I believe "You should know that…" is commonly understood as something along the lines of: "It would be good for you to know that …".
However, in a written sentence it's impossible to know where to put the emphasis:
- You should know that …
- It would be good for you to know that …
- You should know that …
- You of all people should know that …
- You should know that …
- You should know by now that …
In a mail, a comment online or some other informal way of communicating, is it clear that the sentence is a "friendly" one, or might the receiver think you're being hostile?
It's inspired by this comment by the way. I realized afterwards that it could be taken almost like an insult.
Best Answer
The reader's interpretation could depend on the context.
Some alternatives which are less potentially ambiguous:
I should tell you that...
Be aware that...
Be advised that...
Keep in mind that... (This is perhaps even more polite because it pretends that the reader already knew whatever it is, so you aren't faulting them for not knowing.)