I really don't know much about html, but have now tried using both publisher and DFM2HTML (free editor) to create a newsletter. I want to distribute the newsletter using either Godaddy email marketing or else autowebbusiness/1shoppingcart. When I try to paste the html code into one of these email marketing editor things, only the text shows up, not any of the images or color panel backgrounds and so forth. What am I missing? The way I am obtaining the code is by publishing the newsletter to my domain, www.earthchoices.info, and then viewing page source, copying and pasting. I've also tried pasting into notepad first. Is there another better way to get the code, perhaps through DFM2HTML? Thank you for any help you can give me.

Where are the images? Physically, I mean.

Well there's an image at the top left, with a color panel behind the title, and other images alongside the text. Is this what you meant?

I think Pandy meant, are the images on your hard drive, or web server. if they are the hard drive then once the email is sent, the html cant access your hard drive to display the images.

I am not familiar with godaddy email marketing, but they just may not allow you to post html in the emails.

Any forms on my sites have restrictions on what is posted. HTML tags aren't allowed, this stops spamming and php injections to hack your site.

You might like to read:
http://www.sitepoint.com/article/principle...ful-html-email/
http://www.sitepoint.com/article/code-html...il-newsletters/
http://www.anandgraves.com/html-email-guide

Ok, thanks, I believe that DFM2HTML, when I publish the newsletter, uploads the images to the server, along with the 'panels' and html and everything. However, once I do the 'view page source' thing and copy the html code, does that include the images or not? On both godaddy and on the other email marketing site, it says I'm allowed to do my own custom html newsletter, and it works to the extent that the text boxes and font do show, just not the images and colors. Like I said I don't know html, but is there some way that the html code can indicate the color panels/bars/backgrounds and images in the code or are they always separate somehow?

Images will always be separate files The HTML (or CSS) € them and they must be on a publically available server.

Since you say you have uploaded the whole shabang to your server, can you give us the URL to the HTML file?

Thanks for the links to these articles. Unfortunately a lot of it started to go over my head. Can you recommend any good books for someone like me who is a complete novice? I was hoping to avoid having really learn html completely and just use a visual editor (DFM2HTML) but I've come too far to turn back now. Is there a 'Dummies' or 'Idiots Guide' book that you would suggest I start with?

Sure, it is: www.earthchoices.info - I have a hosting account through Godaddy that I used to create this, and so I think that all my files are on a publicly available server through that... So, any advice on how to include the images, or more importantly the color panels, in the html email?

The images are alright even if you'd probably be better off using ordinary HTML images than CSS background images. The simpler the CSS, the better chance it will be rendered by email clients, I've heard.

What do you mean when you say you only see "the text" when you paste the code into those programs? Do you see the HTML code or the page as it looks in a browsers sans the images? Have you tried to email yourself and seen how it looks when it arrives?

So what is the difference between HTML and CSS images? And yes, when I preview it as it would look in a browser, I can only see text. I just tried to send it to myself and it warned me that I have CSS, so if you could help understand how I might be able to turn my CSS stuff into HTML that would be very appreciated.

Sorry, but I have no idea. I haven't used any of the programs you mention and wouldn't know what buttons to push. Search through the menus, look in the help file.

I don't know if the CSS is your problem either, but I don't think it helps.

CSS support in many email clients is rather poor. Especially positioning and background-images.

Just for clarification: HTML is the markup you use to structure the page. CSS is what you use to style the markup.

My experience with email newsletters is that it's better to stick to the most simple HTML, probably even a TABLE. And use absolute paths to the (inline) images (using <img src="..." ... >).

The program you use seems to automatically add the CSS and even a Javascript to your pages. Don't use Javascript in email newsletters. Your page doesn't even seem to need one.

Also, always provide a link to the online page for those who can't see your HTML email.

So how do I change the CSS into HTML? Do I just put the images in a table? Is there a book you could recommend that would help a novice like me?

If needed, use a table. The point is to use <img src="xxxx.jpg"> in the HTML instead of background images in the rather involved style sheet you have in HEAD now.

Any online HTML tutorial would do.

No, I can't recommend a book, as I never read one myself. There's already so much on the web and that's where I pull it from too.

Look here:
http://htmlhelp.com/reference/html40/alist.html
for the HTML tags TABLE and IMG, and follow the related links.

I still do advice you to read through the links about html email newsletters, so you are aware of the oddities of email clients when coding for them.