Distributing animation via e-mail - howto?

[PAWU]

Hello and good morning!

I'm working on an animation that we want to distribute via e-mail. To be specific, it's an animated Christmas card. How can we make sure that the animation plays in the users preferred e-mail program?

To be more precise: the animation will contain some mouse over effects.

I have access to web servers if the solution would include hosting the animation externally. It can also be a hybrid solution (example: in-mail animated gif and the link to the web site...).

What are my options?

[marjantrajkovski]

JavaScript won't work in most email programs.

Export to animated GIF or export PNG sequences and then create animated APNG with APNG Assembler

[PAWU]

I've experienced that an animated GIF did also not work in Outlook (?2010). So APNG will probably not work neither.

Also: there is some interaction, mouse over action, so I suppose that APNG is not suitable.

[kglad · Accepted solution]

you can place a link (in the email) to point to a canvas/html5 animation on your server. 

[PAWU]

Yes, I fear that this is the only possibility. But at least, I would like to have some animation in my e-mail. But I fear that this will not work, even not with gif.

[marjantrajkovski]

2/3 of email users use browser gmail which support animated GIF and PNG.