6.1.8 Common Email Display Issues with Outlook

Even though email templates created in vtenext are designed to be displayed correctly on all email clients, some display issues may arise when a user opens an HTML email in Outlook, particularly in versions 2007, 2010, or 2013. This occurs because these versions of Outlook use Microsoft Word to render emails, offering limited support for HTML and CSS.

Let's analyze the most common display issues faced by Outlook users and provide suggestions to resolve them.

Common Display Issues in Outlook and Tips for Fixing Them

1. Margins Not Displayed
   All versions of Outlook (except Outlook.com) and Gmail do not support margins. It is preferable to use padding to create space around content blocks. Padding is supported by all versions of Outlook and other major email providers. However, this may compress the content on mobile devices.
   
   
2. Inconsistent Line Height
   Outlook 2007, 2010, 2013, and Office 365 do not consistently support line height. Some versions accept a percentage value (e.g., 140%), while others only accept integer values (e.g., 4). If you're manually writing the CSS, it is advisable to specify both values. With the drag-and-drop editor, this setting is automatically applied.
   
   
3. Image Distortion
   Outlook does not properly resize images with widths greater than 1000 pixels, displaying them at their original size and distorting the layout. It is recommended to use images between 400 and 650 pixels wide. In the email designer, images are automatically resized up to 1300 pixels in width.
   
   
4. Non-Animated GIFs
   Animated GIFs are supported by Outlook 365 (desktop and mobile) and Outlook.com, but versions 2007, 2010, and 2013 will only display the first frame. Ensure that the most important part of the GIF (such as offers or CTAs) is included in the first frame.
   
   
5. Button Duplication
   Some email services, like Gmail and Apple Mail, handle buttons via standard CSS, but Outlook uses a different system. A fix has been implemented to ensure that Outlook renders buttons correctly. However, if the email is forwarded or redirected, this may cause button duplication. A solution is to create an image of the button and insert a link.
   
   
6. Background Image Not Displayed
   Background images may not appear in some versions of Outlook. It is advisable to set a fallback color. This applies to both HTML emails and those created with the email designer.
   
   
7. Text Alignment
   Outlook does not support justified text alignment. Unfortunately, there is no solution to force Outlook to support this feature. The email designer, launched in 2022, does not include the option to justify text, so there are no issues in this case.
   
   
8. Text Breaks in Buttons
   If text in buttons breaks onto multiple lines, it is due to a rendering issue in Outlook. You can increase the padding to prevent this issue or use a button image.
   
   
9. Incorrect Font in Buttons
   Outlook may replace the button's font with Times New Roman due to extra spaces at the beginning or end of the text. Removing these spaces resolves the issue. Alternatively, you can create a new button or use an image.
   
   
10. Unclickable Links
    In some versions of Outlook (2007 and 2013), links next to images in the same text block may not be clickable. It is recommended to remove images from the text block and place them in a separate image block to avoid this issue.