There are 2 ways to start making an EDM:
To make a slice click and drag anywhere on the canvas. You will see a box outline appear on the EDM PNG. These slices show the different sub images the EDM will be broken up into. You can create slices almost however you like but there are some rules and best practices to follow below. Slices can also be resized by selecting the slice you want to change. You will know which slice is selected by the blue outline. You can then grab the selected slices edge and resize it. Note this only adjusts the edge of the slice you are selecting. If the edge of your selected slice touches another slice edge, you will have to adjust the other slice as well. Otherwise the gap in the image will not be included in the final EDM (example). Continue this for the whole EDM and when you are ready you can move onto adding links and other edm options.
Rules:The toolbar is black bar with icons located on the left side of the canvas.
If you are in this state you have come from the editor to replace a row. You can upload any PNG you want and you can create as many slices as you want, following proper slice structure. You can add links and all slice options here or add them in once you're back at the editor. When you are done and click export, you will need to select the client and image name, as you are replacing the selection with new HTML. After exporting you will be brought back to the editor where you can see the changes and continue editing.
SERVER OVERWRITEIf you are in this state you have come from the editor to overwrite an image. You can upload any PNG you want to use. In this mode you are only able to make one slice. as you can only replace one image with another. If you are overwriting an image that was a whole row(700px wide) you can make your new slice as tall as you want. If you are overwriting a smaller sub image the new image you create will have to be the same width and height as the previous image. The tool will let you know on export if the new image is an incorrect size. When you are ready you can click export. It will prompt you again and ensure you mean to overwrite and image. You don't have to select a client or new image name on this mode as you are replacing an image that already exists.
To open the EDM options click on the icon in the top right of the canvas. In this box you can set the EDM title and main color,
as well as the options for each slice. To change the options for a specific slice click on the one you want to change. You'll know which one is selected by
the blue outline. Then you can set the link, slice color and alt tag if needed for that slice otherwise you can leave the fields alone.
If the link you are creating is going to a phone number or email you can click the and icons
respectively. These will add the start of the links and then you can fill in the email or phone number needed. The email link comes with extra subject and body fields,
if you want you email to be prepopulated. Otherwise, they can be left blank.
When selecting a color for a slice or EDM you can enter in the respective areas, or you can click on the color box beside the color code and select a color from the EDM.
Note. slice colors need to be set in regions of the EDM with multiple slices that differ from the main EDM color. If you have a white EDM with a black footer you will need
to set the slice color on each slice in the footer that is black. If, however the footer is contained in a single slice there is no need. This is needed because sometimes
emails are displayed with small pixel gaps in between the slices and without the slice color being set the main EDM color will show through. So if you didn't set the slice
colors in the footer example above the footer may appear with small white lines when shown in the email client. A better solution would be to contain the footer
to it's own table and set the table color but that's a task for another day.
When you are editing the link for a slice you don't need to click on/focus the link box each time. If you have the link
you want to give the slice in your clipboard you can just select the slice then paste it. This is very helpful when referencing a past
EDM from the CRM with lots of the same links. You can alt-tab back and forth between the windows, copying a link from a CRM EDM then selecting the
correct slice and pasting.
The same is true for copying. If you select a slice and copy it will add the link to you clipboard. This is helpful if you have the same link throughout an
EDM. You can select another slice with the link you need, copy. Then click on the slice that needs the link and paste.
If you ever want to test a link. Hover over the slice which has the link. Hold they control key and then click on the slice. This will open the link in a new tab.
Note. Your browser might ask for permission to use the clipboard you will need to allow it.
Once your image is all sliced up and you've added your links and other EDM options you can click on the
export icon in the bottom right of the canvas. This will show the export window. Here you will have to choose a image
name, select the client folder from the dropdown and choose the date folder which auto populates to today's date. For the image name I usually use the docket
number in this field. When selecting your client's name from the dropdown this is a
list of the folders in the jportal server under /_emails/_files. _files is where the tool stores the images to. If you don't see the client folder you need.
you can make a new folder in this directory. Then close and open the dropdown again to refresh the folder names.
Then you can generate the HTML. If you came to the tool through the wizard, you will be brought back to the CRM in a new template window with your code. You can
then fill in your subject preview title and docket number to finish creating your EDM. If you started making the EDM on the tool then you will be brought to the code page
where you can copy the EDM code and use it as needed.
There are 2 ways to use the editor:
There are 2 types of replacements you can do. You can replace a whole row with new HTML and images or you can overwrite a single image from the EDM.
REPLACE ROWClicking on this will first show you the row you will be replacing. If you click on a image that is not a complete row it will find the parent row in the main table. You will be asked to confirm if this is the row you would like to replace and if so you will be brought to the canvas. You will them be in the canvas with the REPLACE ROW state. You can upload any PNG you want and you can create as many slices as you want, following proper slice structure. You can add links and all slice options here or add them in once you are back at the editor. When you are done and click export, you will need to select the client and image name, as you are replacing the selection with new HTML. After exporting you will be brought back to the editor where you can see the changes and continue editing.
SERVER OVERWRITE
This mode is used when you want to change something on an EDM that has already gone out. Or you have sent a test EDM but there is a text change or something on the EDM
where you want the update to reflect on the test that has already sent.
If you are trying to replace something are unsure whether the EDM you are working on has already been sent use the other replacement mode.
Clicking on this will show an alert explaining the above and it will prompt you for a password. Entering the password will bring you to the canvas in SERVER OVERWRITE mode.
You can upload any PNG you want to use. In this mode you are only able to make one slice.
as you can only replace one image with another. If you are overwriting an image that was a whole row(700px wide) you can make your new slice as tall as you want. If you are
overwriting a smaller sub image the new image you create will have to be the same width and height as the previous image. The tool will let you know on export if the new image is
an incorrect size. When you are ready you can click export. It will prompt you again and ensure you mean to overwrite and image. You don't have to select a client
or new image name on this mode as you are replacing an image that already exists. Once done you will be brought back to the editor.
If you have an image you would like to remove from the EDM you can select it and hit delete. If it's a whole row it will be removed. If the image is a cell in a row. It will remove the cell but don't delete a single cell and leave it alone or the EDM will break. Either continue deleting cells until the whole row is removed or replace the deleted cell.
INSERT ROWIf you need to add another image in your EDM you can select the an image and click insert row to add a blank row beneath it.
INSERT CELLIf you need to add another cell next to your image you can click insert cell to add a blank cell to your row.
This is used when you are editing an EDM that does not go in the CRM. Maybe you are making an EDM for the
test portal, Mailchimp or Constant Contact.
This is also useful when you need to make an edit that the tool cannot preform.