Direct Mail 5.4.1 is now available to all of our users. This update includes several bug fixes that increase the reliability and performance of Direct Mail, especially for users running Apple’s new macOS 10.14 Mojave.
The Preview window has also been updated with support for the latest iPhone models. These can be found under the “Simulate Screen Size” pop-up menu.
Most customers will receive this update automatically over the next few days. If you want to update manually, simply choose “Direct Mail > Check for Software Update” from the menu bar at the top of your screen. If you downloaded Direct Mail via the Mac App Store, you can find the update there, as well.
Direct Mail 5.4 was just released today, and we’re excited to share with you some of the improvements that we have been working on…
Mojave and Dark Mode
“Mojave” is the name of Apple’s latest update to macOS, scheduled to be released later this month. If you’re planning on upgrading to Mojave, you’ll want to make sure you upgrade Direct Mail, too. One of the most eye-catching features in Mojave is an all-new “dark mode”. We have reworked Direct Mail top-to-bottom to make sure it looks great in this new mode, and we hope you’re as pleased with the results as we are:
Improved Design Test Browsing
Direct Mail Design Tests are a way for you to see pixel-perfect screenshots of what your email looks like in a variety of email clients (including mobile, web, and Windows email clients). Design tests are a great way to spot potential issues with your email design, or gain confidence that your email will look great when your recipients open it. In previous updates, we improved the process of ordering new design tests. In this update, we have improved the experience of browsing test results. Screenshots now fill more of the available screen space, and navigating between results is faster than ever. We’ve also made it easier to export the screenshots out of Direct Mail.
Sample Project and Tour
We wanted to make it easier for first-time users to learn about the powerful features packed into Direct Mail. New in Direct Mail 5.4 is a sample project that shows off some of the things you can do in Direct Mail. A guided tour at the top of the project window helps new users find their way around the app. The sample project and tour is available in the “Welcome to Direct Mail” window that appears on first launch, or at any time from the “Help” menu at the top of the screen.
More Than Meets the Eye
The improvements in Direct Mail 5.4 are more than just skin deep. We have squashed several bugs and streamlined the user interface to help you work more efficiently. We hope you to enjoy these new improvements, and look forward to your feedback! The Direct Mail 5.4 update will download to your Mac automatically over the next few days. If desired, you can update immediately by choosing “Direct Mail > Check for Software Update” from the menu bar at the top of your screen. Mac App Store customers will receive the update as soon as it is approved by Apple. Update: It has been approved, and Mac App Store customers can now download the update, as well.
Direct Mail’s built-in templates are engineered to look great across a variety of devices and screen sizes. Even better, Direct Mail’s built-in editor ensures that any customizations, changes, or redesigns you make continue to look their best on all devices—with no extra work required on your part. If you’re a power user, though, you might find yourself wanting to customize your subscriber’s email experience even further based on what device they use to read your email. If that’s you, check out today’s pro-tip:
Did you know that you can show different content to your subscribers based on the kind of device they are reading your email on? This can be useful for customizing the layout or design of your newsletter for large or small screens. For example, the “Dive In” template that comes with Direct Mail uses this feature to show a slightly different header when the email is viewed on a mobile device.
Here’s how to do it (you must be using one of our modern templates):
Click on the section that you want to customize
Click on the right arrow at the bottom of the pop-up window
Click on the “Visibility” pop-up menu and choose Desktop and Mobile, Desktop Only, or Mobile Only
You can use the Preview window‘s “Simulate Screen Size” feature to check out the results!
Did you know that you can use the Preview window to see what your final email will look like for each recipient? Click the Preview button in the toolbar to show the Preview window, then take a look at these three buttons:
The “Previous/Next Address” buttons step through your mailing list. If you have any mail-merge tags in your email (like “first name”) or dynamic content, the preview will show you exactly how your message will be merged for the selected recipient.
The “Simulate Screen Size” button shows you what your message looks like when it is resized down to different mobile-sized screens (including iPhone, Samsung, and iPad sizes)
The “View on iPhone/iPad” button actually sends a preview directly to the iPhone in your pocket (or iPad on your desk). You’ll need to have the Stamps app installed on your device.
Last month, Apple previewed the next big update coming to the Mac this fall: macOS 10.14 “Mojave”. We are hard at work getting Direct Mail ready for the new operating system, and will have an update ready before Mojave becomes generally available.
Please note that if you choose to install beta versions of macOS 10.14, you may encounter bugs that could interrupt your workflow. For business-critical tasks, we recommend remaining on macOS 10.13 until the public release version of 10.14 is available.
Update (August 3rd): The latest public beta of macOS 10.14 is not compatible with the current release version of Direct Mail. If you need to run Direct Mail, please do not install the public beta, and instead remain on macOS 10.13 or earlier.
Dark Mode Sneak Peek
One of Mojave’s headlining features is a brand new “Dark Mode”. We think Direct Mail looks great in dark mode and wanted to share a sneak peek of what you can look forward to in the fall!
Mojave and Apple Mail Stationery
Direct Mail has long been compatible with Apple Mail stationery (where it appears in the “Legacy” section of Direct Mail’s template chooser). However, Apple is removing Apple Mail stationery from macOS 10.14. This will not present a problem for most customers, since stationery is rarely used these days. If you are, however, using stationery in Direct Mail and wish to do so after upgrading to macOS 10.14, click here to learn what you can do to prepare. Hint: upgrade to Direct Mail 5.3 before upgrading to macOS 10.14.
