Take the 2-minute tour ×

I am trying to send a HTML email with CSS styling.

I have the code style = 'background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.4)' and it will not apply it, but rather makes the background completely opaque.

share|improve this question
You could try using a transparent .png file... but I don't know if it would work. –  Alex Jan 3 '13 at 7:30

2 Answers 2

up vote 3 down vote accepted

It really depends on the support of the mail client you're testing with, but given that RGBA values are a CSS3 feature, I wouldn't bet on much support at all. I'd suggest restricting yourself to RGB, HEX or named colors, and even then depending on the place you are using it, some clients won't support the color attribute at all.

share|improve this answer
Are there any other ways of making only the background opaque? –  MichaelMitchell Jan 3 '13 at 7:28
Not consistently. Clients like Gmail and Outlook will strip out most colors and background images. –  scoota269 Jan 3 '13 at 7:29

Don't use RGBA. You should use the full 6 digit HEX code for email eg: #FFFFFF. 3-digit HEX, doesn't work consistently, neither does RGB or color names.

Only way to layer transparency is by .PNG.

Keep in mind .PNG's don't open in older versions of Lotus Notes, but this is only a tiny percentage of users in most subscriber lists.

share|improve this answer

Your Answer


