(RESOLVED) How to make Newsletters Pretty?

[jmayne]

I like to send Newsletters to my members via the email system as opposed to the PM system.  I've searched this entire community: "Newsletter mod", "Newsletter templates" and I really can't find anything that will help me make my newsletters look good (professional instead of just basic text).  I always tick the "Add <br />s and &nbsp;s to this message" and "Send in HTML format" but still it's just your basic text.

No, I'm not good at HTML programming so, maybe that's my basic problem.  Is there an easier way other than trying to learn HTML?  Are there newsletter templates that I can edit, cut and paste into the Newsletter box?

[greyknight17]

Unless you checked the option to send it to your users as personal messages, it should have been sending it to them via email already.

I suggest looking up HTML Tutorial on Google to find out how they work. It's a really simple markup language. There are no set templates that I'm aware of.

[jmayne]

Hmmm.  smf email templates?  I can't be the first one who blows at html.  Might be a market for someone to put together a portfolio of them.  Just edit, cut and paste.  Voila!  I'd buy them.

[greyknight17]

There is no such thing.....just Google for email templates in general and you will find a plethora of them available at your disposal

[jmayne]

Thanks for wrecking my million dollar idea gray .  Thought I had something there .

[greyknight17]

No problem. Any day

I'm pretty sure if it's a idea, someone has thought of it already. Even if it's a weird concept which I have seen lately....

Anyway, I assume this issue is resolved? If so, you may mark your post as resolved.

[elund]

There is no such thing.....just Google for email templates in general and you will find a plethora of them available at your disposal

Well, I have tried a lot of these email templates. And they look awful or they just doesn't look right when you receive them. It looks like that SMF doesn't leave the HTML code untouched when sending news letters.

Please post a link if anyone find some simple email templates that works with the SMF newsletter function. Thanks in advance :-)

Best regards, Elund

[greyknight17]

Hi Elund, you will need to find these yourself. SMF doesn't have any newsletter email template. It's usually used as a plain newsletter, but you can add your own HTML code to spruce it up a little.

[jmayne]

OK.  Here's what I figured out.  (For those of you who know all about html and all this other programming stuff, please don't laugh at the following instructions.  This is for other programming-challenged people like me.    I doubt I'm the only one administrating a forum who has limited knowledge of this stuff.)

If you have Microsoft Publisher you can do this. Pick an email newsletter template - provided by Microsoft.  Customize it however you want.  Delete anything that is a graphic (clip art, etc.).  Text boxes are ok.  Once it is all set and laid out the way you want it, save it as an .html file.

Then, open it (click on the saved file).  It will open in a browser window.  Go to the drop down menu (in your browser window) "View." Select "Page Source."  It will display all the html.  Copy it all (ctrl A, ctrl C).

Go to the Newsletter area of your smf forum.  Select the membergroups you want to send it to.  Click Next.  Tick "Send in HTML format"  Then un-tick "Add <br />s and &nbsp;s to this message."

Paste your html (the stuff you just copied) into the body of the newsletter box.  Then send it off!

I'd recommend sending it to yourself first, just to test it.