Pixcraft October Updates: What’s Changed Over the Month

We continue to refine our email builder to make working on email templates a more comfortable experience. Throughout October, a number of updates have been added to Pixcraft, which we will cover in more detail in this article.

Clipboard Features

Adding Elements from Figma

Among the most significant new features is the ability to transfer elements directly from Figma to Pixcraft. This feature works with email components created using Auto Layout.

When might this be useful? Imagine a designer has put together an email template layout in Figma, and you intend to continue working on the email using the drag-and-drop builder. In this case, you simply need to follow a few easy steps:

• Select the desired node in Figma.
  
  
• Copy it using Ctrl+C.
  
  
• Switch to Pixcraft and press Ctrl+V. The copied node will be added to the canvas.

And if you prefer creating layouts directly in Figma, use the Pixcraft plugin. Just as before, it remains available to all registered users.

Copying Elements Between Templates

Updates have also been made to working with elements in Pixcraft.

Previously, to use an element in a different template, you had to save it as a reusable block in "Saved blocks." Now, Pixcraft allows you to copy elements from one template and add them to another using the familiar keyboard shortcuts: Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V. This is especially convenient when an element is only needed once or twice, making it unnecessary to save it to "Saved blocks."

Let’s say you are preparing a new email campaign and want to reuse a banner from a previous message, or take an element from a master template. To do this:

• Open the email template.
  
  
• Select the desired element and copy it.
  
  
• Switch to the required template, choose where you want to paste the element, and press Ctrl+V.

By the way, you can also copy and paste elements within a single template if you need to reuse them elsewhere in the email.

Pasting Images Directly

You can also use your clipboard to paste images directly into Pixcraft email templates.

For example, if you want to include a photo or illustration from your website in an email, simply copy the desired image to your clipboard. Then, open the email builder, add an "Image" element to the canvas, select it, and press Ctrl+V.

This copy-and-paste functionality isn't limited to websites. You can also add images from graphic design tools, such as the aforementioned Figma, Photoshop, and others.

Once an image appears in your email, you can edit it directly within Pixcraft: crop it, adjust its width and height, round its corners, add a border, and more.

Improvements to Working with Stripes

Individual Settings for Each Stripe

A Stripe in Pixcraft is the top-level structural component of an email template. It acts as a container for content, housing blocks, columns, and various elements such as text, images, buttons, and more.

A single email template can contain multiple Stripes, each dedicated to a specific part of the email. For instance, one Stripe might serve as the header, another as the main content area, and a third as the footer.

With the latest update, Pixcraft now allows you to control the display of each individual Stripe. You can create multiple versions of Stripes within a single template and specify which version should appear in different email formats: desktop, mobile, HTML, or AMP.

For example, if you need different footers for the mobile and desktop versions of an email, you can prepare two separate Stripes with distinct content layouts and then configure their display settings for the respective devices.

Moving Blocks Between Stripes

We've also improved how blocks can be moved within a template. Previously, you could only move individual elements from one Stripe to another. Yet now, you can now move an entire block in the same way—simply by dragging it into the desired Stripe.

Updates to Background and Color Settings

Additional Options for Background Images

We have redesigned the background settings panel and expanded the options for working with background images. Specifically, you can now choose from three different ways to position an image within a template:

• Auto: The background image retains its original size and aspect ratio.
  
  
• Cover: The background image is scaled to completely cover the entire area within a section (or a Strip). Please note that if the aspect ratios do not match, part of the image will be cropped.
  
  
• Contain: The background image is scaled to fit entirely within the area without any cropping. However, this may result in empty space along the edges.

Next to these settings, we have added a toggle to control the repetition of the background image. For instance, if you are using a small texture or pattern, this toggle allows you to fill the entire background area with it.

Essentially, this provides control over the CSS background-repeat property, while accounting for the specific requirements and limitations of various email clients, including Outlook.

Color Palette and Pipette

The changes also affect the color selection panel.

Previously, opening it displayed a default set of colors along with a button to access the full color palette. We have revised this approach: the palette is now shown immediately, with the colors currently used in the template displayed below it.

Additionally, the "Pipette" tool has been added to this panel, allowing you to select a color directly from your email template. To use it, click the corresponding icon, hover your cursor over the area containing the desired color, and click on it.

Email Preview via Link

Need to quickly show an email template to a colleague or get a client’s approval on a design? For this, we’ve added a feature that lets you share a preview of your email via a direct link.

A new "Share" tab has been added to the "Export" section. Here, you can find a preview link for your email: copy it and send it to the person you need to share it with. The recipient doesn’t need to log in to Pixcraft to view the email you’re working on.

Another aspect of this feature is that the link always leads to the most up-to-date preview. If you make changes to the email, there’s no need to send a new link; the recipient simply needs to refresh the page to see the latest version.

Quick Access to AI Image Generation

Pixcraft’s built-in image generator allows you to quickly create illustrations based on a text description.

Previously, the AI functionality tab was located within the image-insertion pop-up, which had to be accessed via the properties panel. In the latest version of Pixcraft, the corresponding icon now appears whenever an "Image" primitive is added to the canvas.

At the same time, the "AI" tab remains available within the image properties panel.

Other Fixes and Improvements

In addition to major updates, we’ve made several smaller improvements to Pixcraft:

• Variables in emails. Enhanced how variables from various services are handled and updated their visual representation within the editor.
  
  
• Working with text. Fixed bugs that could occur when editing text elements.

Conclusion

Our October updates cover several stages of the email creation process, from importing designs and building templates to fine-tuning the layout and getting final approval. Try them out for yourself: sign up today to get 14 days of free access to all of Pixcraft’s features.