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<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
<title>Mailforge — Features & Usage Guide</title>
<link href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=DM+Mono:wght@400;500&family=DM+Serif+Display:ital@0;1&family=DM+Sans:ital,wght@0,300;0,400;0,500;0,600;1,400&display=swap" rel="stylesheet">
<style>
:root {
--bg: #0f0f11;
--surface: #18181c;
--surface2: #222228;
--border: #2e2e38;
--accent: #e8a020;
--accent2: #f0c060;
--accent-dim: #3a2a08;
--text: #e8e8f0;
--text-muted: #9090a8;
--text-dim: #4a4a5a;
--success: #50c080;
--danger: #e05050;
--info: #5090e0;
}
* { box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0; padding: 0; }
html { scroll-behavior: smooth; }
body {
font-family: 'DM Sans', sans-serif;
background: var(--bg);
color: var(--text);
line-height: 1.7;
font-size: 16px;
}
/* ── Top nav ── */
nav {
position: sticky;
top: 0;
z-index: 50;
background: rgba(15,15,17,0.92);
backdrop-filter: blur(12px);
border-bottom: 1px solid var(--border);
display: flex;
align-items: center;
gap: 0;
padding: 0 40px;
height: 56px;
}
.nav-logo {
font-family: 'DM Mono', monospace;
font-size: 14px;
font-weight: 500;
color: var(--accent);
letter-spacing: 0.08em;
text-transform: uppercase;
margin-right: 32px;
text-decoration: none;
}
.nav-logo span { color: var(--text-muted); }
.nav-links {
display: flex;
gap: 0;
flex: 1;
overflow-x: auto;
}
.nav-links a {
font-size: 12px;
font-weight: 500;
color: var(--text-muted);
text-decoration: none;
padding: 0 14px;
height: 56px;
display: flex;
align-items: center;
border-bottom: 2px solid transparent;
transition: all 0.15s;
white-space: nowrap;
letter-spacing: 0.02em;
}
.nav-links a:hover { color: var(--text); border-bottom-color: var(--border); }
.nav-links a.active { color: var(--accent); border-bottom-color: var(--accent); }
.nav-cta {
margin-left: auto;
font-family: 'DM Sans', sans-serif;
font-size: 12px;
font-weight: 600;
padding: 7px 16px;
background: var(--accent);
color: #0f0f11;
border-radius: 6px;
text-decoration: none;
transition: background 0.15s;
white-space: nowrap;
}
.nav-cta:hover { background: var(--accent2); }
/* ── Hero ── */
.hero {
padding: 80px 40px 64px;
max-width: 860px;
margin: 0 auto;
}
.hero-eyebrow {
font-family: 'DM Mono', monospace;
font-size: 11px;
font-weight: 500;
color: var(--accent);
letter-spacing: 0.14em;
text-transform: uppercase;
margin-bottom: 20px;
display: flex;
align-items: center;
gap: 10px;
}
.hero-eyebrow::after {
content: '';
display: block;
height: 1px;
width: 48px;
background: var(--accent);
opacity: 0.4;
}
.hero h1 {
font-family: 'DM Serif Display', serif;
font-size: clamp(36px, 5vw, 56px);
font-weight: 400;
line-height: 1.1;
color: var(--text);
margin-bottom: 20px;
}
.hero h1 em {
font-style: italic;
color: var(--accent);
}
.hero-sub {
font-size: 18px;
color: var(--text-muted);
max-width: 600px;
line-height: 1.65;
font-weight: 300;
}
/* ── Layout ── */
.page-body {
max-width: 860px;
margin: 0 auto;
padding: 0 40px 120px;
}
/* ── Section ── */
section {
padding-top: 72px;
}
.section-label {
font-family: 'DM Mono', monospace;
font-size: 10px;
font-weight: 500;
color: var(--text-dim);
letter-spacing: 0.14em;
text-transform: uppercase;
margin-bottom: 10px;
}
h2 {
font-family: 'DM Serif Display', serif;
font-size: 32px;
font-weight: 400;
color: var(--text);
margin-bottom: 20px;
line-height: 1.2;
}
h3 {
font-size: 15px;
font-weight: 600;
color: var(--text);
margin: 28px 0 10px;
letter-spacing: 0.01em;
}
p {
color: var(--text-muted);
margin-bottom: 16px;
font-size: 15px;
}
p:last-child { margin-bottom: 0; }
/* ── Divider ── */
.divider {
border: none;
border-top: 1px solid var(--border);
margin: 0;
}
/* ── Feature grid ── */
.feature-grid {
display: grid;
grid-template-columns: 1fr 1fr;
gap: 16px;
margin-top: 32px;
}
@media (max-width: 600px) { .feature-grid { grid-template-columns: 1fr; } }
.feature-card {
background: var(--surface);
border: 1px solid var(--border);
border-radius: 10px;
padding: 22px 22px 20px;
transition: border-color 0.2s;
}
.feature-card:hover { border-color: #444; }
