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Formatting and Fonts in Email Templates and Signatures

Jann DiPaolo
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There are various ways to format the contents of an Email Template or Signature. The formatting tools can also be used to format the contents of a Draft in FYI email in the Email Editor.

Note: If you are using combinations of Merge Fields and formatting, we recommend you add the Merge Fields first and check these are bringing the correct information without adding any formatting. Then edit the Template or Signature and add any formatting.

This article contains the following sections:

Formatting the text

You can format the text using the tools at the top of the template. The text displays in rich text to reflect any formatting.

For information on using the tools at the top of the Editor, refer to Formatting and Fonts using the Editor in FYI.

Font Sizes in FYI Email Templates and Signatures

There is a difference between the way you specify the font size in Outlook and how this is done in FYI Templates and Signatures. Outlook uses "points" and FYI uses "pixels" to determine the font size.

The following table shows the Font Sizes that can be selected in FYI email Templates and Signatures and shows the comparison to the size of the font in Outlook.

For example, if you use 13.5 point size in Outlook, select this as 18 font size in the FYI Template or Signature.

1093_Email_Template_Font_Sizes.gif

Using a Font that is Not Available in FYI

In the Email Templates or Signatures, there is a set selection of fonts available in FYI.
1286A_Email_Template_Fonts.gif

Note: Due to licencing rules, Calibri and Trebuchet MS will display with their Open Source Font name in the HTML editor but will convert to the Microsoft font when an email is sent from FYI or drafted to Outlook.

If the font you want to use is not already available (for example, Courier New 12) use the following method to add this to the Email Template.

  1. Edit the Email Template.
  2. Add any text that you want to include in the Template in the Email Editor.
  3. Select the text that you want to change the font on and cut the text from the Template.
  4. In a separate browser window, go to Word to HTML at https://wordtohtml.net/
  5. In the Visual Editor panel, paste the text that you cut from the Email Template.
  6. In the Visual Editor panel, select all the text.
  7. Click the More Text button in the toolbar (the A with the 3 dots).
  8. To select a font, in the Font Family drop-down select the font required (for example, "Courier New").
  9. Select a Font Size if required and any other settings from the font toolbar.
  10. Right-click in the HTML Editor panel, and select Select All.
    The following example is the HTML when setting Calibri as the font family and 12 for the size.

    2009_Word_to_HTML_Copy_HTML.gif
  11. Right-click again in the HTML Editor panel, and select Copy.
  12. Re-display the Email Template in FYI.
  13. In the Email Editor, display the Code View by clicking the icon with the 3 dots in the right-hand corner of the Editor, then select Code View.

    2008_Email_Editor_Code_View.gif
  14. Paste the copied HTML text from Word to HTML.
    If you have not cut all the text from the Email Template, first locate where the copied text should be pasted.

    2010_Copied_HTML_in_Editor.gif
    Note: You may find it easier read this if you first change the Email Signature to Full Screen by clicking Full Screen.

    1248_Email_Editor_Full_Screen.gif
  15. Close the Email Template and run a test that the font is working correctly.

    If you need to include Merge Fields, these can be added in FYI in the email template and then copied into wordtohtml.net and then select the text and change the font settings. This will copy the correct character for the opening and closing curly brackets. It will also make sure there is a space after the opening curly brackets and before the closing curly brackets.

Note: When sending an email from FYI using the Template or Signature, the font size will be applied correctly. When sending an email that is initially created in FYI and set as Draft in Outlook, the font family will be correct but there may be a difference in the size. It is recommended that you run some tests to check the best font size to use if you need to use the template and send from both FYI and Outlook.

Formatting Numerical Merge Fields

You can format numerical email merge fields, for example for currency amounts, so the result includes commas and brackets for negative amounts. Refer also to Formatting at the bottom of the Email Editor Groups in Including Merge Fields in Email Templates and Signatures.

The following formatting codes can be added when the "Merge Field" is added to the Email template. The example shows the formatting result on a number -1000123.00

{{ "Merge Field" | comma_group }} to format as -1,000,123.00
{{ "Merge Field" | dot_group }} to format as -1.000.123,00
{{ "Merge Field" | blank_group }} to format as -1 000 123.00
{{ "Merge Field" | negative_parens }} to format as (1000123.00)
{{ "Merge Field" | negative_squares }} to format as [1000123.00]

Filters can be chained, but the grouping filter needs to go before the negative filter in the list, for example:
{{ "Merge Field" | comma_group | negative_parens }} to format as (1,000,123.00)

When adding the formatters, the pipe character ( | ) is added by typing the Shift + Backslash (\) key. Ensure that the spaces are added correctly as in the examples.

For example, to display the results of the Merge field for the Tax Payable/Tax Refundable amount with a dollar sign at the start and a comma for the thousands, add this as follows:

${{ Tax_PayableRefundable | comma_group }}

Incorrect Formatting when creating an Email from a Template or Signature

When creating an email from a template or signature, if you are getting incorrect formatting, such as unnecessary line breaks, inconsistent fonts and character sizing, or incorrect font sizes, refer to the FAQ Why do emails created from Templates and Signatures have incorrect formatting?

 

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