Beefree Text Wrap Block

Applies To:  ■ New PoliteMail     □ Legacy PoliteMail

Version: □ 4.9x   □ 5.0 - 5.45   ■ 5.50+

Previously, to have text wrap around an image you needed to create a two-column row, one for the image and one for the text, with a one-column row of text under it.

The Text Wrap add-on for Beefree lets you place text alongside an image in PoliteMail email content. It provides a flexible layout option for templates that require image alignment and wrapped text!

Common uses include:

• Newsletter articles with an image aligned to the left or right of the introductory paragraph
• Executive communications with a headshot beside a message
• Product, service, or event highlights
• Branded template layouts that previously relied on image alignment and text wrapping in the COM add-in
• Multi-column email sections that combine images, text, and buttons

The block supports the same general editing actions available in the native image and paragraph components. You can add it to a layout, position it in a row, edit its content, and configure its image and text properties.

Add a Text Wrap Block

To add text that wraps around an image:

1. Open the email or template in the Beefree editor.
2. Add the Text Wrap block to the desired row or column.
3. Select, upload, or enter an Image URL.
4. Enter or edit the accompanying text.
5. Set the image position and layout options as needed.
6. Preview and test the message before sending.

You can add more than one Text Wrap block to the same row. You can also position other supported content blocks, such as buttons, alongside Text Wrap blocks to create more flexible layouts.

Inserting Beefree Images

Beefree does not let you choose a Beefree image from this window, so you need to either select a PoliteMail image or an Image URL.  Here's how you can find the URL of a Beefree Image:

1. Temporarily insert an Image block and click Browse to open your Beefree image library.  
2. Find the image you want and click the Preview icon .  The image will open in a separate browser window/tab.
3. Copy the url in the address bar of your browser and paste it into the Image URL field of the Text Wrap window.

Other Notes

• The Text Wrap feature supports both embedded and referenced images, depending on the applicable image settings.  Embedded images are included directly in the email content (larger file size), while Referenced images are loaded from an image location when the recipient opens the email (smaller file size).
• You can edit the Text Wrap block directly in the editor or use its content dialog to modify the text displayed, change or reposition the image, apply basic formatting, add a caption, and more.
• Text Wrap blocks support image captions. Captions are included as standard HTML, which means they are compatible with PoliteMail multi-language translation workflows, but caption alignment and font-size controls are not currently available.

Rendering in Classic Outlook

The Text Wrap add-on is designed to render in both modern email clients and classic Outlook.

PoliteMail serializes the Text Wrap content server-side to create the appropriate output for each client type. The VML implementation is especially important for classic Outlook, where standard CSS support is limited.

Outlook desktop has historically presented challenges with auto-width image behavior. The VML-based implementation may improve rendering in these cases, but auto-width and fixed-width configurations should be reviewed carefully! 

Best Practices

• Use clear, appropriately sized images that remain recognizable when displayed beside text.
• Avoid relying on complex wrapping behavior for critical compliance or action-oriented content unless it has been thoroughly tested in the target email clients.
• Use fixed image widths when predictable Outlook desktop rendering is more important than responsive sizing.
• Test rounded corners and auto-width images in Outlook desktop before reusing a layout in a production template.
• Keep captions brief and use the available formatting controls consistently.
• Confirm that required images are available in the PoliteMail image library before building a Text Wrap layout.
• As always, preview desktop and mobile rendering, and do a Preflight Test Send before sending.