Welcome to Newsletter Studio! This guide will walk you through creating and preparing your very first newsletter. We'll cover the basics of the editor, adding content, and getting your communication ready to send.

The goal here is to get you started quickly. For a deep dive into all design components and advanced features, please see our other guides.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have been granted access to the Contribution Center and have permission to use Newsletter Studio. If you cannot access it, please contact your administrator.

Step 1: Create a New Newsletter

Your journey begins in the Jint Contribution Center.

1. Open the Contribution Center.
2. In the left-hand menu, find the "Share content" section and click on Newsletter Studio.
3. Click the "Create a newsletter" button.
4. You can choose to start from a blank template or a pre-designed template provided by Jint. For this guide, select "Blank template".

You are now in the Newsletter Studio editor.

Jint template available

Step 2: Understanding the Editor Interface

The editor is designed to be intuitive. It is divided into three main areas, as shown in the image below:

1. Components Panel (Left): This is your toolbox. It contains all the building blocks for your newsletter, such as Section, Text, Button, and News. To add an element, simply drag it from this panel onto the canvas. 
   The Outline at the bottom shows you the structure of your newsletter.
2. Editor Canvas (Center): This is your live preview. Whatever you build appears here exactly as your readers will see it. All your changes are saved automatically in real-time. You can confirm this by looking at the Saved status at the top. You won't lose your work if you leave and come back later!
3. Settings Panel (Right): This panel is contextual. When you click on an element on your canvas its specific settings will appear here. If you click on the background, you will see the global Page settings, where you can set the Email Subject, a global Font, and a Theme Color.

Step 3: Add Your Content

Let's build a simple newsletter.

1. Set the Subject: In the Settings Panel on the right, enter a catchy title in the Email Subject field. This is what your recipients will see in their inbox.
2. Add a Title: Drag the Text component from the left panel onto your canvas. Type your main title, and use the text formatting options that appear in the right panel to make it larger and bolder.
3. Add an Image: Drag the Image component below your title. Click on the image block, and the settings will appear on the right, allowing you to upload an image from your computer or link to one via a URL.
4. Add a Call-to-Action: Drag the Button component onto the canvas. Click on it, and in the right panel, you can change the button text (e.g., "Read More") and enter the URL it should link to.

Step 4: Add SharePoint News

A key feature of Newsletter Studio is its integration with SharePoint.

1. Drag the News component onto your canvas.
2. A news selector will appear, allowing you to browse and select recent news articles from your SharePoint sites.
3. Check the articles you want to include and click "Add". They will automatically appear in your newsletter, formatted with a thumbnail, title, and a link to the full article.

Step 5: Preview and Continue

Before sending, always check how your newsletter looks on different devices.

1. Use the desktop and mobile icons at the top of the canvas to toggle between views.
2. Once you are happy with your design, click the Continue button in the bottom-right corner. This will save your work and take you to the final screen where you can select your recipients and schedule the send.

What's Next?

Congratulations, you've designed your first newsletter! The next steps are covered in our detailed guides:

• Guide: Designing & Building Newsletters to learn about all the advanced components and layout options.
• Publish and manage a newsletter to learn how to select your audience, send a test email, and publish your communication.