Coding for email design manually is not an easy task. You have to use a table, make the code inline CSS, build a design for responsiveness, and after all that make sure it is compatible with a long list of various email clients, for desktop, mobile and webmail services.
To simplify this process, there are now many free open source email templates that you can download, then modify or edit to your heart’s content. Some can be built on top of a provided basic template while others have readymade frameworks and components which you can piece together.
We’ve done the leg work and here is what we have to offer: 30 places you can find open source email templates for your needs.
Send With Us
Send with Us is a community-driven site for open source and responsive email templates. There are about 10 templates available with various sub-templates inside for specific purposes such as email for survey, upselling, confirmation, etc.
Salted
Salted is a responsive HTML email template which can be used as a base for an email template. This clean template is used on Litmus email newsletters. The styling for displaying open-source-email-templates/ is already optimized and you can use the percentage tables, or the media queries to keep everything fluid.
Cerberus
Cerberus are responsive email patterns that you can use to adapt a regular email design into a responsive one, fairly easily. There are two kinds of templates, one with media queries, and one without, for fluid layouts (sizes itself regardless of media query support).
Responsive HTML Email Template
There are two kinds of HTML email templates here, an inlined version and a non-inlined version that can be used on a marketing service like Mailchimp, as is. This email template is tested on major email clients, both mobile and desktop.
Email Blueprints
You can find about 25 general templates and 6 responsive templates here, which are built especially for MailChimp users.
Respmail
An email template designed to work on major devices and email platforms, this template uses MailChimp blueprints as a base, and is tested and reviewed for compatibility and re-structured for Outlook, Yahoo, Hotmail, Gmail and other services. Download the source on GitHub.
Ink
Ink is a framework you can use to quickly build responsive HTML emails that will work on any device or for any email client. Ink includes a 12-column grid with some UI elements for quick prototyping.
Transactional Email Templates
A responsive template for transactional emails, you can find 3 templates here: for action email, email alerts and for billing. All templates have been tested on popular email clients.
Antwort
Antwort offers a responsive email template that lets you use columsn on desktop then adapt to rows when you are on smaller mobile screens. There are also templates included for single-column, double-column or three-column (with open-source-email-templates/) use.
Responsive Email
A table based yet responsive email template, with Mailchimp merge tags in place. Although it has only one template, you can spice things up with the many layout options available.
Email Framework
Email Framework offers pre-build components you can use to build a responsive HTML email template. It also includes boilerplate.html, a base HTML file that can be edited.
Responsive Email Patterns
Responsive Email Patterns is a collection of patterns and modules for responsive emails. You can found a variety of styles for layout, navigation, lists, grid blocks, media and accordians.
Zenith
Zenith is an email framework made using SASS. It features a responsive grid, easy to control layout, typography, colour schemes and others using SASS variables.
Shopify HTML Email Templates
You will find 10 templates here that deals with things like welcoming new users, activation of accounts, refund notifications, shipping updates, password reset and more.
Passion
Passion is predesigned email template with responsive support. It gives off a minimalistic, cleancut and simple vibe.
Responsive HTML email templates
Here’s a responsive email template with compatibilty with all major email clients, made with well commented and readable code. There are three templates (general, promotional and explorational) with different color schemes.
Slate
Here are 5 email templates that have been tested against 30+ email clients (desktop, mobile, webmail). There’s one for product announcements and simple announcements , a template for a newsletter, receipt and a basic one (stationery).
Cakemail
Cakemail provides dozens of free retina-ready newsletter template. There are 6 categories you can browse through, or just check out the Popular section. You can also opt for the color scheme you like before downloading your own copy.
Penrose
Here’s a flat responsive newsletter template that is compatible with almost all email clients.
Responsive Email
Want something super simple, just the basics? You got it. Follow the three steps you need to set this email template for your own use.
WDW
Get two templates, one for a weekly update template and another as a signup template provided by Web Design Weekly.
Gleemail
On top of templates, Gleemail lets you build HTML email templates with Mustache and style them with Stylus.
Mosaico
Mosaico is an open source email tempalte editor and you can find two templates provided for free, which you can play with. Edit, drag and drop and fiddle with the components inside.
Postmark Templates
There are 3 templates available here, a welcome email, a reset password email and a receipt email, all provided by Postmark templates. If you want to take a look at their appearance, follow their blog post about it.
EightMedia boilerplate
Find a boilerplate to build your email template on. A basic template has been provided. You can write code on Jade. SASS and automatic CSS inlining have been included to make your work easier.
Bella
Bella is a clean, bright and modern free multi-purpose email template. It is available in HTML and PSD format.
Rafeca
Find responsive email templates that were used for giffgaff marketing emails here. Download the templates from GitHub here.
Campaign Monitor
Campaign Monitor has released more than 100 free email templates for download. There are 36 templates that can be previewed on the page, while the rest of them can be downloaded with the "Download All" link at the bottom.
Responsive Email Template
A responsive email template, adapted for mobile use made by Rachel Beser.
Stamplia’s free email template
There are 7 free and responsive Litmus-exclusive email templates from the Stamplia marketplace. Works on Outlook, Gmail, and "the rest of those tricky email client"s. PSD source files are included.
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Source: Hong Kiat