.feature-icon {
font-size: 24px;
margin-bottom: 12px;
display: block;
}
.feature-card h3 {
margin: 0 0 8px;
font-size: 14px;
font-weight: 600;
color: var(--text);
}
.feature-card p {
font-size: 13px;
line-height: 1.6;
margin: 0;
color: var(--text-muted);
}
/* ── Steps ── */
.steps { margin-top: 28px; display: flex; flex-direction: column; gap: 0; }
.step {
display: flex;
gap: 20px;
padding: 24px 0;
border-bottom: 1px solid var(--border);
position: relative;
}
.step:last-child { border-bottom: none; }
.step-num {
font-family: 'DM Mono', monospace;
font-size: 11px;
font-weight: 500;
color: var(--accent);
background: var(--accent-dim);
border: 1px solid var(--accent);
border-radius: 6px;
width: 28px;
height: 28px;
display: flex;
align-items: center;
justify-content: center;
flex-shrink: 0;
margin-top: 2px;
}
.step-body h3 { margin: 0 0 6px; font-size: 15px; }
.step-body p { font-size: 14px; margin: 0; }
/* ── Block reference table ── */
.block-table {
width: 100%;
border-collapse: collapse;
margin-top: 24px;
font-size: 13px;
}
.block-table th {
text-align: left;
font-family: 'DM Mono', monospace;
font-size: 10px;
font-weight: 500;
color: var(--text-dim);
letter-spacing: 0.1em;
text-transform: uppercase;
padding: 10px 16px;
border-bottom: 1px solid var(--border);
background: var(--surface);
}
.block-table td {
padding: 12px 16px;
border-bottom: 1px solid var(--border);
color: var(--text-muted);
vertical-align: top;
}
.block-table tr:last-child td { border-bottom: none; }
.block-table tr:hover td { background: #14141a; }
.block-name {
display: flex;
align-items: center;
gap: 8px;
font-weight: 600;
color: var(--text);
white-space: nowrap;
}
.block-emoji { font-size: 16px; }
.block-table .props-col {
font-family: 'DM Mono', monospace;
font-size: 11px;
color: var(--text-dim);
line-height: 1.8;
}
/* ── Inline code ── */
code {
font-family: 'DM Mono', monospace;
font-size: 12px;
background: var(--surface2);
color: var(--accent2);
padding: 2px 6px;
border-radius: 4px;
border: 1px solid var(--border);
}
/* ── Callout ── */
.callout {
border-radius: 8px;
padding: 16px 18px;
margin: 20px 0;
display: flex;
gap: 12px;
align-items: flex-start;
font-size: 14px;
}
.callout-icon { font-size: 18px; flex-shrink: 0; margin-top: 1px; }
.callout-body { color: var(--text-muted); line-height: 1.6; }
.callout-body strong { color: var(--text); font-weight: 600; }
.callout.tip { background: #0e1f0e; border: 1px solid #1e4a1e; }
.callout.tip .callout-icon::before { content: '💡'; }
.callout.warn { background: #1f1a0a; border: 1px solid #4a3a0a; }
.callout.warn .callout-icon::before { content: '⚠️'; }
.callout.info { background: #0a1520; border: 1px solid #1a3555; }
.callout.info .callout-icon::before { content: 'ℹ️'; }
/* ── Merge tag pills ── */
.tag-grid {
display: flex;
flex-wrap: wrap;
gap: 8px;
margin: 16px 0;
}
.tag-pill {
font-family: 'DM Mono', monospace;
font-size: 12px;
background: var(--surface2);
border: 1px solid var(--border);
color: var(--accent);
border-radius: 6px;
padding: 5px 12px;
}
.tag-desc {
font-size: 13px;
color: var(--text-dim);
margin-top: 4px;
font-style: italic;
}
/* ── Client compat table ── */
.compat-grid {
display: grid;
grid-template-columns: repeat(auto-fill, minmax(160px, 1fr));
gap: 10px;
margin-top: 20px;
}
.compat-item {
background: var(--surface);
border: 1px solid var(--border);
border-radius: 8px;
padding: 14px;
text-align: center;
}
.compat-item .ci-name { font-size: 13px; font-weight: 600; color: var(--text); margin-bottom: 4px; }
.compat-item .ci-status { font-size: 11px; font-family: 'DM Mono', monospace; }
.ok { color: var(--success); }
.warn-text { color: var(--accent); }
.ci-note { font-size: 10px; color: var(--text-dim); margin-top: 4px; }
/* ── GitHub deploy steps ── */
.code-block {
background: var(--surface);
border: 1px solid var(--border);
border-radius: 8px;
padding: 16px 18px;
margin: 12px 0;
font-family: 'DM Mono', monospace;
font-size: 12px;
color: #a0d0a0;
line-height: 1.8;
overflow-x: auto;
}
.code-block .comment { color: var(--text-dim); }
/* ── Footer ── */
footer {
border-top: 1px solid var(--border);
