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Microsoft Outlook 2007

Email Message Formats

When creating a message in Outlook 2007, you have three text formatting styles to choose from. Each style has specific characteristics, advantages, and disadvantages that should be considered before making a choice.

return to topUnderstanding Message Formats

Review the following types of message formats to determine which will best suit your needs.

Format Characteristics
Plain Text Messages do not contain any special formatting.
NOTE: If you send a lot of email over the Internet, Plain Text may be the best choice. Plain Text allows all recipients to be able to read your messages.
Rich Text Messages may contain text formatting, bulleted lists, color, and alignment.
NOTE: Not all recipients may be able to read Rich Text formatting.
HTML Messages may contain any Rich Text formatting, as well as numbered lists, horizontal lines, backgrounds, HTML styles, and web pages.
NOTES:
Not all recipients may be able to read HTML formatting.
If a recipient cannot read HTML formatting, they will receive a message with Plain Text formatting with an attachment that can be opened in a web browser.

return to topSetting a Default Message Format

Setting a default message format will change the formatting of all new messages.

NOTE: Messages created before the formatting change will maintain their original formatting.

  1. From the Tools menu, select Options...
    The Options dialog box appears.

  2. Select the Mail Format tab
    Options dialog box displaying the Mail Format tab

  3. From the Message format section, in the Compose in this message format pull-down list, select the desired default format
    NOTE: To ensure readability for all recipients, select Plain Text.

  4. Click OK
    The Options dialog box closes.

return to topModifying Original Messages in Replies & Forwards

When you forward or reply to a message, the original message appears at the bottom of the message. You can customize how you want this original message to appear.

The following table explains the available options.

Option Description
Do not include original message The original message does not appear.
Attach original message The original message appears in an attachment.
NOTE: This option is not available in forwarded messages.
Include original message text The original message appears below the forwarded or replied message.
Include and indent original message text The original message appears indented below the forwarded or replied message.
Prefix each line of the original message

The original message appears below the forwarded or replied message with a character appearing before each line of text.
NOTE: The preferred prefix is customizable. When selecting this option, the Prefix each line with text box is accessible. You may edit the contents of the Prefix each line with text box to your liking.

  1. From the Tools menu, select Options...
    The Options dialog box appears.

  2. Select the Preferences tab

  3. In the E-mail section, click E-MAIL OPTIONS...
    The E-mail Options dialog box appears.
    E-mail Options dialog box: On replies and forwards section

  4. To change how the original message will appear in outgoing replies, from the On replies and forwards section, in the When replying to a message pull-down list, select the desired option

  5. To change how the original message will appear in outgoing forwards, from the On replies and forwards, in the When forwarding a message pull-down list, select the desired option

  6. Click OK
    The E-mail Options dialog box closes.

  7. Click OK
    The Options dialog box closes.

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