How Do I Create an Stylized Email Layout in Gmail?

Using customized layouts, you can send professional-looking emails to a large audience. In Gmail, select a template, and then customize the template with logos, images, and more.

Contents

Customize Default Email Layout Style & Branding

  1. On your computer, go to Gmail.
  2. At the top left, click Compose .
  3. At the bottom of the window, click Layouts .
    • If you don’t see Layouts , check More options .
  4. If you haven’t used layouts before, click Default styling.
  5. Customize default email layouts with default styles:
    • Logo image
    • Colors
    • Fonts
    • Footer details, for example your business name, address, and phone number.
    • Contact and social media links
  6. Click Save Changes.
    • Style changes will apply across the default email layouts once saved.

Create a New Email Layout

  1. On your computer, go to Gmail.
  2. At the top left, click Compose .
  3. At the bottom of the window, click Layouts .
  4. Select an email layout from the “Default layouts” tab or from previously saved or shared email layouts under “My layouts,” or create a new custom email layout from "My layouts."
  5. Click Edit layout.
    • In Gmail, to edit in full screen, open an email layout click Open in new Open in new .
    • Email layouts in the “My layouts” tab are saved in Google Drive.
    • In Drive, you can open and edit an email layout in full screen by double clicking the saved email layout.
  6. Use the email layout editor to insert, resize, and rearrange text boxes, buttons, images, and content.
    • Make sure you update links for any buttons already present in the email layout.
    • If you add images, Google recommends you include alt text in case an image is not rendered. Alt text also helps people who use screen readers better understand your branded email.
    • To change how a section looks:
      1. Point to a section on the page.
      2. At the left, click Background .
      3. Choose a style or add a photo.
    • To change an image in an email template:
      1. Click the image.
      2. Select More options Action Menu  Replace image Upload or Select.
    • Add a Theme to Your Email Layout:
      • Themes include options like custom colors, fonts, spacing density page frames:
        1. On the right panel, click Themes.
        2. Under "Custom," select Create theme .
        3. Enter a name for your theme.
        4. Select Next.
        5. Select a color palette Next.
          • To choose specific colors for different parts of your site, select Custom colors.
        6. Choose your fonts.
        7. Select Create theme.
    • Add a Color Frame to Your Email Layout:
      1. On the right panel, click Themes.
      2. At the top right corner of the Theme you want to add a color frame, select More Edit.
      3. Under "Spacing," check the "Show frame" checkbox.
      4. Select the color of the frame.
    • Adjust the Spacing in Your Email Layout:
      • On the right panel, click Themes.
      • At the top right corner of the Theme you want to add a color frame, select More  and then Edit.
      • Under "Spacing," select the Density dropdown and choose your preferred spacing (e.g. Compact, Cozy, or Comfortable.)
    • Add Social Media Links to Your Email Layout:
      • On the right panel, click Insert Social links .
      • You can add a URL or email address for each social link.
      • Optional: you can also add a custom icon image for each social link.
      • For popular social media websites, Google Sites will automatically provide icon images.
      • Click the social link icons to edit them. You can edit the icons' size, shape, style, color, and alignment.
         
  7. To preview your email layout, select Preview  and toggle between mobile, tablet, and desktop views.
  8. Click Insert to add the email layout to the Compose window in Gmail.
    • If viewing or editing an email layout in full screen, Click “Insert in Gmail” on the upper right corner to add the email layout to your message.

Important: After inserting the email layout into the Compose window in Gmail, you can’t change the contents of the email draft directly. To update the email layout, click Edit  on the top right and make changes in the email layout editor. Clicking Clear  which removes the email layout from the Compose window.

Duplicate, Share, or Delete Email Layouts

Duplicate an Email Layout
  1. On your computer, go to Gmail.
  2. At the top left, click Compose .
  3. At the bottom of the window, click Layouts .
  4. Select an email layout from under “My layouts.”
  5. Select More options  Duplicate.
    • Your customized email layouts are saved in Drive and can be reused if you go to the “My layouts” tab. You can also share layouts with other users from Drive and collaboratively edit them.
Share an Email Layout From the Email Layouts Editor
  1. On your computer, open or create a new email layout.
  2. At the top right, click Share .
  3. Enter a name or email address.
  4. Click Send.
Share an Email Layout From Google Drive
  1. On your computer, go to Drive.
  2. Select the email layout you want to share click Share .
    • Only users who have access to Layouts feature can edit layouts you share with them. Other users can still preview it in Drive but won't be able to edit in Gmail.
    • Users you’ve shared the email layout with can only edit the shared email layout from Gmail, and won’t be able to edit it directly from Drive. You can share with specific people, or with a group of people. Learn more about how to share files from Google Drive.
Delete an Email Layout
  1. On your computer, go to Gmail.
  2. At the top left, click Compose .
  3. At the bottom of the window, click Layouts .
    • If you don’t see Layouts , check More options .
  4. Select a previously saved or shared email layouts under “My layouts.”
  5. Select More options  then Delete.
    • In Drive, you can also delete the email layout.
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