padding: 32px 40px;
text-align: center;
font-size: 12px;
color: var(--text-dim);
font-family: 'DM Mono', monospace;
}
footer a { color: var(--accent); text-decoration: none; }
</style>
</head>
<body>
<nav>
<a class="nav-logo" href="#">Mail<span>forge</span></a>
<div class="nav-links">
<a href="#overview">Overview</a>
<a href="#quickstart">Quick Start</a>
<a href="#blocks">Blocks</a>
<a href="#merge-tags">Merge Tags</a>
<a href="#saves">Save & Load</a>
<a href="#export">Export</a>
<a href="#mobile">Mobile</a>
<a href="#compatibility">Compatibility</a>
<a href="#deploy">GitHub Pages</a>
<a href="#tips">Tips</a>
</div>
<a class="nav-cta" href="email-designer.html">Open Mailforge →</a>
</nav>
<div class="hero">
<div class="hero-eyebrow">Features & Usage Guide</div>
<h1>Build beautiful emails.<br><em>No code required.</em></h1>
<p class="hero-sub">Mailforge is a visual email designer that outputs responsive, email-safe HTML ready to paste directly into SerialMailer. This guide covers everything from adding your first block to deploying on GitHub Pages.</p>
</div>
<div class="page-body">
<!-- OVERVIEW -->
<section id="overview">
<div class="section-label">What it is</div>
<h2>Overview</h2>
<p>Mailforge is a single HTML file — no install, no account, no cloud. Open it in any modern browser and you have a full drag-and-drop email design environment. Everything is stored locally in your browser.</p>
<p>The key design decision is separation of concerns: Mailforge handles <em>design</em>, SerialMailer handles <em>sending</em>. You build your email visually, export the HTML, and paste it into SerialMailer's custom HTML mode. Merge tags like <code>{{FirstName}}</code> pass through intact and SerialMailer replaces them at send time.</p>
<div class="feature-grid">
<div class="feature-card">
<span class="feature-icon">🎨</span>
<h3>Visual editor</h3>
<p>Click to add blocks, edit properties in the side panel, and see changes reflected in real time — no code required.</p>
</div>
<div class="feature-card">
<span class="feature-icon">📱</span>
<h3>Responsive output</h3>
<p>Exported HTML includes media queries that adapt layouts, font sizes, and image widths for mobile screens automatically.</p>
</div>
<div class="feature-card">
<span class="feature-icon">💾</span>
<h3>Named saves</h3>
<p>Save multiple email designs by name. Reload them anytime. Auto-save keeps your work-in-progress safe between sessions.</p>
</div>
<div class="feature-card">
<span class="feature-icon">🔒</span>
<h3>Fully local</h3>
<p>No server, no account, no data leaves your browser. Saves live in <code>localStorage</code> on your device.</p>
</div>
<div class="feature-card">
<span class="feature-icon">🏷</span>
<h3>SerialMailer merge tags</h3>
<p>Built-in tag palette for <code>{{FirstName}}</code>, <code>{{LastName}}</code>, <code>{{Company}}</code> and more. Click to copy, paste anywhere.</p>
</div>
<div class="feature-card">
<span class="feature-icon">👁</span>
<h3>Desktop + mobile preview</h3>
<p>Preview your email at full 600px desktop width or inside a phone frame at 375px before you export.</p>
</div>
</div>
</section>
<hr class="divider" style="margin-top:64px;">
<!-- QUICK START -->
<section id="quickstart">
<div class="section-label">Getting started</div>
<h2>Quick Start</h2>
<p>From zero to exported HTML in under two minutes.</p>
<div class="steps">
<div class="step">
<div class="step-num">1</div>
<div class="step-body">
<h3>Open Mailforge</h3>
<p>Open <code>email-designer.html</code> in Chrome, Safari, or Firefox. No install needed — the file runs entirely in your browser.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div class="step">
<div class="step-num">2</div>
<div class="step-body">
<h3>Write your subject line</h3>
<p>Type your email subject in the subject bar at the top. This is saved with your design but not included in the exported HTML — it's for your reference and the save file name.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div class="step">
<div class="step-num">3</div>
<div class="step-body">
<h3>Add blocks</h3>
