Getting Started

How do I tell if my email design is responsive?
Responsive emails are mobile-friendly designs that display beautifully on both Desktop and Mobile devices.

To optimize for usage of screen space, a responsive email design with multiple column content will automatically stack to form into a single column when viewed using a narrower mobile mail client.

How do I send my email?
The following are options supported by Dragon RED for sending emails:
1. Send directly from the app via your SMTP email server
2. Export email source files for distribution via third party mail distribution software that accepts HTML source files

Is Dragon RED compatible with third party email marketing services such as MailChimp and Campaign Monitor?
Dragon RED is designed to be compatible with any email distribution tool that accepts HTML, please reference video tutorials for demos of MailChimp and Campaign Monitor.

Show me some sample emails
Samples of emails exported from Dragon RED:
Sample 1
Sample 2
Sample emails contain Dragon RED generated email HTML and exported images.

I'm new to the app, can I create my very own design or do I have to start from a template?
You may start with either the blank canvas or a template, whichever you are most comfortable with. :)
New users will find it's easier to experiment with a sample template to get a feel for how responsive layout changes between the Mobile and Desktop preview modes.
How to add a new object?
  • Inspector Panel > "Objects" tab
  • Drag new object from Inspector Panel into any section
When adding new objects, please make sure you are adding it to an available empty space "inside" a responsive section.
When a new object is dragged over, you will see the mouse cursor turn into the "+" symbol when the editor identifies there is sufficient space for a new object.

How to remove objects from a template?
All email templates are completely customizable, there are a few different ways to remove unwanted elements off a template:
  • Select object, go to Edit Menu > Delete.
  • Select object, press the Delete key on the keyboard.
  • Similar to other quick edit actions, select object, right click (control-click) and choose "Delete"

How to optimize my email for retina display?
Dragon RED automatically optimizes images added into the email design for high density retina displays.
How to add links?
There are a couple of different ways to add links
  • Links can be added directly to any photo, text or action button, simply right click (or control-click) on the object and choose "Hyperlink"
  • When working with a paragraph of text, links can be applied to an individual phrase or sentence using HTML markup syntax.

How to add custom HTML code?
Text boxes in Dragon RED accept both regular text as well as simple HTML markup syntax. This feature is mainly designed for users to embed custom widgets. Please enter HTML code directly into a text box in Dragon RED.
How to connect to mail servers requiring two-factor authentication?
When connecting to a mail server requiring two-factor authentication, please use your “App Specific Password”. Please note this should be a password generated specifically for the Dragon RED app, it is different from the password you use to log into your email account.

iCloud:
Please note Apple now requires an App-Specific password in order to connect to the iCloud SMTP server. See steps below:
1. Log into https://appleid.apple.com/
2. Scroll to "Security" section
3. If "Two-Factor Authentication" is turned on, please click on the "Generate Password" link located next to "App-Specific Passwords"
4. Generate app specific password for the Dragon RED app
Please see more details at https://support.apple.com/HT204397

Gmail:
When connecting to GMail's SMTP servers, we recommend turning on Two Factor authentication with your Google account and generate an App Specific password. More information available at https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/185833?hl=en
How to preview my email design for different sized screens?
Dragon RED has two built-in preview modes.

The built-in preview features will allow you to preview what the email looks like on Desktop and Mobile size clients. When previewing for mobile, you should see responsive sections "auto fold" into single columns.

Desktop Preview : shows sample preview of email design on a full width screen
Mobile Preview : shows sample preview of design on a narrow width screen (designed to mimic mobile screen)

***Please note the preview modes are designed only to be used as a general reference, you should always test new designs in the actual email clients before launching your email campaign into Production.