New Outlook has recently added “New paste default” which has changed how copy and pasting works. This is relevant to our standard recommended process for exporting Knak emails into Outlook via copy and paste. Pasting is now a multi-step process in New Outlook, but when selecting the option for preserving the most formatting, the results are a little better than they were previously. So far, our advice has been that customers should toggle back to New Outlook to send with Outlook. However, with this update, if you are happy to experiment and accept that it’s a Beta, you can try to use it with the steps below.
How the updated process works for pasting Knak emails into New Outlook
1. Follow the usual steps for sending with Outlook as per our help doc
2. At Step 3, using New Outlook, after pasting into the New draft email window, you will notice a small floating palette appears at the bottom left, with a clipboard icon which says (Ctrl)
3. You can either tap the Ctrl key or click this palette to open it up
4. It will expand and show three options:
Left icon: Paste as-is (p)
Center icon: Paste text and merge format (m)
Right icon: Paste text (t)
5. To retain Knak styling, pick the first option: Paste as-is (p). You can click it, or hit the letter p on your keyboard.
6. After doing this, the Knak email should be formatted much better than before.
NB: The new default is now the second option, Paste text and merge format (m). This option removes most of the styling. (!!)
Below is a video of the process, showing how all the different options behave (easier to view in full screen mode):
Design limitations
The same general design advice applies as mentioned on our help doc, for example background images will not work, emails should be exactly 600px wide, and the layout should be kept as simple as possible.
For New Outlook specifically, there is still a known issue with Sections having a gap between them, as shown below.
Gaps between sections is currently a known issue when pasting Knak emails into New Outlook.
To avoid this, avoid setting a Content background color on Sections, and just use a Body background color (which will work), OR keep all the content in a single section, utilizing Nested Sections as needed to create the desired layout.
So in summary, eager customers may utilize this feature now if they wish (bearing in mind New Outlook is a beta) and we advise:
Keep designs very simple for best results
Stick to a single section, using Nested Sections as needed for layout OR simply avoid Content background colors and use a single Body background color
When pasting into New Outlook, ensure you open the Paste control palette in and select Paste as-is (p)
Remember that there may also be other bugs with this process, as New Outlook is still very much in Beta for commercial customers, so this process should also be considered somewhat experimental.
Need more help? Contact support via live chat within Knak using the chat bubble in the bottom right corner or email support@knak.com