Email Header specification
| Dimensions | 600 × 200 pixels |
|---|---|
| Aspect ratio | 3:1 |
| Orientation | Landscape |
| Platform | |
| Best format | JPG for photographs, PNG for flat graphics and text |
| Dimension basis | Practical Image Cosmos canvas based on the linked platform guidance |
| Primary source | Mailchimp Email Design ↗ |
| Last verified |
Why 600 × 200?
600 pixels is the long-standing safe width for HTML email, because it renders without horizontal scrolling in narrow desktop clients. Mailchimp's guidance is to keep an email 600 pixels wide or less, because most people read in narrow preview panes, and its own templates are never wider unless they are fluid-width. The 200-pixel height makes a 3:1 strip, so this page opens with Crop to fill. A 4032 × 3024 photo is scaled to 600 × 450 and loses 125 pixels from the top and the bottom, keeping the middle 44 per cent of its height, while a 1920 × 1080 slide or video frame becomes about 600 × 338 and gives up roughly 69 pixels at each of those edges.
Before you upload
Many clients block images by default, so never put essential information only in the header graphic. Mailchimp also recommends sending a plain-text version alongside the HTML for people whose mail program cannot show HTML, and those readers never see the header at all. A square logo is the usual problem on this strip: fitted whole, a 1000 × 1000 logo shrinks to 200 × 200 with 200-pixel bands at each side, while cropping it would cut off its top and bottom. The bands and any transparent areas of a PNG logo are filled with the background colour, so set that to the background of your email template rather than leaving the default white. At this size a JPG at the default quality of 82 stays small, which helps the first screen of the email load quickly. On a high-density phone screen a 600-pixel image is spread across more screen pixels and fine text can look soft, so keep any lettering large.
Source and verification
Mailchimp recommends email layouts no wider than 600 pixels; the 200-pixel header height is an Image Cosmos design choice. Check the Mailchimp Email Design guidance ↗.
Last verified: . Platform requirements and visible crops can change, so check the linked primary guidance before a time-sensitive upload.
How to resize an image to 600 × 200
- Choose a JPG, PNG or WebP image.
- Pick whether to crop to fill the frame or fit the whole image inside it.
- Resize and download the result at exactly 600 × 200 pixels.
Frequently asked questions
What size is email header?
600 × 200 pixels, an aspect ratio of 3:1. Add an image above and it is resized to exactly that in your browser.
What aspect ratio is email header?
3:1. It is landscape, so this page starts on Crop to fill, which trims the top and bottom of a taller-shaped original; Fit whole image keeps all of it and pads the sides. Crops are always taken from the centre.
Which file format should I use for an email header banner?
JPG is the safest choice for photographs, and most platforms recompress uploads anyway. Use PNG for crisp flat graphics and text, and WebP when file size matters more than compatibility. No format keeps transparency here, because the resizer paints the background colour, white by default, behind every image.
Other image sizes
Need a size that isn't listed? Use the social media image resizer, or resize to any exact pixel size.