Can you send a Word document or PDF as a newsletter?
If you have created a newsletter in a program such as Word, PowerPoint, PDF, Pages, InDesign, Photoshop or Canva, you cannot simply send it using Laposta. The underlying format of email is different from that of these programs, and there is no easy way to convert one format to the other.
There are three ways to send your design as a newsletter anyway. Which one suits you best depends on how much work you want to put into it and how important it is that your design remains exactly the same.
Why you cannot import a Word or PDF file
You cannot import a Word or PDF file as a ready-made newsletter and send it directly to your subscribers. Not even if you save a Word file as an .html file.
For importing a ready-made newsletter, you need suitable HTML code, for example via a web address, by pasting the code, or as a complete HTML file where the text, images and formatting are bundled in a zip file. A file from Word or a PDF does not meet that requirement.
1. Rebuilding in the drag & drop editor
The best solution is to rebuild your newsletter in Laposta’s drag & drop editor. The result might not look 100% the same as your original, but you will get a modern newsletter that is technically completely sound. It will be displayed properly in all email clients, including on small screens (responsive).
If you have a paid account, you can also have one of our colleagues do this conversion for an additional fee.
2. Linking to your file
If you want to keep the original file exactly as it is, you can link to it from a short newsletter. In the drag & drop editor, you simply write a short text containing a link to your file. Your subscribers can then open the Word or PDF file from the newsletter.
Under Allowed files and size, you can see which file formats are suitable for this.
3. Exporting and placing as an image
If you work in Canva, in addition to the two options above, you can also export your newsletter as a .png file and place it as an image in the drag & drop editor. A .png file gives a sharper display than a .jpg file. Exporting as a .pdf is also possible: you then link to that file, as described above.
For a newsletter that consists solely of an image, please bear these two points in mind:
- If you place the image across the full width of the newsletter (600 to 620 pixels), the recipient will only see the preheader and the image. Many email clients do not show images automatically, which means your recipient will not immediately see the content of your newsletter. Therefore, always add text to your newsletter.
- It is better to use the image as a link to a larger file, such as the PDF of your newsletter. Read here how to turn an image into a link.