Brand > Brand Guidelines > Writing and Editorial Style > Email Style Guide

Email Style Guide

Email remains a vital communication tool for DePaul University. Whether you're reaching prospective students, alumni or community partners, your emails shape how people perceive the university. This guide provides updated best practices and style recommendations to help you write clear, professional and effective emails that reflect DePaul’s values and brand.

Best Practices

Determine if email is the right channel. Before sending an email, ask:

  • Is email the most effective way to reach this audience?
  • Has this group already received multiple emails recently?
  • Would a phone call, text or social media message be more appropriate?

Keep it concise:

  • Use short paragraphs and bullet points.
  • Avoid long URLs—use descriptive link text when possible.
  • Aim for clarity and brevity, especially for mobile readers.

Focus on one call to action:

  • Make your primary request clear and prominent.
  • Avoid asking for multiple actions in one message.

Write strong subject lines:

  • Keep subject lines under 50 characters.
  • Be clear and direct—avoid puns or vague language.
  • Include “DePaul University” when appropriate to boost recognition.

Stay consistent:

  • Use consistent terminology across emails and campaigns.
  • Refer to programs, events, and actions the same way each time.

Reflect the DePaul brand:

  • Reinforce DePaul’s mission of social responsibility, academic excellence and urban engagement.
  • Avoid gimmicky promotions; if using incentives, ensure they align with DePaul’s values.

Avoid jargon:

  • Use plain language.
  • Explain any terms that may be unfamiliar to your audience.

Test before sending:

  • Preview emails on multiple devices and browsers.
  • Check for formatting issues, broken links and accessibility.

Review Metrics

Use insights to improve future campaigns:

  • Open rate (target: 20–30%)
  • Click-through rate (target: 2–10%)
  • Unsubscribe rate (target: <1%)
  • Bounce rate (monitor hard vs. soft bounces)

Follow legal requirements. Ensure compliance with the CAN-SPAM Act:

  • Include a clear unsubscribe option.
  • Identify the message as an ad if applicable.
  • Provide a valid physical address.

Style Guidelines

Use the DePaul logo:

  • Include the official logo in all mass communications.
  • Avoid using outdated or unofficial graphics.

Design for readability:

  • Use at least 12-point font.
  • Choose high-contrast color combinations.
  • Avoid red or black backgrounds.

Use HTML text, not image-based text:

  • Avoid embedding key messages in images.
  • Always include alt text for accessibility.

Use templates: