Format text in an e‑mail or newsgroup message

Applies to all editions of Windows Vista.
Which edition of Windows Vista am I using?

If you want your e‑mail messages to contain formatting such as multiple fonts, bold text, colored headings, graphics, and links to websites, you can send your messages in Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) format. When creating a message in HTML format, you can use the Formatting toolbar directly above the message composition box to add styles such as bold or italic to your text, change the font, center text, or other options.

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To send all messages in HTML format

Open Windows Mail by clicking the Start button Picture of the Start button , clicking All Programs, and then clicking Windows Mail.

Click the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the Send tab.

Do either of the following:

•	To send all e‑mail messages in HTML format, under Mail Sending Format, click HTML.
•	To send all newsgroup messages in HTML format, under News Sending Format, click HTML.

To send an individual message in HTML format

1.	Open Windows Mail by clicking the Start button , clicking All Programs, and then clicking Windows Mail.
2.	Click Create Mail to create a new e‑mail message, or click New Post to create a new newsgroup message.
3.	Click the Format menu, and then click Rich Text (HTML).

Notes

Not all e‑mail programs properly display HTML-formatted messages. If your recipient's e‑mail program doesn't support HTML, the message will appear as plain text with an HTML file attached.
In most newsgroups, it's considered poor etiquette to post HTML-formatted messages; plain text is typically the preferred format for newsgroup messages.

Format text in an e‑mail or newsgroup message

To send all messages in HTML format

To send an individual message in HTML format

See also