If you thought we’d never open this blog with “a picture is worth a thousand words”—well, we just did. Sometimes, clichés earn their keep. They get clichéd because they’re true.
But let’s one-up the cliché.
In email marketing, a picture isn’t just worth a thousand words, it’s worth a few thousand milliseconds.
Here’s what we mean:
Research from EmailAudience says that the human brain processes an image in 13 to 150 milliseconds. Whereas, reading an 8-word sentence requires around 1,200 milliseconds. And 7,500 milliseconds for a 25-word sentence.
So yeah, your brain sees an image 8 to 577 times faster than it reads your copy.
For email marketers working with customizable email templates, this insight is a golden nugget.
The right image, strategically positioned and with a responsive layout, supplements, sometimes outperforms words in instantly conveying mood, product value, or brand identity. Before your copy even gets a chance to hook and hold them.
But misused or poorly optimized images can undo all this to your entire campaign’s performance. Because of which, it’s essential that you understand how to use images for your custom email designs best.
So in this blog, we’re unpacking the best practices to use images in custom email template layouts.
How To Use Images in Customizable Email Templates: Best Practices
Using images to enrich custom email template designs is more than stitching in some high-resolution visuals and clocking out. But if that’s what your strategy is, be prepared to see your custom email template layouts go stocky, soulless, or just… flat.
Here’s how you enhance your custom emails with images that work wonders for your email campaigns:
Before you pick an image, ask yourself: what’s your brand without it? What does your tone feel like? What’s your mission?
And, if your brand was a person, would it be the neat freak kind (a.k.a. the minimalist), or is it more the loud, ‘let’s go get mimosas!’ type? Or, something else entirely?
Your brand identity should inform the style of visuals you choose in your email templates.
We clearly see Apple understands this from their email designs–
Image Source: Email Love
A customizable email template gives you layout flexibility. But it’s your job to see that the flexibility doesn’t cause visual inconsistency. Every image should feel a part of your brand portfolio, not a random or forced placement.
You know how you feel when someone’s being real? Well, our brains are basically wired for that. So, get rid of that corporate stiffness, and let your people shine. Your team, your customers, your community. Show them off, and watch the trust and authenticity practically explode.
What moments could you crystallize and use in your custom emails? Your customer service team smiling from behind the scenes. A product expert mid-demo. Or the founder’s dog photobombing a team huddle.
These are images that reveal the human behind the brand. Use them to customize your email conversations. They work amazingly well for newsletters or campaigns with a strong storytelling angle.
And in a modular custom email template layout, these kinds of images slot perfectly into content blocks like “Team Spotlight” or “Customer of the Month.”
It’s a no-brainer to reflect your target audience in your visuals. Parents in parenting brands, pets in pet food emails.
But what’s often overlooked is that inclusive representation of the audience is equally, if not more, important.
To bring diversity in imagery, ask: Will my subscribers see themselves in this image? And more importantly: Will they feel seen?
Image Source: Email Love
It’s not just about ethnicity or gender. Showcase different ages, abilities, body types, or even just how people actually dress (not just the super-models).
Those are the visuals that have the power to build actual, honest-to-goodness trust. Beyond the surface-level stuff.
Not every brand needs glossy product photos to get its message across. We have seen some of the most stunning customizable email templates go bonkers with graphics, icons, and illustrations to deliver personality.
Illustrations feel playful, modern, or even universal, especially when a product spans age groups or geographies. More control over tone and flexibility in layout is another plus. Plus, they don’t compete with the reader’s attention the way hyper-detailed photos sometimes do.
Tip: Using illustration-heavy templates? Make sure your layout is clean and intentional so visuals don’t smother the message.
Polished visuals are great. But quite often, those perfectly lit, obsessively photoshopped images just look fake.
So, what images make subscribers lean in? It’s that messy, behind-the-scenes shot or a blurry, user-submitted pic that looks like it was captured by a real human.
Those are the gems such as the user-generated content (UGC) and ‘in-the-moment’ shots.
They might not be studio quality, but they tell a story. That’s what makes your emails from a run-by-real-people brand and not just marketing automation.