<p>Click any block type in the left panel to add it to the canvas. Blocks stack vertically in the order you add them. A typical email might start with a <strong>Header</strong>, followed by a <strong>Heading</strong>, one or two <strong>Text</strong> blocks, a <strong>Button</strong>, and a <strong>Footer</strong>.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div class="step">
<div class="step-num">4</div>
<div class="step-body">
<h3>Edit block properties</h3>
<p>Click any block in the canvas to select it. Its editable properties appear in the right panel — text content, colors, font size, padding, alignment, and more. Changes reflect instantly in the canvas.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div class="step">
<div class="step-num">5</div>
<div class="step-body">
<h3>Reorder or delete blocks</h3>
<p>Hover over any block to reveal controls in the top-right corner: <strong>↑</strong> and <strong>↓</strong> move it up or down, <strong>✕</strong> removes it.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div class="step">
<div class="step-num">6</div>
<div class="step-body">
<h3>Preview</h3>
<p>Click <strong>Preview</strong> in the top bar to see your email rendered in a clean window. Switch between the Desktop tab (600px) and the Mobile tab (375px phone frame) to check both layouts.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div class="step">
<div class="step-num">7</div>
<div class="step-body">
<h3>Export HTML</h3>
<p>Click <strong>Export HTML</strong>. A window appears with the complete, email-safe HTML. Click <strong>Copy to Clipboard</strong>, then paste it into SerialMailer's custom HTML message field.</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</section>
<hr class="divider" style="margin-top:64px;">
<!-- BLOCKS -->
<section id="blocks">
<div class="section-label">Building blocks</div>
<h2>Block Reference</h2>
<p>Mailforge provides eight block types covering everything a typical customer email needs. Each block maps to a table-based HTML structure in the export for maximum email client compatibility.</p>
<table class="block-table">
<thead>
<tr>
<th style="width:160px;">Block</th>
<th>Purpose</th>
<th style="width:240px;">Editable Properties</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td><div class="block-name"><span class="block-emoji">🏷</span> Header</div></td>
<td>Your brand name or logo text at the top of every email. High contrast, bold — first thing recipients see.</td>
<td class="props-col">Text · Font size · Alignment<br>Background color · Text color · Padding</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><div class="block-name"><span class="block-emoji">H</span> Heading</div></td>
<td>A section headline inside the email body. Use for the main message subject or to break up longer emails.</td>
<td class="props-col">Text · Font size · Alignment<br>Text color · Background · Padding</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><div class="block-name"><span class="block-emoji">¶</span> Text</div></td>
<td>The main body copy. Supports multiple paragraphs (use Enter for line breaks). Merge tags work here.</td>
<td class="props-col">Text · Alignment · Font size<br>Line height · Text color · Background · Padding</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><div class="block-name"><span class="block-emoji">⬛</span> Button</div></td>
<td>A call-to-action link styled as a button. Links to any URL. Renders correctly in all major clients including Outlook.</td>
<td class="props-col">Label text · URL · Alignment<br>Button color · Text color · Font size<br>Horizontal padding · Vertical padding<br>Corner radius · Block padding</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><div class="block-name"><span class="block-emoji">🖼</span> Image</div></td>
<td>A hosted image by URL (Dropbox, your own CDN, etc.). Goes full-width on mobile automatically.</td>
<td class="props-col">Image URL · Alt text · Alignment<br>Width % · Background · Padding</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><div class="block-name"><span class="block-emoji">—</span> Divider</div></td>
