Ever wonder why your email may automatically format bullet on some occasions and then other times it doesn’t? Or sometimes you can’t insert an image into a message that you are responding to? Well, one reason for these issues is the format that email is being created with. There are three different formats for email messages in Microsoft Outlook: HTML, Plain Text and Rich Text. The HTML format is the most common format for email. This format allows your email messages to have the broadest range of formatting choices, embed pictures and background themes, as well as other options. While HTML is the most common format – you may run into email sometimes that is in another format. Some senders don’t have their email program set to create HTML messages, perhaps because of the larger file size of HTML messages or because their email program cannot create email in the HTML format.
The other two formats, Plain Text and Rich Text formats are more basic and less frequently used. Plain Text only sends numbers and letters. It does not allow for formatting or other frills, but it does ensure that the recipient (even those with less sophisticated email programs) can read your message. The Rich Text format, a combination of the two other formats, is usually only available in Microsoft programs, so you will typically want to choose either HTML or plain text.
To change the format of an email in Microsoft Outlook, click the Format Text tab on the message’s ribbon and choose the desired format from the displayed Format options.
To change the default format for all new messages in Outlook, click the File tab on the ribbon in Outlook and Go to Options. Then click the category for Mail. From there, choose the desired format from the Compose messages in this format field.
