Personalize Your E-Mail Messages
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Whether for special times of the year or for everyday correspondence, you can put your singular stamp on e-mail. With Outlook Express you can use a distinctive personal signature, unique text style, and even e-stationery. Here's how.
Note: You can only see formatting (including stationery) in messages that are composed using Rich Text (HTML) format. To make sure HTML formatting is turned on in Outlook Express, click the Format menu in a new message window: a black dot by the Rich Text (HTML) command shows that it's activated.
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Create a Personal Signature for All Messages
One advantage of the letterhead on business papers is that you don’t have to repeat information on every piece of correspondence. You can duplicate that advantage in e-mail by creating a special signature that doubles as letterhead and signature. Outlook can then append it automatically to new messages, or you can sign each one individually.
1. | On the Outlook Express Tools menu, click Options, and then click the Signatures tab. |
2. | Click the New button as shown below. |
3. | Type your signature as you want it to appear as shown below. |
4. | If you want this signature on all your e-mail (except replies and forwards), check Add signatures to all outgoing messages (shown below). |
5. | When you're finished, click OK.  Signatures tab on the Options window |
Add Your Signature to Messages as You Go
Although Outlook Express is smart about not adding your signature when you reply to an e-mail message or forward it, you may want more control over when your full signature is added. Maybe you've created a business-like signature, and don't want it on messages to friends and family (they know who you are, after all!). Or perhaps you have two signatures—one for business and one for more personal correspondence. In such situations, follow the steps below to add a signature you've already created, message by message.
1. | On the Outlook Express Tools menu, click Options, and then click the Signatures tab. |
2. | Make sure that the Add signatures to all outgoing messages check box is clear, and click OK. |
3. | Compose your e-mail message. |
4. | To sign your message, click the Insert menu on the e-mail message, point to Signature, and then click your signature. |
Change the Text Style for All Messages
If you want to put your own individual stamp on all messages you send, there is no easier way to do this than to tinker with the formatting.
1. | On the Outlook Express Tools menu, click Options, and then click the Compose tab. |
2. | In the Compose Font area, click the Font Settings button for Mail. |
3. | Choose the font and style you want, and then click OK twice. |
Change the Text Style of One Message
If you know how to format text in Microsoft Word, you know how to do it in Outlook Express.
1. | In the e-mail message, select the text you want to format. |
2. | On the Formatting Bar, click the buttons for the options you want as shown below.  Formatting toolbar and changing message text format |
Tip: If you don't see the formatting choices shown above, on the View menu in a message, point to Toolbars, and then click Formatting Bar.
Use the Same Stationery for All Messages
Use e-stationery—a colorful background, a graphic image, even colored text—to give a message that extra flair. And if you've hit upon the stationery that is just so you, you can use it for every message you send.
1. | On the Outlook Express Tools menu, click Options. |
2. | Click the Compose tab as shown below. |
3. | Click to check the Mail box, and then click Select.  Compose tab on the Options box |
4. | Browse through the list, click the name of the stationery you want to use, and then click OK.  Select Stationery box Caution: Outlook Express previews each stationery you click—in this example, you can see a preview of the Leaves stationery.
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Use Stationery for One Message
Now and then you'll want a stationery for a special occasion—for example, a holiday message.
1. | Open the Outlook Express stationery collection:
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2. | Browse through the list, and when you’ve found the one you want, click OK.
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