After you choose your message editor, you must choose your message format. The message format is the actual file format used to transmit the message. Outlook has three message formats you can choose from: HTML, rich text, and plain text. In Outlook 2003, the default mail format is HTML. HTML Versus Rich Text Format Versus Plain TextThe differences between the three message formats are best illustrated in a table. Table 18.1 explains the differences in the three available message formats.
You can use each of the available mail formats whether you're using WordMail or the native Outlook editor. How Other Mail Clients Interpret Mail Sent from OutlookPrevious versions of Outlook defaulted to rich text format. This caused numerous problems with Internet email messages. Non-Outlook clients cannot interpret rich text formatting information. That information (along with attachment information) was encapsulated into a file, usually called Winmail.dat, and transmitted with the message. Any attachments sent with the message usually weren't received by the end recipient. Instead, the attachments were converted into information stored in the Winmail.dat file. You can still choose to use rich text format to compose your email messages, but doing so is recommended only in an Exchange environment when you'll primarily be sending messages to other Exchange recipients. Each message format has an effect on how your recipients will see your Outlook message. The following list illustrates how recipients will receive each type of Outlook message:
Choose your> mail format based on the individuals you send messages to and the types of messages you send. Sending formatted newsletters often requires HTML format. Sending to users in your Exchange organization is best done with either HTML or rich text format. Sending messages that are universally viewable is best with plain text format. After you choose a global mail format, you can still change the format on a message-by-message basis. With Word as your email editor, a drop-down list on the new message toolbar enables you to select HTML, rich text, or plain text. If you're using the native Outlook editor, you can select the Format menu and choose from Plain Text or HTML format. If your default message format is HTML and you want to switch to rich text, you'll need to first switch to plain text and then switch to rich text. You cannot directly switch from HTML to rich text. However, you can switch directly from plain text or rich text to either other format. |