How to compose all messages in Outlook 2010 as plain text

When you compose a new email in Microsoft Outlook, you will likely do so using the HTML or Rich Text formatting option.

These types of emails give you more control over the content you include in your messages, which means you can take full advantage of all the options in the Outlook email editor.

However, some recipients may not see this content due to how email providers handle mail.

Our tutorial will show you how to compose all messages in Outlook 2010 in plain text so you can be sure that all your recipients will see everything you write.

How to use the plain text format in Outlook

  1. Open Outlook.
  2. Select the “File” tab.
  3. Click the Options button.
  4. Select the Mail tab.
  5. Click the “Compose messages in this format” drop-down menu, then select “Plain Text.”
  6. Click OK.

Our guide continues below with more information on how to compose all messages in Outlook 2010 in plain text, including images of these steps.

Microsoft Outlook 2010 has a number of different features that allow you to format text or add HTML elements to email messages that you create with the program.

This is one of the reasons why HTML is chosen as the default method for writing new posts. Today, most popular email programs and providers support HTML email, which is a much more efficient way to format what you’re trying to send.

But if you don’t want to use HTML to write your emails, you can learn how to compose all messages in Outlook 2010 as plain text.

This is a setting you can select at any time, and you can set it as the default for all future posts you make.

How to Type in Plain Text by Default in Outlook 2010 (Illustrated Guide)

You may have already learned how to write a single message in plain text in Outlook 2010, but this option is not suitable for future messages.

You will then have to go and select the plain text option for each message you want to compose in this format, which can get tedious.

So keep reading to learn how to use plain text as the default for all messages in Outlook 2010.

Step 1: Launch Microsoft Outlook 2010.

Step two: Click on the File tab in the upper left corner of the window.

Outlook 2010 file tab

Step 3: Click Options at the bottom of the column on the left side of the window.

Outlook options in Outlook 2010

Step 4: Click on Mail on the left side of the Outlook Options window.

Open your Outlook 2010 mail list

Step 5: Click the drop-down menu to the right of “Compose messages in this format” in the “Compose messages” section at the top of the window, then select the “Plain Text” option.

How to compose all messages in Outlook 2010 as plain text

Step 6: Click the OK button at the bottom of the window.

Now that you know how to compose all messages in Outlook 2010 as plain text, you can configure Outlook so that email messages you compose use this type of formatting instead of HTML or Rich Text.

Any future message you type in Outlook 2010 will be converted to plain text by default. If you want to change this setting, you’ll need to go back and follow the instructions in this guide, then choose HTML or Rich Text from the drop-down menu.