<td>A horizontal rule to visually separate sections. Clean and understated.</td>
<td class="props-col">Line color · Thickness (px)<br>Background · Padding</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><div class="block-name"><span class="block-emoji">↕</span> Spacer</div></td>
<td>Invisible vertical breathing room between blocks. Essential for visual rhythm — use liberally.</td>
<td class="props-col">Height (px) · Background</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><div class="block-name"><span class="block-emoji">©</span> Footer</div></td>
<td>Legal text, unsubscribe notice, address, or any small print at the bottom of the email.</td>
<td class="props-col">Text · Alignment · Font size<br>Text color · Background · Padding</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<div class="callout tip" style="margin-top:24px;">
<div class="callout-icon"></div>
<div class="callout-body"><strong>Pro tip:</strong> A spacer between your header and first heading, and between the last text block and your footer, makes emails feel much more professional. 16–24px is usually the right amount.</div>
</div>
</section>
<hr class="divider" style="margin-top:64px;">
<!-- MERGE TAGS -->
<section id="merge-tags">
<div class="section-label">Personalization</div>
<h2>Merge Tags</h2>
<p>Merge tags are placeholders that SerialMailer replaces with each recipient's personal data at send time. In Mailforge, they appear exactly as you type them — <code>{{FirstName}}</code> — and pass through to the exported HTML untouched.</p>
<h3>Available tags</h3>
<div class="tag-grid">
<span class="tag-pill">{{FirstName}}</span>
<span class="tag-pill">{{LastName}}</span>
<span class="tag-pill">{{Email}}</span>
<span class="tag-pill">{{Company}}</span>
<span class="tag-pill">{{Custom1}}</span>
</div>
<p class="tag-desc">These match SerialMailer's default field names. If you use custom fields in your SerialMailer database, type them directly as <code>{{YourFieldName}}</code>.</p>
<h3>How to use merge tags in Mailforge</h3>
<p>There are two ways to insert a merge tag into a block:</p>
<div class="steps">
<div class="step">
<div class="step-num">A</div>
<div class="step-body">
<h3>Click to copy from the tag palette</h3>
<p>In the bottom of the left panel, click any merge tag pill. It copies the tag to your clipboard. Then click into the text area of any block and paste it with <code>⌘V</code>.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div class="step">
<div class="step-num">B</div>
<div class="step-body">
<h3>Type it directly</h3>
<p>In any text field in the properties panel, type the tag directly: <code>{{FirstName}}</code>. Use double curly braces, matching SerialMailer's syntax exactly.</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="callout warn">
<div class="callout-icon"></div>
<div class="callout-body"><strong>Match SerialMailer's field names exactly.</strong> If your database column is called <code>First Name</code> (with a space) rather than <code>FirstName</code>, check SerialMailer's field reference and use the exact tag it expects. Mismatched tags will appear as literal text in sent emails.</div>
</div>
</section>
<hr class="divider" style="margin-top:64px;">
<!-- SAVES -->
<section id="saves">
<div class="section-label">Persistence</div>
<h2>Save & Load</h2>
<p>Mailforge stores your work in the browser's <code>localStorage</code> — specific to the URL you open the file from. On GitHub Pages, everything persists at that domain automatically.</p>
<h3>Auto-save</h3>
<p>Every change — adding a block, editing text, adjusting a color, reordering — triggers an auto-save 1.5 seconds after you stop making changes. The status indicator in the top bar shows <em>saving…</em> then <em>auto-saved</em>. When you reopen Mailforge, your last work-in-progress is restored automatically.</p>
<h3>Named saves</h3>
<p>To save a design you want to keep and return to later, click <strong>💾 Saves</strong> in the top bar. Enter a descriptive name — e.g. <em>March Newsletter</em> or <em>Product Launch Email</em> — and click <strong>Save Current</strong>. Each saved entry shows the name, save date, block count, and subject line.</p>
