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Level 2 - Message Options

Print this page: Message Formats (pdf)          

Message Formats

Message formats refers to the way information about a message is encoded and will determine how the message can be displayed. Three of the most commonly used message formats include plain text, rich text and HTML, with HTML being Outlook's default message fault, see table below:
Message Format What is Displayed
HTML All text formatting, numbering, bullets, alignment, pictures, stationery, signatures, and Web pages. This is the default Outlook format.
Plain Text Text only. Does not display pictures, colors, or any text formatting such as bold or italics. Readable by all email programs.
Rich Text Format (RTF) Text formatting, bullets, and alignment.

Specify Individual Message Formats

  1. In a new message, click the message format button to display the drop-down list and select the desired message format (HTML, Rich Text or Plain Text). The default is HTML .
  2. Enter the message body as desired.
  3. Send the message.

Modifying the Default Message Format

If you wish to change the format for all newly created email messages:
  1. Choose Tools --> Options to open the dialog box.
  2. Select the Mail Format tab.
  3. From the Compose In This Message Format drop-down list, select the desired message format.
  4. Click OK.