Since its release, the dark mode interface has gained popularity and it’s now an option for most devices. But, let’s rewind a little and go back to the basics. What is it? How you can optimize your emails for dark mode? And why is important in today’s digital marketing strategies?

First things first, what is dark mode? Dark Mode is an interface that uses light-colored typography, and iconography on dark backgrounds, instead of dark elements on light backgrounds. Now, why should you keep in mind dark mode in your email strategy?

81.9% of users prefer dark mode

According to a 2020 study, 81.9% of people use dark mode. There are some reasons for this: Dark mode is less exhausting for the eyes in darker rooms; reduces screen brightness, therefore saving battery life; increases readability and content consumption by making it more legible; and, it’s trendy and gives users’ devices a classy look.

ISPs have embraced dark mode

Apple Mail, Gmail, and Outlook are just some of the inbox services providers (ISPs) that have made available dark mode options for their users. 

The email world has already taken notice of this interface trend. A 2021 survey Pathwire and Ascend2 found that 44% of email marketers consider dark mode during their email production process. 

Dark mode changes the look of your email

The email apps can switch the look of the email as well (and the whole user experience you were trying to create). 

Dark mode reverses the background and font colors of an email to light on dark. All of this happens automatically and can change from one ISP to another. Check this amazing chart made by Litmus to see what type of reversed color scheme each ISP applies to your emails. 

3 tips to optimize your emails for dark mode

Want it or not, dark mode is here to stay, and optimizing your emails to look good can be challenging. Worry no more, here are some tips to succeed every time.

1. Make sure your logo can be seen in dark mode. When do you know you want to optimize for dark mode?

A. If your logo has a white background

This is not an issue in light mode, but in dark mode, it won’t look professional. Just erase the background from your logo, save it as a PNG and add it to the email so it will look great either on a white or black background.

B. If your logo uses dark colors

They will disappear in dark mode. Some of the things you can do are:

• Add a light stroke to your logo so it stands out from the dark background
• Create a banner with a background of your choosing and the logo placed on top and use that entire image in your email. This way, you’ll make sure the logo looks great in whatever background color the inbox provider use for dark or light mode.

You can apply these tips to any images or icons you want to use in your email.

2. Send plain text emails

Plain text triggers the dark mode settings and switches seamlessly between light and dark mode. You just need to make sure to use a text color that can be readable in both interfaces.

3. Test, optimize, and test again. 

A great first step can be testing your emails before sending them out. 

Download different ISPs’ apps into your devices, send a preview of your email, and check how it looks in every single one.

Use platforms like Email On Acid that allow you to preview your email in different inbox service providers at once to see what you can do to make your email look better in each one of them.

Now that you know how to optimize your emails for dark mode, get your strategy on point by learning How To Create Marketing Emails That Engage Your Audience And Get Results.