Plus: the 3-line dark-mode fix, and a preheader checklist you'll steal. ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ 

Issue 12 · July 2026

The Rendering Report

Field notes from the strangest runtime on the internet: the inbox.

 

Lead story

Outlook did what to your border-radius?

Outlook for Windows still renders email with Microsoft Word's engine — which means no border-radius, no flexbox, and padding that behaves like it's 2006. The classic fix isn't fighting it; it's designing so the square-cornered fallback still looks intentional.

This issue walks the three-layer approach: VML roundrects for buttons where the shape earns its keep, honest rectangles everywhere else, and a testing habit that catches the Word engine before your subscribers do.

Read the full teardown →
 

Dark mode

The 3-line fix for inverted logos

Outlook.com repaints your colours whether you like it or not. [data-ogsc] selectors give you a say in what it paints.

The snippet →

Deliverability

Preheaders: the 90-character audition

Your preview text is the second subject line. A checklist for writing it on purpose — and the ‌ trick that stops body copy leaking in.

The checklist →

One-line tip

Gmail clips messages over 102KB — and clipped emails hide your unsubscribe link, which hurts sender reputation. Minify before you send, not after the complaint.

The Rendering Report (demo publication) · 42 Inbox Road, Bengaluru 560025, IN
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Written & engineered by Abhishek E T