Some images appear sideways in emails because certain email apps ignore orientation data stored in the image file. This issue most commonly affects images added to campaigns or automations in Seguno Email Marketing and viewed in Microsoft Outlook for desktop.
Why this happens
Many images, especially photos taken on mobile devices, contain EXIF (Exchangeable Image File Format) metadata. This metadata tells apps how the image should be rotated.
Some email clients support this metadata, while others ignore it.
When an email client ignores EXIF orientation data, the image displays using its original camera orientation, which can cause it to appear sideways or upside down.
This behavior is most commonly seen in:
Microsoft Outlook for desktop on Windows
Older or limited email rendering engines
Mobile email apps and webmail clients usually display the image correctly, which can make the issue appear inconsistent.
How to fix sideways images before sending
Follow these steps before uploading an image into Seguno.
Steps to fix sideways images
Open the image in image editing software
Use any basic editor, such as Preview on macOS, Photos on Windows, or a photo editing app.
Rotate the image to the correct orientation
Even if the image already looks correct, rotate it manually.
Export or save a new copy of the image
Use the export or save-as option to create a new file. This removes EXIF orientation metadata.
Upload the new image into Seguno
Add the exported image to your campaign, automation, or template.
The newly exported image will display correctly across all supported email clients.
Note:
There are other, more technical ways to remove the EXIF metadata, such as the one outlined here.
For further support with images, please contact Seguno Support.
FAQs
Why does the image look correct in Gmail but sideways in Outlook?
Gmail supports EXIF orientation metadata. Microsoft Outlook for desktop may ignore it, causing the image to display incorrectly.
Does Seguno rotate or modify images automatically?
No. Seguno displays images exactly as uploaded to ensure consistent rendering across email clients.
Can I remove EXIF metadata without editing the image visually?
Yes. Advanced tools can strip EXIF metadata without changing the image, but exporting a new copy is the simplest method for most merchants.