Format the timezone of a datetime field in a Visualforce email template

To format a datetime field in a specific timezone within a Visualforce email template, follow these steps:

Step 1: Create an Apex Controller Class

Create an Apex controller class that accepts a DateTime value and an optional format string, and returns the DateTime formatted in a specified timezone using Apex's DateTime.format(String, String) method.

In Lightning: Go to Setup | Custom Code | Apex Classes | New. In Classic: Go to Setup | App Setup | Develop | Apex Classes | New.

The controller class below (controller_formatted_datetime) reads a datetime value and an optional format string from the component's attribute tags, then returns the formatted datetime. To specify a different timezone, replace 'PST' with the desired timezone identifier (e.g., 'IST', 'CST', 'America/New_York'):

public class controller_formatted_datetime {
 public DateTime date_time {
  get;
  set;
 } //property that reads the datetime value from component attribute tag
 public String defined_format {
  get;
  set;
 } //property that reads the string value from component attribute tag
 public String getFormattedDatetime() {
  if (date_time == null)

  {
   return '';
  } else {

   if (defined_format == null) {
    return date_time.format(); //return the full date/time in user's locale and time zone
   } else {
    return date_time.format(defined_format, 'PST'); //Specify Time zone like IST,CST
   }

  }

 }

}

Step 2: Create a Visualforce Component

Create a Visualforce component that binds to the controller and exposes the datetime value and format string as input attributes. This component can then be embedded in an email template.

In Lightning: Go to Setup | Custom Code | Visualforce Components. In Classic: Go to Setup | App Setup | Develop | Components.

The following component code (name: VFEmailTempComp) binds to the controller class and exposes two attributes — the DateTime value to render and an optional format string:

<apex:component access="global" controller="controller_formatted_datetime">{!FormattedDatetime}
<apex:attribute assignTo="{!date_time}" description="The DateTime value to be rendered" name="date_time_value" type="DateTime"></apex:attribute>
<apex:attribute assignTo="{!defined_format}" description="The optional format to use for the DateTime value to be rendered" name="date_time_format" type="String"></apex:attribute>
</apex:component>

Step 3: Create the Visualforce Email Template

Create a Visualforce email template and embed the component. Pass the desired datetime value and format string as attribute values.

In Lightning: Go to Setup | Email | Classic Email Templates | New Template | Visualforce. In Classic: Go to Setup | Administration Setup | Communication Templates | Email Templates.

The following email template code embeds the VFEmailTempComp component and uses the NOW() function to display the current time formatted in PST timezone. Adjust the date_time_format attribute to match your desired format pattern:

<messaging:emailTemplate subject="Testing DateTime Format" recipientType="Contact" >
   <messaging:plainTextEmailBody >
      Formatted: 
      <c:VFEmailTempComp date_time_value="{!NOW()}" date_time_format="EEE MMM d kk:mm:ss z yyyy" />
   </messaging:plainTextEmailBody>
</messaging:emailTemplate>

To use a different timezone, update the controller_formatted_datetime class and replace 'PST' with your required timezone string:

return date_time.format(defined_format,'<Your Time Zone>'); // replace <Your Time Zone> with the time zone which you need the current time in.

Note: This is a sample code and needs to be customized according to your specific business need.