<div class="steps">
<div class="step">
<div class="step-num">↓</div>
<div class="step-body">
<h3>Loading a saved email</h3>
<p>Open Saves, find your email in the list, and click <strong>Load</strong>. If you have unsaved work in the canvas, you'll be asked to confirm before it's replaced.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div class="step">
<div class="step-num">×</div>
<div class="step-body">
<h3>Deleting a save</h3>
<p>Click <strong>Delete</strong> next to any save. You'll be asked to confirm. This cannot be undone.</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="callout info">
<div class="callout-icon"></div>
<div class="callout-body"><strong>localStorage is browser- and origin-specific.</strong> Saves made at <code>yourname.github.io/mailforge/</code> will not appear if you open the file directly from your Downloads folder (a <code>file://</code> origin). For consistent access to your saves, always use the same URL — ideally your GitHub Pages deployment.</div>
</div>
</section>
<hr class="divider" style="margin-top:64px;">
<!-- EXPORT -->
<section id="export">
<div class="section-label">Getting it out</div>
<h2>Exporting to SerialMailer</h2>
<div class="steps">
<div class="step">
<div class="step-num">1</div>
<div class="step-body">
<h3>Click Export HTML</h3>
<p>The Export modal opens and displays the complete HTML source for your email.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div class="step">
<div class="step-num">2</div>
<div class="step-body">
<h3>Copy to Clipboard</h3>
<p>Click <strong>Copy to Clipboard</strong>. The button confirms with a green checkmark when the copy succeeds.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div class="step">
<div class="step-num">3</div>
<div class="step-body">
<h3>Paste into SerialMailer</h3>
<p>In SerialMailer, create or open a document. In the message editor, switch to <strong>Custom HTML</strong> mode (via the Format menu). Paste with <code>⌘V</code>.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div class="step">
<div class="step-num">4</div>
<div class="step-body">
<h3>Verify merge tags</h3>
<p>SerialMailer should highlight merge tags automatically. Use its preview feature to confirm <code>{{FirstName}}</code> and other tags resolve correctly against your recipient list.</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<h3>What the exported HTML contains</h3>
<p>The exported file is a complete, standalone HTML email with a <code><!DOCTYPE html></code> declaration, a <code><meta viewport></code> tag, responsive <code>@media</code> queries in a <code><style></code> block, and table-based layout with fully inlined styles on every element. It's designed to be pasted as-is — no post-processing needed.</p>
</section>
<hr class="divider" style="margin-top:64px;">
<!-- MOBILE -->
<section id="mobile">
<div class="section-label">Responsive design</div>
<h2>Mobile Rendering</h2>
<p>The exported HTML is built for mobile from the ground up. At screen widths under 620px, a set of <code>@media</code> query rules activates automatically.</p>
<div class="feature-grid">
<div class="feature-card">
<span class="feature-icon">↔️</span>
<h3>Full-width layout</h3>
<p>The 600px email container expands to 100% screen width on narrow devices, removing side gaps.</p>
</div>
<div class="feature-card">
<span class="feature-icon">🔡</span>
<h3>Font scaling</h3>
<p>Large headings (22px+) scale down gracefully. Body text adjusts to stay readable without zooming.</p>
</div>
<div class="feature-card">
<span class="feature-icon">🖼</span>
<h3>Fluid images</h3>
<p>Images expand to fill the available width regardless of the desktop width % you configured.</p>
</div>
<div class="feature-card">
<span class="feature-icon">👆</span>
<h3>Full-width buttons</h3>
<p>Buttons become block-level on mobile, stretching edge to edge for easy tapping.</p>
</div>
<div class="feature-card">
<span class="feature-icon">📐</span>
<h3>Tighter padding</h3>
<p>Block padding narrows from 32px to 20px horizontally, giving content more room on small screens.</p>
