members helping us to identify key areas for improvement. Thanks so much for the awesome feedback and we want you to know that we are committed to supporting your requests!
Tuesday, 18 August 2009
People are Talking about our Email Testing Tool!
And so far the response has been great!
We are thrilled to announce that the Email on Acid buzz has begun! In the past week, we have found 6 published articles in various websites detailing current issues regarding the lack of HTML email standards, the challenges of testing, our solution, and a list of the features we offer.
We would like offer our sincere gratitude to those of you who have taken the time to publish us!
Tuesday, 18 August 2009
Simulating Errors in our Virtual Email Simulation
To avoid problems with your HTML/CSS email, we recommend that you test in the popular web browsers first.
When we initially built this tool for developers, we decided to include a "Code Analysis" feature which identifies which lines of code are not supported by each email client. This feature is not to be confused with a code validator. A code validator would identify issues with your HTML or CSS such as unfinished or invalid div and table elements.
Tuesday, 18 August 2009
Email Simulation - Web Browsers within Browsers
HTML email testing challenges...
As we faced off with the beta version of Email on Acid, we knew some challenges would be harder to deal with than others. The simple fact is that when our users run an email test in Firefox (for example) it is difficult for us to perfectly simulate a client like Outlook 03, Windows Live or Windows Mail because each of these examples are using an Internet Explorer engine to render emails. Unfortunately there is no clear solution to this issue aside from simulating some of the more obvious differences.
Tuesday, 18 August 2009
The Mystery of Hotmail’s Strange Image Spacing
The Case of a Hidden Escape Character...
It's official, there's an invisible ghost haunting Hotmail and it had us spooked for over 3 days! OK so we don't mean Friday the 13th scary, but still scary to a programmer who doesn't see it coming!
Monday, 17 August 2009
Default CSS in Web & Desktop Email Clients
It's important to beware!
It comes as no surprise that web clients use their own style sheets to render their pages. In the new version of Yahoo Mail and AIM Mail, emails are rendered inside an I-frame allowing for a fairly clean slate. However, in clients like G-Mail, Hotmail and Yahoo-Classic, they seem to make an attempt to reset browser defaults but several of their self-imposing styles are still carried over.
This issue may actually challenge the notion that you are always safe using the basics when it comes to tables and divs. In fact if you didn't know that you needed to overwrite certain styles using embedded or inline CSS, your end result may look much different than expected.
Monday, 27 July 2009
Outlook 2010 Email Test Results are In
Microsoft Not Playing Nice with Office 2010
It doesn't appear that Microsoft is going to play nice with HTML rendering in Office 2010. They are continuing down the '07 path by using Word to render HTML. Are you surprised? Honestly, we aren't. We have recently received a beta version of Outlook 2010 and through our email tests we have noted the same rendering problems from Outlook 07.
Friday, 26 June 2009
Why Web Standards Matter for your Email
Until now, designing and developing HTML emails has been like trying to hit a moving target while blindfolded. Each of the email clients have different standards for how they accept and render standard HTML and CSS. nrfd7xvkgp
Get connected with Email on Acid for up-to-date news and information on the subject of email design, development, and testing!
