How to Send an Accessible Message to the Student or Employee Digest

The Student Digest and Employee Digest are intended to share timely, campus-wide information with students and employees. Because these messages reach a large and diverse audience, they must be readable, accessible, and easy to understand across different devices and email applications.

This article explains how to prepare and submit an effective digest message.

Put the Complete Message in the Email Body

The most important information must appear as text in the body of your email.

Do not send an image, flyer, PDF, or other attachment with only a brief statement such as “See the attached flyer for details.” Images and attachments may not load properly, may be difficult to read on a mobile device, and may not be accessible to people using screen readers or other assistive technology.

Your email body should clearly state:

• What is being announced

• Who the announcement applies to

• The date and time

• The location or method of participation

• Any registration or response deadline

• What action the reader should take

• Who to contact with questions

• A descriptive link to additional information, when applicable

A flyer or image may supplement the message, but it must not be the only place where important information appears.

Example

Instead of:

Please see the attached flyer for information about our workshop.

Write:

Faculty and staff are invited to an accessibility workshop on Wednesday, October 14, from 2–3 p.m. in the Alumni Conference Room. The workshop will cover accessible document creation and email communication. Registration is requested by October 9 through the Accessibility Workshop Registration Form. Contact [name and email address] with questions.

The flyer may then be included as an optional visual supplement.

Compose the Message in Gmail

Create and send the message using the standard SUNY Plattsburgh Gmail composer.

Keep the formatting simple and consistent:

• Use Gmail’s default font and text size.

• Use bold text sparingly for short headings or important deadlines.

• Use short paragraphs and bulleted lists to make the message easier to scan.

• Use descriptive link text, such as “Register for the Accessibility Workshop,” rather than “click here.”

• Use the official SUNY Plattsburgh email signature.

• Use sufficient contrast between text and its background.

Avoid:

• Decorative or unusual fonts

• Multiple font styles, sizes, or colors

• Background colors or background images

• Tables used to control the email layout

• Large banners or image-based headings

• Text copied directly from Canva or another design application

• Complex formatting copied from Microsoft Word, Google Docs, websites, newsletters, or other email applications

• Gmail marketing templates, branded layouts, or other highly formatted email designs

If you drafted the message somewhere else, paste it into Gmail without formatting:

• Windows and ChromeOS: Press Ctrl + Shift + V

• Mac: Press Command + Shift + V

You can then add simple headings, bullets, and links using Gmail’s standard formatting controls.

Images and Attachments

Digest messages must remain within the 50 KB total message-size limit, including the email text, signatures, images, and other attachments.

For best results:

• Include only an image that adds meaningful value to the message.

• Crop out unnecessary backgrounds, borders, and blank space.

• Resize large photographs before attaching them.

• Save photographs as JPEG files rather than PNG files when possible.

• Avoid attaching multiple versions of the same image.

• Do not attach an image containing information that is missing from the email body.

• Do not attach a document when the information could reasonably be included in the email itself.

• For longer documents, place an accessible version in Google Drive or another approved campus location and include a descriptive link in the message.

• Verify that the sharing permissions allow the intended recipients to open the linked document.

Because the 50 KB limit includes the complete email, an attached image should be noticeably smaller than 50 KB.

How to Check an Image’s File Size

Windows

1. Locate the image in File Explorer.

2. Right-click the image.

3. Select Properties.

4. Look for the file size on the General tab.

Mac

1. Locate the image in Finder.

2. Select the image.

3. Press Command + I, or right-click and select Get Info.

4. Look for the file size in the General section.

How to Resize an Image on Windows

The built-in Paint application can quickly reduce an image’s dimensions and file size.

1. Right-click the image and open it in Paint.

2. Select Resize.

3. Choose Pixels.

4. Make sure Maintain aspect ratio is selected.

5. Reduce the horizontal width. Starting with approximately 800 pixels is usually appropriate for an email image.

6. Select File → Save As → JPEG Picture.

7. Give the resized image a new filename so that you keep the original.

8. Check the new file size before attaching it.

If the image remains too large, repeat the process using a smaller width.

How to Resize an Image on a Mac

The built-in Preview application can resize and compress an image.

1. Open the image in Preview.

2. Select Tools → Adjust Size.

3. Make sure Scale proportionally and Resample image are selected.

4. Reduce the image width. Starting with approximately 800 pixels is usually appropriate for an email image.

5. Select File → Export.

6. Choose JPEG as the format.

7. Move the Quality slider toward a lower setting until the estimated file size is sufficiently small.

8. Save the resized image with a new filename.

9. Check the new file size before attaching it.

How to Resize an Image Online

An online compression tool can also reduce an image’s dimensions and file size directly in a web browser.

1. Open the image-compression tool.

2. Add or drag the image into the page.

3. Resize the image to a reasonable email width, such as approximately 800 pixels.

4. Select JPEG output for photographs.

5. Adjust the quality setting while reviewing the resulting file size.

6. Save the smaller image and confirm its file size before attaching it.

Do not upload confidential, sensitive, personally identifiable, or otherwise restricted images to an unapproved third-party website.

Submit the Message

Send the completed message to the appropriate digest address:

• Student Digest: student-digest@ls.plattsburgh.edu

• Employee Digest: employee-digest@ls.plattsburgh.edu

The digests are normally generated each morning at approximately 5 a.m. A message must be submitted and approved before the digest is generated to appear in that day’s edition.

Sending a message does not guarantee immediate publication. 

For additional information about campus mailing lists in general, see: Sending to Campus Mailing Lists

Before You Send

Confirm that:

• The subject line clearly describes the announcement.

• The complete announcement appears in the email body.

• Dates, times, locations, deadlines, and contact information are included.

• Links use meaningful, descriptive text.

• The message uses simple Gmail formatting.

• Important information is not contained only in an image.

• Any attached image has been resized and checked.

• The complete message is within the 50 KB size limit.

• Linked documents have the correct sharing permissions.

• The message has been proofread for accuracy.

Need Help?

The Department of Marketing can assist with campus messaging, image preparation, resizing, and communication-related questions.

Visit the Department of Marketing or call 518-564-3624.

For technical questions about mailing-list access, delivery problems, rejected messages, or Google Workspace, contact the ITS Helpdesk through this portal or via helpdesk@plattsburgh.edu or 518-564-4433.