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General Readability and Accessibility

Writing clear, readable emails with focus on readers with visual impairments, dyslexia etc.

Please help edit this page if you have knowledge/guidance on any of these issues.

Subject lines

Ensure you include a relevant subject line.

Text and Style guide

Use sans serif fonts (such as Arial and Calibri). Once you have chosen a font it's best to stick to it; don't mix fonts in an e-mail.

Avoid using italics, capitals, underlines, or colour for emphasis. Instead, use bold text for emphasis.

Font size should be at least 14 point or equivalent.

Include headers to break up large chunks of text. This makes it easier for readers to navigate your email.

Use simple language that is clear and easy to understand. Use shorter sentences and avoid using abbreviations and jargon without defining them first.

Provide a clear summary at the start of the end of the text to help people get the important information quickly.

More in-depth info on text, style, colour and layout.

Images

Include alternative (alt) text to describe images, tables, and graphics for people using screen readers. Just click the image after you've imported it into an email and write a description for the 'alt/title' e.g. Rebel holding pink banner reading 'Act Now' - this is good practice for accessibility reasons but could also help with deliverability

Adding images can sometimes stretch out your email width-ways and make your text appear really small (especially on a phone). You can fix these problems with the advice below...

Tables

If possible, avoid using tables to present information. If necessary to use tables, ensure you use table headers so screen readers can identify the rows and columns.

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