You can include images and formatted text to an Email Template or Signature, however, there may be limitations in using the Editor to display the signature as you prefer.
To have greater control over the display of your email signature, email signatures can be created using HTML. This must be done external to FYI, either using a third-party consultant or by a user proficient in HTML.
When creating a HTML signature:
- Any images must be hosted on your web server so that images can be accessed when the email signature is used.
- Images must be less than 40kb to ensure they're not filed in FYI as an attachment.
- HTML is copied into an FYI Email Signature template.
- The template can then be updated to include FYI Merge Fields, to automatically insert data.
- The text editor in FYI offers the ability to view HTML code. This is useful if you need to make any other adjustments outside of FYI, such as to colours, and then copy the updated HTML back to the FYI Email Signature.
Important Note: If you are using combinations of Merge Fields and formatting, we recommend you add the Merge Fields first to confirm the correct data is displayed. Then edit the Template or Signature and add any formatting.
Creating an HTML Email Signature
The following example shows how to include an HTML file with images and text as the Email Signature and make adjustments to it. The following example shows how to include Merge Fields for the author's name, role, mobile, and email.
- From FYI, click the Knowledge menu option.
- Go to the Templates tab.
- Click the drop-down next to the +Add button and select Email.
Note: For detailed instructions on creating an Email Template refer to Creating Email Templates and Signatures.
- Enter the Template name and Name, and click Create.
- Update the Filing details and checkmark Signature. Ensure the Status remains as Draft, as the signature will be activated once all the details are displayed correctly.
- Open the HTML signature file in a browser.
- In the browser, select all the text and images and copy it (you can use Ctrl+a to select all and then Ctrl+c to copy).
- In FYI, in the Email Editor for the Signature, position the cursor where you want the Signature to appear and Paste the HTML. It displays in exactly the same way as via the browser.
- To add Merge Fields, select the text to be replaced, then select the relevant Merge Field from the sections below. In the following example, the author will be inserted into the email using the Author Name merge field.
- The following example shows the Merge Fields added for Author Name, Author Role, Author and Author Email.
Note: The details that appear for each user will appear depending on their User Profile. Refer to Managing Users. - If needed, use the tools to reapply any formatting to the Merge Fields, for example bold text, fonts, or colour.
- To set the font used for any text in the email, refer to Formatting and Fonts using the Editor in FYI.
- To begin using the signature, change the Status to "Active". The signature is now available to select as the default signature, or for individual users only. Refer to Managing Practice Settings for Documents, or for individuals, refer to Managing Users.
The following is an example of an email that has been created in FYI for the Email Signature set up with HTML in the example above. In this example, no template has been selected, so only the information brought in from the Email Signature is added to the email.
Displaying the HTML Code
If you need to, you can display the HTML code from the Email Signature.
- Click the More Misc tool
- Click Code View.
The HTML code displays. If required, change the Email Signature to Full Screen by clicking Full Screen.
From the Code View, you can copy the HTML code (which includes the correct codes for any Merge Fields that have been added). This allows anyone with experience with HTML to make any other changes to the HTML and then copy this back into the Email Signature.
In the code, any Merge Fields are included using special characters for the curly brackets, as in AuthorName in this example.
<p>{{ AuthorName }}</p>
Note: When adding or deleting anything in the HTML Code View, always close this to re-display the main Editor pane before closing the Template or Signature. This ensures that any changes made directly to the HTML are saved.
HTML Limitations
Please be aware that the majority of email clients don't support all HTML that can be viewed within browsers.
For example, iframes, scripts, or menus are not supported in HTML emails. Some clients support .gif animations, but it should be used with caution.
Not supported for HTML emails:
- iframe
- JavaScript
- Embedded audio
- Embedded video
- Forms
- Using <div> layering
Updating an Email Signature with a New Logo or Image
To update an Email Signature with a new logo or image.
- Copy the logo or image from the previous Email Signature or from a Word document using Ctrl+c.
- Go to the online Word to HTML converter https://wordtohtml.net/
- Paste the image in the Visual Editor pane using Ctrl+v (for information on the Visual Editor refer also to Formatting and Fonts in Email Templates and Signatures).
- Adjust the image as required.
- Copy the updated image using Ctrl+c.
- In FYI, open the Email Signature that you want to update.
- In the Editor Pane, paste the copied image using Ctrl+v.
Note: This will only work if you use Ctrl+c and Ctrl+v when copying and pasting. Right-click on the image and then selecting Copy or Paste will not work.