Viva Amplify: images in Outlook emails appear blurry/pixelated

Microsoft has not published a fixed Viva Amplify image dimension or format that resolves this problem; customize the Outlook channel, use the full Image web part, and send a test email before publishing.

Recommended workflow

1. Open the publication and select Distribution channels.
2. Select Outlook, then choose Customize. Changes made here affect only the Outlook version, not the main draft or other channels.^1^
3. In the Outlook version:
   • Remove the existing image.
   • Add it again using + → Image, rather than pasting it inside a Text web part.
   • Avoid multi-column placement for critical graphics. Outlook converts two- and three-column Amplify sections into a single-column layout, which can change the rendered image size.^2^
4. From Add audience, select Send yourself a test email, then inspect the received message in Outlook for Windows, Outlook on the web, and mobile. Microsoft notes that the Amplify preview may not exactly match the receiving applications.^1^

The full Image web part is the supported choice for conversion. Microsoft specifically says that inline images pasted into a Text web part are converted differently in generated email and recommends relying on the full Image web part for the best conversion results.^3^

Image dimensions and format

There is no documented official pixel recommendation specifically for Viva Amplify images sent through Outlook. The available Microsoft guidance establishes:

• Amplify email distributions use a 600-pixel distribution width, although the explicit warning is documented for conversion of larger tables—not as an image-size specification.^3^
• Title images look best with a landscape or 16:9-or-wider aspect ratio.^4^
• The maximum image attachment size is 12,582,912 bytes, but that is only a file-size limit and does not guarantee image quality.^4^

Therefore, recommendations such as “1200-pixel banners” or “600–800-pixel content images” should be treated as email-design heuristics, not official Viva Amplify specifications. Since PNG, JPEG, and several source sizes have already produced the same result, repeating those variations is unlikely to isolate this case.

Is it a known issue?

There is a matching public Q&A report concerning image quality in Viva Amplify Outlook emails, but it currently has no accepted or recommended answer.^5^ That supports the existence of similar reports, but it is not confirmation of a formally acknowledged product incident or a published fix.

Because the degradation appears in Windows, web, and mobile—and became worse over time—it is less consistent with a single-client display or Windows DPI setting. If the Outlook-specific Image web part test remains blurry:

1. Ask a Microsoft 365 administrator to check Microsoft 365 admin center → Health → Service health for Viva Amplify, SharePoint Online, or Exchange Online advisories.
2. Open a Microsoft 365 support request and provide:
   • The Amplify campaign/publication URL or ID.
   • Original image dimensions, format, and file size.
   • A copy of the received test message.
   • Screenshots comparing the Amplify editor, Outlook preview, and received email.
   • The approximate date when quality began deteriorating.
   • Confirmation that it reproduces across Outlook Windows, web, and mobile.
3. Request confirmation of whether the generated Outlook image asset is being resized or recompressed during Amplify’s channel conversion.

A SharePoint Administrator can manage Amplify settings, support tickets, and service health, although that role is not required merely to create publications.^6^

References

1. Preview and customize a Viva Amplify publication | Microsoft Support
2. Formatting changes for Viva Amplify | Microsoft Support
3. Create a publication in Microsoft Viva Amplify | Microsoft Support
4. Create a publication in Microsoft Viva Amplify
5. How to fix image quality for Viva Amplify Outlook emails
6. Admin roles and tasks in Microsoft Viva