Images and video

Images

It’s important to find the right balance between image size, resolution, and file size. This ensures images don’t appear pixelated and they don’t make the email slow to load.

Image size

Resolution: 72 dpi is an adequate resolution for email images

File size: Please aim for a maximum file size of 1mb

Finding images

If you require imagery for a specific purpose, you can check Story House for a library of our assets. Please be conscious of the usage restrictions for each file. Chosen images should follow the brand guidelines. If in doubt, check with the case studies and/or Brand team.

Image considerations

Please be aware that images will resize on mobile devices. The template is mobile friendly meaning that you do not need to specify a separate mobile image to be used for mobile, but it is important when briefing in any imagery to bear in mind that the majority of our audience open on mobile, so a mobile-first approach is encouraged.

When briefing in image assets with Creative, follow brand and accessibility guidelines. Avoid using copy in images, as this is not accessible. Headings can be set up by the CRM team within the template itself. If you do have to use copy, keep it to three words maximum and use Barlow or Barlow Condensed Bold fonts – you can also use Shelter Activist for interventions, if used with purpose. Remember that we use black and white for copy in our brand, with red used only for the Shelter Activist font. Read more about our colours in the brand guidelines.

Image Alt text

Alt text should clearly describe what is displayed in an image. It’s an essential requirement for accessibility, as well as for users who have trouble downloading images. Please specify this within the alt text section of the email briefing sheet. You can read our alt text guidance to find out more.

Alt text example: A group of people smiling around a table

Videos

We can’t embed videos into Adobe, so we have to use a screenshot of the video, and link the image to the actual video, or we can use a gif to give a taster of the video.

Screenshots of videos should always have a ‘play’ button so it’s explicitly clear that it's a video. The Creative team can help with this.

Videos included in emails should follow the brand guidelines. To learn more, view our video production guides.

Related

Read our other content guides

Read our brand guidelines

Contact us

Have a question or comment about email or other digital topic? Found a bug? Or maybe you’d like to contribute to the framework? Use our contact form to get in touch.