</div>
<div class="feature-card">
<span class="feature-icon">📏</span>
<h3>Compressed spacers</h3>
<p>Spacer heights shrink on mobile so vertical rhythm is maintained without wasting precious screen space.</p>
</div>
</div>
<h3>Previewing mobile rendering</h3>
<p>Click <strong>Preview</strong> and switch to the 📱 <strong>Mobile</strong> tab. Your email is rendered inside a phone frame at 375px — the standard iPhone viewport width. This is the most accurate in-browser preview available; the final rendering in a real email client may vary slightly by client.</p>
<div class="callout warn">
<div class="callout-icon"></div>
<div class="callout-body"><strong>Gmail webmail strips <code><style></code> blocks.</strong> The <code>@media</code> queries won't fire in Gmail's web interface. However, all layout-critical styles are inlined, so the email will still render correctly — it just won't adapt to mobile in Gmail web. Gmail's iOS and Android apps support media queries and will render responsively.</div>
</div>
</section>
<hr class="divider" style="margin-top:64px;">
<!-- COMPATIBILITY -->
<section id="compatibility">
<div class="section-label">Email clients</div>
<h2>Client Compatibility</h2>
<p>Mailforge uses the oldest and most universally supported email HTML techniques: table-based layouts, inline styles, and <code>Arial</code> as the font stack. Here's what to expect across common clients.</p>
<div class="compat-grid">
<div class="compat-item">
<div class="ci-name">Apple Mail</div>
<div class="ci-status ok">✓ Full support</div>
<div class="ci-note">Media queries, images, all blocks</div>
</div>
<div class="compat-item">
<div class="ci-name">Gmail iOS/Android</div>
<div class="ci-status ok">✓ Full support</div>
<div class="ci-note">Media queries work in native app</div>
</div>
<div class="compat-item">
<div class="ci-name">Gmail Web</div>
<div class="ci-status warn-text">⚠ Partial</div>
<div class="ci-note">Strips <style>, inline styles hold layout</div>
</div>
<div class="compat-item">
<div class="ci-name">Outlook Mac</div>
<div class="ci-status ok">✓ Full support</div>
<div class="ci-note">Renders via WebKit</div>
</div>
<div class="compat-item">
<div class="ci-name">Outlook Win</div>
<div class="ci-status warn-text">⚠ Partial</div>
<div class="ci-note">Uses Word engine; buttons have VML fallback</div>
</div>
<div class="compat-item">
<div class="ci-name">iOS Mail</div>
<div class="ci-status ok">✓ Full support</div>
<div class="ci-note">Best-in-class rendering</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="callout tip" style="margin-top:24px;">
<div class="callout-icon"></div>
<div class="callout-body"><strong>Test before sending.</strong> For important campaigns, paste the exported HTML into a free tool like <a href="https://www.litmus.com" style="color:var(--accent);">Litmus</a> or <a href="https://www.emailonacid.com" style="color:var(--accent);">Email on Acid</a> to preview rendering across 90+ clients before hitting send.</div>
</div>
</section>
<hr class="divider" style="margin-top:64px;">
<!-- GITHUB PAGES -->
<section id="deploy">
<div class="section-label">Deployment</div>
<h2>Hosting on GitHub Pages</h2>
<p>GitHub Pages turns a public repository into a free static website — perfect for hosting Mailforge so it's available from any browser, with your saves persisting at a stable URL.</p>
<div class="steps">
<div class="step">
<div class="step-num">1</div>
<div class="step-body">
<h3>Create a repository</h3>
<p>On GitHub, create a new public repository. You can name it <code>mailforge</code> or anything you like.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div class="step">
<div class="step-num">2</div>
<div class="step-body">
<h3>Upload your files</h3>
<p>Upload <code>email-designer.html</code> and <code>mailforge-guide.html</code> to the repository root. You can drag and drop them in the GitHub web interface.</p>
<div class="code-block">
<span class="comment"># Or via command line:</span>
git init
git add email-designer.html mailforge-guide.html
git commit -m "Add Mailforge"
