I knew about this happening a while back but pretended that if I just ignored it for a while, it would go away. Needless to say, it didn’t. With the release of Outlook 2007, Microsoft has decided to change the rules on html-formatted emails again and while it wouldn’t affect most people, it has become a thorn in the side of designers everywhere. The reason for this issue is that Microsoft decided to use the Microsoft Word HTML rendering engine where previous versions relied on Internet Explorer’s. And while I don’t think anyone could say that IE is a superior browser with a straight face, it was worlds better than Word’s.

With my company, ERA404, our quarterly newsletter fell to pieces as it relied quite heavily on <div> background images. Our original design, found in the ERA404 Newsletter archive (link below), is entirely illegible in Outlook 2007. The new version removed some of the limitations of the new rendering engine. Sadly, most people wouldn’t have noticed because Outlook 2007 isn’t heavily adopted yet. However, with the hope of staying ahead of the curve, we decided to redesign the newsletter for the small percent of readers who have made the unfortunate leap.

If you’re subscribed and are unable to read the newsletter, try the online version, which uses Internet Explorer‘s rendering engine or request this newsletter resent as Text-Only. Incidentally, here’s a handy widget for testing how the new rendering engine destroys code in Adobe Dreamweaver. Previous newsletters can be found at: http://www.era404.com/lists/.

Ignoring the reference to the ’80s band that rocked your world with such hits as “I Adore Mi Amor” and “All 4 Love“, here’s a few great color sites I recently dug up in a Communication Arts.

In The Mod
www.inthemod.com
It doesn’t get much geekier than www.inthemod.com: an algorithmic analysis of the color palettes used by artists ranging from Josef Albers to Andy Warhol. While statistical analysis combined with Flash 8’s pixel-level color capabilities may contribute to a deeper understanding of color, it will do little to explain the genius of Jackson Pollock. Designers who wish to reduce the thousands of colors employed in a work of art to a manageable palette of similar colors can speed up the process using this nifty tool.

Colour Lovers
www.colourlovers.com
This site is a place for advertisers, art directors, product and interior designers to explore the practical applications of color, while keeping their finger on the pulse of worldwide color trends. Visitors can upload their own palettes, search for and share palettes and vote on their favorites. Among the thousands of color schemes presented, there’s one that’s bound to inspire.

Color Matters
www.colormatters.com
This site provides a resource that examines issues driving color in design, business and marketing. When it comes to logo design, brand identity and the consumer purchase process, color is hugely influential. Colormatters.com can help you choose wisely.

Lively Grey
www.livelygrey.com
This weblog is an attempt to transmit some of 20+ years the owner’s of professional color experience.

10/30/2014 Update: The site is 404 and they haven’t posted an update to their Twitter since February 2012. Looks like this service is gone. Pity.

I’d posted previously about using the Reinvigorate WordPress Plug-In and recently learned that it relies on an “onLoad” function in the Javascript. As a result, any onLoads that you have running in your WordPress Page Template will break. Thanks to Mike‘s keen eye, the rotating random spotlight photo at the top of Donline was breaking on some internal pages (specifically, the ones that incorporated the Reinvigorate WordPress Plug-In. What a shame. As a result, I’m going back to just using Statcounter and Google Analytics.