Mail Formatting Tips
Outlook has many options for formatting Mail Messages. The tip for this week will cover several of the most useful options.
Remember, if you have ideas for the Computing Tip of the Week,please send them to Pat Fellows.
Using Word or HTML as the message editor
Users have a choice of using MS Word or HTML as the editor of mail messages. There are pros and cons for each however HTML is the recommended editor.
Using MS Word as the editor allows the user to take advantage of all the formatting tools in Word, and take advantage of using the familiar toolbars from Word. One drawback is that most documentation is written for the HTML editor. There are also several tools in Outlook that are located in different places when Word is the editor compared to when HTML is the editor. When using HTML as the editor, the toolbars are a bit different, but it is very user friendly. If there is something that can't be done with HTML, but can be done using Word, create it in Word and attach it to the message or copy and paste it into the message. Just to reiterate, HTML is the preferred editor.
Here is how users can see which editor they are using (if you are unsure) and how the change the editor.
In the Inbox, go to Tools>Options. The Options dialog box opens. Next click on the Mail Format tab. Under Mail Format, take a look at the options. They are shown in the image below.
Basically, users can change from Word to HTML by adding or removing a check from the check box in front of "Use Microsoft Office Word 2003 to edit e-mail messages".
Attaching Documents to a Mail Message
Once a new message is open users can attach documents to the message several ways. The first is to click on the paperclip icon on the Standard Toolbar.
This will open the Insert File dialog box. Locate the file and select it. Then click on the Insert button.
Another method is to have the new message open and open "My Computer". Search for the file and select it. Then click on the file and drag it from the dialog box into the new message. This will attach the file to the message.
A third option is to send the file from the MS Office software while the file is open. For example, to send a Word document once it is completed, save the file and then click on File>Send to>Mail Recipient (as attachment). This will open a new mail message with the file already attached. Using this technique will require the user insert their Signature in the message, as it is not automatically added when using this technique.
Attaching Outlook Objects to a Mail Message
Objects in Outlook are things like a mail message, a contact, a calendar event, a meeting request, a distribution list, a task, or a note. Outlook has great drag and drop functionality and is very useful in this situation.
Any object in Outlook can be attached to a new mail message by opening the new mail message and then dragging the item to be attached to the new mail message and dropping it on the message. For example, when setting up a meeting, the meeting request from your calendar can be attached to a mail message to send to individuals who are not on our Exchange system. This will provide them with all the details of the meeting. Another example is when a user creates a personal distribution list and they want to share it with the group of users that are on the list. Create a mail message to those users, and drag the distribution list from the Contacts folder onto the new mail message. Then send the message. The recipients can then drag the attached distribution list to their own Contacts folder.
The other method that can be used to attach an Outlook object to a mail message is to open a new mail message, click on Insert>Item. This will open an Insert Item dialog box as shown below. Click on the folder where the item is stored. For example, click on Mail or the Inbox for a mail message, and then locate the item and select it. Click on the Attachment radio button and then click on OK. Finish the message and click on the Send button.
Using a Comma to Separate Addresses in the "To:" Text Box
The default delimiter for Outlook when addressing a mail message to multiple users is the semi-colon. Users who come to Outlook from other mail systems where a comma was used can change the settings in Outlook so a comma will work as the delimiter. Begin by going to the Menu bar and clicking on Tools>Options. This will open the Options dialog box. Click on the E-mail Options button and then click on the Advanced E-mail Options button. In the When sending a message portion of the dialog box, put a check mark in the "Allow comma as address separator" check box. Then click on OK for each dialog box until you return to the Inbox.
This is just a quick look at helpful hints when creating mail messages. There are many more. If you have a favorite, please share it with Pat Fellows. I'll gather a group of them to create a future computing tip.