Mouse Clix

By: Hobie Lunin

Express yourself in Outlook Express

Many people have not discovered the special effects you can create in your e-mail by using the HTML option. It allows you to change the size and color of your text, use stationery designs and even send photos that appear right in the e-mail rather than as an attachment. Sound like fun? If you are not using Outlook or Outlook Express, you may still have that option although M/S Internet Mail and News, the predecessor to Outlook, may not have all the features.

Here is the catch. If you send a letter using any of these HTML (HyperText Markup Language) options, the receiving party must have their options set to HTML as well. To make this change, go to Outlook express Mail and click on Tools and then select Options. Click on Send and select the radio button for HTML in Mail Sending Format. Then click on Apply. That is all you need to do there, but you may want to look at all the other options to improve your mail sending and receiving. I recommend that you click on the spelling tab and have the computer check your mail for spelling before sending.

After you have done that, return to your mail program and get ready to send a new letter. Click on New Mail message. You will note that the new mail has a new wide bar between the Address fields and the field where you type the letter content. When you click your mouse in the letter content field, the toolbar just above it becomes active. The selections from left to right allow you to change the typeface, the size of the font. The next one to the right before the bold selection will make a bulleted or numbered list among other selections. The next four are Bold, Italics Underline and a selection of Font colors. The following 4 are Numbered list, Bulleted list, and indent changes (more and less). The subsequent ones change the alignment similar to those in a word processor, i.e., Left, Right and Center aligned as well as Justified (aligned left and right). Clicking on the black horizontal line that is next will put a line all the way across the page and the last is to create a hyperlink. As Outlook will normally create a link if you type a web address into your letter, this will not be necessary to use. At the end will be an icon that looks like a mountain and sky. Clicking here will allow you to send a picture right in the letter without attaching it! You must know where the photo is when you click on browse after clicking that button. If you do not see any of the last few buttons, your mail format has been reduces slightly and so you need to click the double arrows at the end of that line to see all the options.

If you do not see the toolbar that I am describing, click on Format on the uppermost toolbar (after selecting New Message) and select Rich Text in the drop down menu. Make sure that Send Pictures with Message is clicked. On the same Format menu, you can select a background color for your mail (instead of white), or insert a sound, even a voice message. Note that you can select the sound to be continuous or to play only one time. If you are unsure as to how to record the sound of your voice, please see my article titled The Sound of Music dated 8/16/01 on the site listed at the end of this article. You can also make a picture as the background of your letter.

On this menu, you can also click on Apply Stationery. There is a list there of several styles, to see what they look like, click on More Stationery and then in the next screen click on each of the stationery names to see a preview in the window at the right end. Click OK on the one you like and it will appear in the letter. In the future, if you wish a shortcut to stationery, click on the small down arrow just to the right of New Mail, and make your selection there. You can also select a web address to mail a page to a friend.

While we are looking at all the options in Outlook Express, have a look at the uppermost tool bar. Take note that you can block messages from any source, once you have that sources letter highlighted. Just click on Message and then select Block Sender. You can also make some other “Rules” regarding your mail when you select it from the menu.

Take note that by using the selections on the toolbars you can change the look of your mail screen such that it more suits your style. E.g., I personally do not like the folders list on the left, it takes away from the room required to read long letters. Selecting View, Layout and unchecking Folder List and Contacts can easily eliminate this. In addition, by selecting Size from the selection from View, Columns, you will be able to see the size of your letters to determine how much Hard Drive is being used to store them.

You now can create some very original looking mail, sure to attract attention even when your letter may be among dozens in someone’s e-mail box. If you have any questions, or want to show off your new creation, please send me mail (address below).

Dear Readers: Some of you may have noticed that this column passed its first anniversary a few weeks ago. I wish to thank all of you for being faithful readers and especially those who have taken the time to send me your comments.

Hobie Lunin is an Instructor and Consultant. He can be reached at mouseclix2@yahoo.com. Previous columns are at http://mouseclix.tripod.com.