Email Size Explained: Maximizing Effectiveness Through Optimal Email Dimensions

As a business owner, you know how email marketing can help you grow your business. But have you considered the email size? 

You’re probably wondering, “What has the size of an email got to do with my business growth?” We get you. 

Email marketing is an indispensable tool to create a deep connection with your readers and drive engagement, even though some claim it’s dead (which it is definitely not, by the way).

If you don’t consider the size of your banner, image, and text, you can lose your customers out of frustration. No one wants to read large, unwieldy messages. 

Besides, it can increase your costs down the line. We’ll show you how to reduce your email size and why. 

How Email Size Works

The main point of this article is to show you how to reduce email template size. When we talk about decreasing file sizes, we primarily mean two things: 

• HTML code
• Images

Visually appealing images can capture your reader’s attention when done well. However, deliverability can be affected when you send large file sizes. 

For example, it’s generally safe to send emails with a file size between 15 KB and 100 KB. However, you’ll start getting deliverability issues when the file size exceeds 100 KB. 

Furthermore, large email image sizes can slow down the load time. And your subscribers, with little to no patience, can delete the message before it even finishes loading. 

Can’t say I blame them. No one wants to waste time reading emails, and that’s why the email size is so important. 

In short, the point we’re trying to make here is that when it comes to email file sizes, less is more. 

Why You Must Know the Optimal Email Size

It’s important to prevent a high unsubscribe rate, and that’s why you need to optimize your email size. Let’s go through why it’s important to consider your email file sizes: 

1. Faster loading speed 

As I said earlier, emails and newsletters that take too long to open can change your readers mood, causing high bounce rates. 

Remember that an email with a large file size won’t affect the load time. 

However, sending large email file sizes regularly can cause this problem, and email clients may even flag them as spam. 

2. Ensures inbox delivery  

One way to improve your delivery rate is to optimize the file sizes. Email clients are not that lenient, so they may block or bounce your emails back. So, your readers may not see your carefully crafted message. 

3. Maintains engagement 

There’s a high chance that your readers use their mobile devices to check their emails. It’s better for your email size to be small to decrease the load time. This can help to maintain your audience engagement. 

4. Improves open rate

When you optimize the email size, it loads quickly and becomes visually appealing, which can improve the open rate. 

5. Avoids spam filters 

Some emails and newsletters can trigger spam filters when they exceed a certain email size. So, it’s crucial to follow the size requirements set by email service providers and industry standards. 

How to Reduce Email Size

Now, it’s time to talk about how to reduce your email file size: 

1. Optimize your email image size 

Optimizing your images is one of the easiest ways to reduce the email size. First, use image compression tools to decrease the file size, but make sure not to lose the image quality. 

In fact, you shouldn’t sacrifice the image quality for anything. That too can cause you to lose your subscribers. 

Choose the right image format and resize it to the exact dimensions required in your email. For example, use JPEG for photographs and PNG for graphics with fewer colors. 

This can significantly reduce the size of your email. 

2. Streamline the HTML code 

Even though HTML code can help you make your emails visually appealing, you need to keep it clean and efficient to keep your email size down. 

Remove any comments, tags, and white spaces that you don’t need. Furthermore, instead of using inline styles, use CSS for styling where possible. 

Also, using massive chunks of code can bloat your email, so avoid using them. You can use tools like HTML minifiers to help you streamline your code. 

3. Use external links 

Don’t embed large files directly into your email, use external links instead.

For example, instead of adding videos, images, or documents, link them to your service or file-sharing services like Google Drive. 

This keeps your emails lightweight and improves the chances of getting delivered. 

4. Keep testing the email sizes 

It’s better to test the size of your emails regularly before sending them. You can use email platforms and tools that help you measure and preview the email size. 

This method will help you catch any oversized elements and fix them before they reach your readers. 

Standard Email Dimensions: Email Width 

When it comes to the standard email dimensions, the recommended width is between 600 and 800 pixels. 

This email dimension ensures that your readers can see your email on various devices and keeps it visually appealing. 

Let’s dive into the reasons for this guideline and how to achieve it: 

1.  Universal compatibility 

Popular email clients like Gmail and Apple Mail have different ways they display their emails on different devices. 

So, keeping the email dimension within 600–800 pixels makes sure that your emails fit within these clients without causing any layout distortions. 

Furthermore, some older email clients may not handle wider emails gracefully. The width dimension ensures that it displays your emails correctly on older systems. 

2. Mobile responsiveness 

As I said earlier, most of your readers likely read your emails on their mobile devices. The 600–800 width dimension makes it easier to adjust to smaller screens. 

That way, your emails become legible and functional on tablets and smartphones. Also, the dimension supports flexible layouts. 

So it can adjust seamlessly to various screen sizes. In other words, your customers can have a consistent experience across various devices. 

3. Improved readability 

Keeping the width at 600–800 pixels creates a comfortable line of length for reading. When the columns are too wide or too narrow, it makes reading difficult. And your readers won’t enjoy reading much. 

How to achieve optimal email width 

1. Use responsive design techniques 

Use CSS media queries to adjust the layout based on the screen size of the device. This helps your emails to stay within the required width on desktops while adapting to the reader’s screen. 

You can also try out fluid grid layouts so that you can adjust the width of columns and images according to the screen size. This helps to maintain the integrity of the design. 

2. Use email templates 

Many email service providers have customized templates already optimized for the 600–800 pixel width range. 

These email template sizes are also designed to be responsive and compatible across various platforms. However, if you prefer to create one yourself, you can do so with the recommended email image size. 

Standard Email Header Size 

When creating an email header, consider the dimensions and their impact on the entire email experience. 

This is important because it sets the tone for your email and can hugely affect user engagement. 

Best dimension for email header size 

The optimal width for email headers is usually the same as the email width, which is 600–800 pixels. The height, however, may vary depending on the design and content. 

But generally, it ranges between 70 and 200 pixels. The command standard height for email headers is from 100–150 pixels. 

This gives you enough space to add elements, logos, and external links without adding too much to the email content. 

Optimal dimensions for header images

Just like the email header size, it falls within 600–800 pixels. Aim for a width of 600 pixels to make sure the image fits well within the header space. 

It also maintains quality across different email clients and devices. Regarding the optimal height, it usually ranges between 70 and 200 pixels. 

Standard Email Banner Dimensions

You need to find the right balance between load times, mobile friendliness, and visual impact when you’re designing email banners. 

The best email banner size is between 600 and 800 pixels. However, the standard width is 600 pixels. The height of email banners differs depending on the design and content. 

However, the height between 150 and 300 pixels works well. The standard email banner dimensions are around 200–250 pixels in height. 

Conclusion 

If you want the optimal email size to create effective and engaging emails, stick to the recommended dimensions discussed in this guide. 

Keep your emails, banners, and headers within the width of 600 to 800 pixels. This way, you won’t have problems with how they appear on various email clients and devices. 

These email dimensions improve mobile responsiveness, so that the emails look great on mobile devices. Plus, the right sizes make them easy to read.