Hello!

My name is Maria Preussmann and I live and work in Berlin. I'm self-employed and my passion is to help companies to look and perform better in the web.

Nerd expertise:
Email coding

In one of my freelance projects I developed HTML emails and developed a deep understanding of email code.

Challence: Create HTML emails that works in as many clients as possible. Code must be accessible in the companies software.

Problem: Can't use extern email design software and can't use code that works only in selected clients.

Solution: Writing code from scratch and use testing software to find bugs. Getting deep into the topic of email coding to fix bugs.

I had a lot of fun finding solutions. However email coding doesn't seem very popular and familiar among webdeveloper. That's why I share and offer you my expertice.

How can I help?

Skills & Tools

HTML & CSS, responsive email design, accessibility in web & emails, responsive webdesign & SEO, JavaScript & PHP (beginner), Litmus & InteliJ

Personality

open-minded, creative, communicative, hands-on, focus on problem solving, interdisciplinary thinking, fast learning

How to code HTML emails?

1. Back to 90s!

Forget modern code like DIVs, CSS-files, media queries and flexbox. Tables, inline styles and special coding hacks are your friends in email coding.

2. Client is queen

You thought testing websites in 3 clients is hard? Testing emails in 90+ clients is much harder. The rule is: the more clients have to look appropriate the less design possibilities you have.
Tipp: Restrict your target group to a few clients and you will have more fun in designing and coding.

3. Outlook is your final enemy

You developed and tested an e-mail in many clients like Gmail, GMX and Apple Mail and it looks good? Congrats! If you wanna beat Outlook, get familiar with the idea to recode the whole email. Good luck!

4. Testing

When you start testing your code you'll find errors in displaying. Then, when you change code and it displays correct in one client you'll get an error iin another client. Be creative and ready to compromise. It's up to you: wanna send emails full of errors in design or follow the most given advice in email coding "testing testing testing"?

5. Email Accessibility

Everybody should be able to understand your message, right? So don't forget people with visual impairment or color blindness. Give screen readers a well readable code. No worries, this is one of the easiest parts in email developing.

Test this email

This website is not build in modern web standards, but build like a html email.

1. Open source code of this website via right click.

2. Copy full source code.

3. Open putsmail.com and paste code into editor. Add your email adress and send.

4. Check your emails and find out if I made a good job.

Contact me