Formatting your email

Formatting Email

On this page, we're going to cover how to set the message formatting options for various email programs. I can't take responsibilty for any problems your system may experience, so if you aren't comfortable following these directions either ask someone to help you, or leave it as is. If you use a client that I don't have covered here, please let me know because I probably don't use it and don't know how it's options are set.

Netscape Communicator (also applies to Navigator)

Once you have started Netscape, look to the top left of the screen and click on "Edit".
Choose "Preferences" from the list.
On the window that opens, click on the little arrow next to "Mail & Newsgroups". That will expand the list to include more options.
Choose "Messages" from the new list. There are a couple things to look at on this screen.

On the right side of the window find the line that begins "By default, forward messages:" you'll want to make sure that says "Quoted". If it doesn't, click the pull down box and select "Quoted".
On that same screen, look down a couple lines to where it says "Wrap outgoing, plain text messages at:". Click in the box to set your cursor, and type in 70.

Next, look back at the list on the left and click on "Formatting". Only one thing to worry about here, and we're done.

At the top right of the window, click the little diamond next to "Use plain text editor to compose messages." (If you're using a system other than BSD, it'll be a little circle.)

Now, just click "OK" at the bottom of the window, and you're done.

Outlook Express (applies to version 5, earlier versions may vary slightly)

Once you have started Outlook Express, look to the top left of the screen and click on "Tools".
Choose "Options" from the menu that opens.
When the window opens, click on "Send" from the tabs along the top.
From the options now available, check that there is no check mark next to "Reply to messages using the format in which they were sent". If a check mark is there, click on it to make it go away.
Look a little farther down the page to the section titled "Mail Sending Format".
Click the circle next to "Plain Text".
Click on "Plain Text Settings" to the right of that, and a new window should open.

At the line that starts "Automatically wrap text at", enter 70 in the box.
Click "OK" at the bottom of the newest window.

Now just click "Apply" then "OK" to close the first window, and you're done.

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