Some example-worthy use cases.
An employee packing orders, a customer using your product in their daily life, or a snapshot from your last team offsite.
Just be sure your custom email template layout is flexible enough to accommodate these more candid formats without breaking.
Funny images are….funny. They are playfully engaging. They humanize your brand and make your email memorable.
Just like Olive Garden does in this email–
Image Source: RGE
But be cautious, knowing that humor is contextual. It’s best to limit amusing images to campaigns meant to appear light-hearted. For the emails that might prefer a more serious or sensitive vibe, humorous visuals may misfire big time.
So, where do you use humor in email templates? Use it where it suits your brand tone and don’t hurt your audience’s sensitivities.
And if you’re unsure about using or not using humor, the answer is always: test it out. A/B testing image variations (humor vs. neutral) is easy in customizable templates and can offer great insights into what lands well.
Graphics and text don’t compete when your layout is designed right. Use visuals to break up heavy content blocks, highlight key stats (think: mini infographics), or support headers and CTAs. This keeps the email scannable and easy to digest.
Here’s a perfect example of Graphics-done-well from True Grit:
Image Source: Email Love
A custom email template layout should make it easy to insert graphic blocks alongside content. Not force them into odd corners or as background elements that break in Outlook. Prioritize modular design, with clear containers for image-based elements.
Many marketers feel stock photos don’t work for custom email designs.
Yes, don’t look exclusive. But if you must use stock, edit it. Customize them a little with your brand colors, overlay text, or crop creatively.
Plus, choose them smartly.
While choosing an image from a free image bank, avoid the top result on page one. Those images have already been seen in ads, blogs, and banners. Instead, crawl deeper into image libraries.
There is no escape from AI tools. In fact, they can be pretty handy for creating abstract backgrounds, playful icons, or surreal campaign imagery.
But when it comes to evoking real emotion or showcasing actual humans, AI still falls short.
Use AI graphics when you need fast, stylized elements that don’t require emotional nuance. For everything else, say, product or people-focused emails, real still wins.
Great images don’t live standalone. How they interact with your email copy, your CTA, and your subscribers’ mindset matters.
Also, take a moment to consider the emotional tone, cultural context, and even clothing in photos.
Ask:
Does the image support or take away from the message?
Will it render well on mobile?
Does it feel “on brand” even if it’s unconventional?
Test how your visuals land across different inboxes and screen sizes. Your customizable email template should be flexible enough to play with image sizes and placement without messing with the whole design.
Pitfalls to Avoid When Using Images in Customizable Email Templates
Missing ALT-text. Always include descriptive alt-text for accessibility, and when images fail to load
Poor image quality. Grainy or blurry images damage your professional credibility and brand perception
Oversized files. Large images slow loading times, causing recipient frustration and email abandonment
Image overload. Too many visuals overwhelm recipients and dilute your core message.
Too many images. Visual overload dilutes your message and spikes bounce rates.
Overly busy visuals. Unless it’s a “find-the-cat” game, keep it simple and focused.
Poor image placement. Ensure images and text complement each other logically throughout the email layout.
Offensive visuals. If your image might need an apology later, it’s not worth the hassle or online criticism.
Off-brand colors or style. Follow your brand palette. Inconsistency confuses readers and weakens identity.
Clashing visuals. They are the reason for the confusing message.
Mobile optimization neglect. Test images across all devices, especially mobile, where 71.5% emails get opened.
Cross-client incompatibility. Test and verify that the image renders consistently across different email platforms.
Wrapping Up
Images hold a special place in email design. They are super quick to communicate mood, message, and brand personality. But adding them to your customizable email templates can be tricky.
There is a good chance you’re perplexed by the depth of the work, technical and creative, both. That’s when bringing in the right partner, such as Email Mavlers, counts.
Even having a great internal team does not preclude you from taking outside help. They can literally be your third arm in building emails faster, avoiding pitfalls, and designing at scale without compromising quality.
Most importantly, you are not required to build from scratch. The agency has already iterated on email design workflows and used them across industries, including their own.
Plus, letting an email design handle what they do best so you can focus on what only you can do.