Convert Sketch Designs to HTML Newsletters with Slinky

By Jake Rocheleau. in Web Design. Updated on September 4, 2019.

Most code exporting tools are clunky and not very reliable. However, Slinky is a different kind of exporter for Sketch, that turns your designs into fully-compatible newsletter templates.

It’s easy to find newsletter ideas and recreate your favorites in a design program. But, usually hard-coding the newsletter takes a lot of time that could be used elsewhere. This is where Slinky really shines.

Just install the plugin and design your newsletter mockup with Sketch. Then, from the top menu click Plugins > Slinky > Export selected artboard. This brings up a new menu to pick where to export the files and what to call the newsletter.

Within a few seconds, you have got a template ready to go, that is fully compliant with all the major email programs. But, it is a good idea to still test your newsletters to make sure they look right.

Much like other code exporting tools, Slinky is not perfect. For example, all images need to be marked as “exportable” in Sketch if you want them included as separate items in the HTML code.

It’s a minor annoyance but this plugin can still save you a lot of time compared to writing HTML/CSS templates from scratch. It all depends on how much you need to get done.

To learn more about this plugin and the requirements, check out the main GitHub repo. It’s an excellent place to browse the usage guidelines and you can even find contact details for the creators at Finch if you have any questions or suggestions.

This plugin is 100% free for any project, so Slinky is a great choice regardless of your coding skills. Just visit the plugin page and download a copy to start pumpin’ out email templates right from Sketch.