Since version 1.1.0 BwPostman has a great template system for newsletters. Many thanks to Karl Klostermann for this. It is not only his idea, he realized it. Very great!
Thanks to the provided default templates for HTML and text newsletters, it is now also possible for less experienced users to send out optical attractive newsletters, that meets the corporate identity, the appearance of the association or or or and really looks well on mobile devices. Simply copy one of the delivered templates, give a new name and make changes to your wishes.
For the experienced user there are free templates also for HTML and text newsletters. Here you are completely free in design. Important to know, that despite of the high grade of freedom the newsletter finally gets added a table with the imprint by BwPostman.
You may create as many templates as you want. In example you may create an own, individual template for each mailing list.
Templates will be assigned to the newsletters while creating a newsletter. There you select the desired template from lists of HTML and text templates. To simplify the selection, a thumbnail will be shown at the tool-tip.
One each HTML or text template you can set to default. This then is the preselection, if you create a new newsletter.
Like all other sections of BwPostman you reach the templates by main menu of BwPostman with a click to templates. With the buttons Add HTML-Template and Add Text-Template you create a free HTML or text template. Templates also are reached by main menu of Joomla!® with Components → BwPostman → Templates.
If you change a template of an existing newsletter, then all additional input, that you made in editor, will be lost. This is the same behaviour like you know doing changes at selected content in first tab while editing a newsletter. Unfortunately there is no other solution feasible.
Install Templates
Since version 1.3.0 of BwPostman there is a possibility to install further standard templates. To do this there exists a button Install template at the toolbar. A click to the button leads to a view, where you may select and install the template package. The packages is a ZIP archive – as usual at Joomla!® – , that will be installed with a click to the button Start template installation. Now a view appears, where you see the single steps of the installation of the template. A click at the button back leads you back to the list of templates. Afterwards the new template is available like all other templates for the use at a newsletter.
New templates you may get at the downloads for BwPostman at Boldt Webservice.
Important:
Templates of BwPostman don't have to do something with templates of Joomla!®! While templates for Joomla!® are build to display websites all the same in all browsers as desired by the website owner, templates for BwPostman are made to give the same look-and-feel for the newsletters of BwPostman at all mail clients. But while even some “renegade” browser manufacturers made their browsers standard-compatible, at the mail clients is heavy proliferation the norm, which grows with each second mobile device.
Export Templates
Since version 2.1.0 of BwPostman there is the ability to export templates. With this You are able to transfer templates created for one installation to another.
After activating the checkbox of the desired template at the list of templates and a click to Export template a file is created that contains the template in a installable manner. When this process has finished, a message with a download button is displayed. This file also is stored at
<my_Joomla_installation>/images/bw_postman/templates/
and can be deleted from there as well using the Media-Manager of Joomla!®.
Since version 3.0.0 the storing path for the exported template is
<my_Joomla_installation>/images/com_bwpostman/templates/
The file name contains the ID of the exported template, because the ID is surely unique, there are no two templates with the same ID. The title of the template cannot be used (quite alone).
You don't have to conserve the file name, the import of the template works with every file name.
Standard Templates
Standard templates are predefined templates for newsletters, that you may use directly. The title of the included standard templates begins – who wonders – with standard. They all are responsive. That means, that they look well even on small displays, which occurs on mobile devices. Nevertheless standard templates can be individualized widely. To keep out of harm's way I suggest to copy a provided template and then adjust. If an adjustment is not possible with one provided template: Perhaps it is possible with another?
At the left you make the adjustments, at the right you see a preview of the template, that will be refreshed by clicking to Refresh preview. A refresh also will be done, if the template will be saved.
Free Templates
Free Templates for newsletter are exactly that what the name says: Free! Free in positioning of the elements, free in the look of the elements. However this freedom has its price: There are no predefined sections, that you may adjust fast and easy only by clicking with the mouse. Here all is “hand made”. There are provided samples for each HTML and text templates. The title begins with Sample / Beispiel.
Because there are no predefined sections, there only are three (HTML Templates) or two (text templates) Tabs.
Here, too, counts: In the left you make your settings, in the right you see a preview of the template, that will be refreshed and updated by clicking to Refresh preview or saving the template.