// Catapult digital / smart email headers

...is more and more important, esp with the new hotmail/outlook versions which also block links. So we've come up with a neat little helper.

The idea is simple but cunning... add a small table at the top of your email. (tables are best for this as CSS support isn't always there). The table uses a background image. This of course doesn't load initially, so the table bgcolor is visible instead. Here the fiendishly simple part - make the bgcolor different from the background image colour - which matches the text colour. confused?

bgcolor = blue

text colur = white

background image = all white gif

so prior to images loading the text is visible, very much so thanks to the background colour. Most emails have a suptle 'if you can't see this -bclick here' link, that is easily missed:

(click the thumbnails to enlarge)

once the user has loaded images its gone (well it's still there just not visible).

So you can educate and encourage the users, then reward them by not having boring 'warning copy' when they permission you -it's WIN WIN!

sample you'll see it while the images load then it's gone!

except of course if you are using the devils outlook 2007 - which has no background image support at the moment. so the message will say on after images load :( maybe adding a use office 2003 / thunderbird message could be placed there for 2007 suckers!