base64 encoded images in email signatures

Question

I have to include some images (company logo\'s etc) in email signatures. I\'ve had all sorts of issues using the embedded images produced by the email system in question (th

Answer 1

The image should be embedded in the message as an attachment like this:

--boundary
Content-Type: image/png; name="sig.png"
Content-Disposition: inline; filename="sig.png"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: base64
Content-ID: <0123456789>
Content-Location: sig.png

base64 data

--boundary

And, the HTML part would reference the image like this:

In some clients, src="sig.png" will work too.

You'd basically have a multipart/mixed, multipart/alternative, multipart/related message where the image attachment is in the related part.

Clients shouldn't block this image either as it isn't remote.

Or, here's a multipart/alternative, multipart/related example as an mbox file (save as windows newline format and put a blank line at the end. And, use no extension or the .mbs extension):

From 
From: from@example.com
To: to@example.com
Subject: HTML Messages with Embedded Pic in Signature
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="alternative_boundary"

This is a message with multiple parts in MIME format.

--alternative_boundary
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit

test

-- 
[Picture of a Christmas Tree]

--alternative_boundary
Content-Type: multipart/related; boundary="related_boundary"

--related_boundary
Content-Type: text/html; charset="utf-8"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit



    
        
        
    
    
        
test
        
-- 

    


--related_boundary
Content-Type: image/png; name="sig.png"
Content-Disposition: inline; filename="sig.png"
Content-Location: sig.png
Content-ID: <0123456789>
Content-Transfer-Encoding: base64

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--related_boundary--

--alternative_boundary--

You can import that into Sylpheed or Thunderbird (with the Import/Export tools extension) or Opera's built-in mail client. Then, in Opera for example, you can toggle "prefer plain text" to see the difference between the HTML and text version. Anyway, you'll see the HTML version makes use of the embedded pic in the sig.