git remote add origin https://github.com/yourusername/mailforge.git
git push -u origin main</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="step">
<div class="step-num">3</div>
<div class="step-body">
<h3>Enable GitHub Pages</h3>
<p>In your repository settings, go to <strong>Pages</strong>. Under "Source", select <strong>Deploy from a branch</strong>, choose <strong>main</strong>, and set the folder to <strong>/ (root)</strong>. Click Save.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div class="step">
<div class="step-num">4</div>
<div class="step-body">
<h3>Access your tools</h3>
<p>After a minute or two, your files will be live at:</p>
<div class="code-block">https://yourusername.github.io/mailforge/email-designer.html
https://yourusername.github.io/mailforge/mailforge-guide.html</div>
<p>Bookmark the designer URL. All saves will persist at this origin.</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="callout info">
<div class="callout-icon"></div>
<div class="callout-body"><strong>Private repositories work too,</strong> but GitHub Pages requires a paid plan for private repos. For a personal tool like this, a public repo is simplest — the files themselves contain no sensitive information, and your email <em>content</em> only ever lives in your browser's localStorage, not in the repository.</div>
</div>
</section>
<hr class="divider" style="margin-top:64px;">
<!-- TIPS -->
<section id="tips">
<div class="section-label">Getting the most out of it</div>
<h2>Tips & Best Practices</h2>
<h3>Establish a consistent header style</h3>
<p>Design your header block once with your brand colors and save it as a named template called something like <em>Base Template</em>. Each time you start a new email, load that save and build from it — your brand identity stays consistent across sends.</p>
<h3>Use spacers generously</h3>
<p>Email clients don't always honor margin and padding the way browsers do. Explicit Spacer blocks between sections give you predictable, reliable breathing room that renders consistently everywhere.</p>
<h3>Host images on a reliable CDN</h3>
<p>Images in emails are always loaded from a URL — they're not embedded in the HTML. Use a service that won't go away: your own web hosting, Cloudflare Images, Dropbox (with a direct link), or an S3 bucket. Avoid Google Drive and iCloud — their sharing links aren't stable for email use.</p>
<h3>Keep subject lines in the save name</h3>
<p>The subject line you type in the subject bar is saved with each named save. Use this to keep track of what each email was for — it shows up in the saves list as a reminder.</p>
<h3>Button corners and color</h3>
<p>A border radius of 4–8px on buttons looks polished in most clients. Fully rounded buttons (50px+) look great in Apple Mail and Gmail but may render as rectangles in Outlook for Windows. Stick to 0–8px for maximum compatibility.</p>
<h3>Preview on mobile before every send</h3>
<p>More than half of all email opens happen on mobile. Make the 📱 Mobile preview tab part of your standard pre-send checklist — it takes five seconds and catches layout issues before they reach recipients.</p>
<h3>The Footer block is your legal obligation</h3>
<p>CAN-SPAM and CASL both require commercial emails to include a physical mailing address and an unsubscribe mechanism. Use the Footer block for this. If SerialMailer handles unsubscribe links automatically, include a note in the footer to indicate that.</p>
<div class="callout tip" style="margin-top:8px;">
<div class="callout-icon"></div>
<div class="callout-body"><strong>Short emails convert better.</strong> One clear message, one call to action, one button. Resist the urge to pack multiple topics into a single email — your click-through rate will thank you.</div>
</div>
</section>
</div>
<footer>
<div>Mailforge — a single-file visual email designer for <a href="https://www.serialmailer.com">SerialMailer</a> users</div>
<div style="margin-top:8px;color:var(--text-dim);">Runs entirely in your browser · No account · No data leaves your device</div>
</footer>
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