OL2000: Selecting or Changing Your Message Format

This article describes the options for changing the format of an e-mail message. You can change the format of an e-mail message either before, or after you begin composing the message. The options available depend on which editor you are using to create the message, what you set as the default format, and if you select the format before or after you start editing the new message.

To Select the Default E-mail Format

To set the default format, on the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the Mail Format tab. Under Mail format, the choices are HTML, Microsoft Outlook Rich Text, and Plain Text.

To Select the Format Prior to Creating a New Message

You have the most flexibility for choosing the format if you do so prior to creating a new e-mail message. On the Actions menu, point to New Mail Message Using, and then click to select the format.

If Microsoft Outlook Rich Text is set as your default format, the choices under New Mail Message Using are:

• More Stationery
• Microsoft Word (Rich Text)
• Microsoft Office
• Plain Text
• Microsoft Outlook Rich Text
• HTML (No Stationery)

If Plain Text is set as your default format, the choices under New Mail Message Using are:

• More Stationery
• Microsoft Word (Plain Text)
• Microsoft Office
• Plain Text
• Microsoft Outlook Rich Text
• HTML (No Stationery)

If HTML is set as your default format, the choices under New Mail Message Using are:

• More Stationery
• Microsoft Word (HTML)
• Microsoft Office
• Plain Text
• Microsoft Outlook Rich Text
• HTML (No Stationery)

To Select the Format Using Outlook As the Editor

On the File menu, when you point to New, and then click Mail Message, you open the Outlook e-mail editor. The format is inherited from whatever you set as your default format. To switch formats in a new e-mail message, click the Format menu and make your selection. Your choices depend on the default Outlook e-mail format setting.

If Plain Text is set as your default format, the choices on the Format menu are:

• Plain Text
• Rich Text
• HTML

If Microsoft Outlook Rich Text is set as your default format, the choices on the Format menu are:

• Plain Text
• Rich Text

If HTML is set as your default format, the choices on the Format menu are:

• Rich Text
• HTML

To Select the Format Using Word As the Editor

To add the ability to change the format when using Word as your e-mail editor, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: