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Troubleshooting Images in SmartrMail
Troubleshooting Images in SmartrMail

Learn about common image upload and display issues and how to troubleshoot

Peter Connolly avatar
Written by Peter Connolly
Updated over 5 years ago

When it comes to uploading images in SmartrMail and displaying images in your subscribers' inboxes there are a few issues you run into. If your images look broken, don't upload, or don't display in inboxes here are some troubleshooting steps and tips to prevent errors.

Upload Issues

If your images don't upload into SmartrMail, it might be due to these common issue.

  • The file size is too large
    Images over 4MB won't upload into SmartrMail. We recommend using photo-editing software or an image optimizer and only uploading images 1MB or smaller

  • Browser is unsupported
    If you don't use a major browser it could be incompatible with SmartrMail. Try using Chrome, Firefox or Safari then uploading again. If you are using one of those browsers, clear your cache to resolve the issue.

  • The file type is not supported
    Only PNG, JPG and GIF files can be uploaded to SmartrMail. Ensure you are saving your image with one of these file types.

  • The file type is missing
    Ensure the image you upload has the file type extension added (.png, .jpg, .gif)

  • The image file name has spaces or special characters
    Spaces and some special characters can break images in SmartrMail and your subscribers' inboxes. Remove them and replace them with dashes (-) or underscores (_)

Display Issues

If your images aren't displaying in inboxes correctly, there are a few things you should review.

  • The email client is blocking images
    Some email clients will block images by default and require your subscriber to choose whether or not to display images. SmartrMail can't bypass or influences this, but you can ask your subscriber to add your sending email address to their address book or safe sender list to increase the chance that your images show.

  • Images look blurry on a retina display
    Retina displays use a higher density of pixels per inch, which can cause some images to look blurred. To ensure your images look clear across all displays, use SmartrMail's recommended image sizes. If you are using the image sizes, then create your image at a higher resolution (DPI).

  • Image colours aren't correct
    Only the RGB image mode is optimized for web. If you are saving your images in another mode such as CMYK, save your image again in RGB mode.

  • Images won't show up correctly in Outlook
    Outlook sometimes experiences caching issue. If your images look broken or won't display in Outlook, ask your subscriber to reboot their computer or clear Outlook's cache.

  • Background images don't display
    Background images positioned in your header and footer may not show on all email clients. Ensure you're using a fallback colour to display if this is the case with your subscriber.

  • Images are distorted
    Images longer than 800px will appear distorted in the app if used with the "edge to edge" option. To ensure you images do not distort, simply slice them in smaller halves (below 800px) and add them as two images blocks used in edge to edge.

  • GIFs appear with a light blue/green color instead of a white background
    Gmail displays GIFs with a white background with a light blue/green color instead of a white background. In order to fix this, you'll need to create your GIF with a transparent background instead of a white background.

Images Load Slowly in Inboxes

If your campaign images take too long to load in your subscribers' inboxes or in yours, there are a couple things that might be the cause.

  • The image file size is too large
    Reduce the file size by saving a smaller dimension images or optimizing.

  • There are too many large images
    Use fewer images in your campaign. You should aim for a maximum 80/20 image to text split.

  • Your image dimension is too large
    Large file size or dimension images might take longer to load. Consider slicing your image into smaller images to make your campaign load faster.

  • Check other emails and your internet speed
    Are images from other emails loading slowly in your inbox. If they are and you've followed all the recommendations above it might be your internet connection.

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