Create Html for e-mail with MS-Publisher

 

First of all we must say, that creating a HTML template for Email with MS-Publisher is not the best choice. This question is often asked, so here comes a small instruction how it can be done. A better choice will be using a real Html-Editor such as MS-Frontpage or Dreamweaver.

This document is related to MS-Publisher 2007. (Some menu titles are translated from german and could spell slightly different)

1. Convert your publisher Project into a web project:

select menu File->Convert to web-publication

Follow the instructions, do not create a navigation bar

2. Choose Extras->Design Detective

Check all options in the new pane and analyse problems. Especially when text is converted to image, when

  • a special font was used
  • some areas in the design are overlapping

Improve the layout so that no more problems are shown

3. Convert to HTML-Version, that is good enough to be sent as email

Unfortunately, there is no such menu in Publisher.

Here is the trick:

  • Select menu File->Send Email->Email Preview

This opens the web-browser with a document in the windows temp-folder.

Again, check if any text was converted to image. Try to mark single words in your web-browser. If you can, everything is fine. If not, the text was converted to an image. Close your web-browser and redesign your layout.

4. If the HTML looks good in the browser, export it to a new directory:

  • Create a new folder on your hard drive
  • in MS InternetExplorer, select menu File->Save As..
  • Select Option to save as "Webpage, complete"
  • Save to your newly created folder

5. Now open BulkMailer and

  • select Email->New email (Html)
  • Email->Load Webpage from File
  • select the above saved HTML file.

This all may work good for you, but all at all it is much better to use a real HTML editor and to have all the skills needed. Maybe this would be a good task for your web-designer.