Email
All electronic information created by Minnesota state employees is required to follow the State of Minnesota's Accessibility Standard, including email. To create an accessible email – whether for a public e-newsletter or to your project team – we recommend that you follow the same guidelines as for other types of documents, such as proper formatting of:
- Styles
- Fonts
- Color contrast
- Hyperlinks
- Graphics/non-text elements
- Email signatures
- vCards and electronic business cards
- Content
All attachments should also be accessible.
Download a "quick card" on creating accessible emails in Outlook (PDF).
Styles
Text should use HTML Format. Outlook users should avoid Rich Text, as it is not compatible with other email programs. Plain Text strips all formatting, which is good for some group email programs or listservs (electronic email lists). Use built-in formatting styles in your emails, such as lists and headings.
Fonts
Sans serif fonts of at least 12-point size provide greater readability. Arial, Helvetica, Tahoma or Verdana are good options.
Color Contrast
Background for emails should be white. Custom backgrounds can cause security issues and load slower on mobile devices. Also, since many users’ email programs do not automatically download images, users will often read the image’s alternative (alt) text to decide whether to manually accept a prompt to download images. Background colors may obscure that alt text.
If you must use a background color, be sure that both the body text and alt text have appropriate contrast against the background, and remember that this may cause the other person to need to change their text color when replying.
The default text color and hyperlink colors have good color contrast against a white background. If you chose to use other text colors, ensure they pass WCAG 2.0 AA standards.
Avoid using only color to make a point (e.g., “comments in red”). Consider adding other methods of calling out text, such as prefacing inline comments with your name.
Hyperlinks
Use meaningful text for hyperlinks. It is acceptable to display the URL for your email address in your signature.
Ensure that hyperlinks go to accessible sites. If a link is to a video, the video needs to have captions. If the hyperlink is to a PDF, the PDF needs to be accessible. If not, think twice about adding these hyperlinks.
Graphics/Non-Text Elements
All graphics (photos, images, logos, charts, graphs) require alt text or captions. With complex graphics, we recommend providing full detail in the body of the text. The alt text can note that.
All graphics must be "in line with text." When they are not inline, many users cannot access the alt text.
Introduce the graphic. For example, if it is a chart, provide information about the data it illustrates. Images should not be used alone to convey information.
Signatures
Do not use tables to format signatures.
Logos in signatures should contain the appropriate alt text. Here’s how: use the alt text as the logo’s filename, such as “MNIT Logo.jpg.” Do not use dashes between words.
Contact information should be in real text. If the signature’s graphic or logo includes contact information, repeat it in visible text.
- While signatures are commonly in smaller fonts than the text body, tiny text is often difficult to read. We recommend no smaller than 10 point font. Avoid cursive fonts.
Here’s an example of an accessible signature:
vCards and Electronic Business Cards
vCards and electronic business cards may not be accessible to everyone. Be sure to include your signature in your email.
Content
Use plain language principles. In long emails:
- Put the key information up front
- Structure the content with headers and other styles
- Use bulleted lists to segment supporting points
Cool Time Saving Tip!
Save a “signature” which includes the skeleton of a typical email and your signature already set up with proper formatting. Each time you start a new email, select this signature before you begin to compose your email.
