How to Customize Microsoft Outlook

Once familiar with the ins and outs of Outlook's basic views and e-mail features, it's time to expand beyond what's set in and really make your Outlook your own!

Objectives:

o Reposition and disable the Reading Pane
o Change global font settings
o Use and customize Outlook stationery
o Explore Advanced e-mail options
o Understand the functionality of the Desktop Alert
o Set and create an Out of Office message
o Create and customize toolbars

Reading Pane

The tool that allows users to preview mail in their folders, the Reading Pane, has already been discussed. By default, the Reading Pane in on the right of the screen.

However, the Reading Pane can also be displayed at the bottom of the screen, or turned off completely.

· Reading Pane Below

To create a condition where the Reading Pane is viewed at the bottom of the screen:

1. Select "View" from the top menu.
2. Then "Reading Pane"
3. And finally the option marked "Bottom"

The result changes the perspective from which messages are previewed.

· Reading Pane Off

To turn off of the Reading Pane, follow the same steps as before, (View > Reading Pane), and select "Off" from the menu.

Custom Fonts

If the default font size, style, and color don't just scream "you," then you can change the font to anything that you want!

To begin, select "Tools" and then "Options..." from the main menu.

This will bring up the Options dialog box. Select the Mail Format tab, and then the "Fonts..." button. This will bring up the Fonts dialog box.

From the Fonts dialog box, there are three "Change Font..." buttons, each for a different class of Message Fonts.

i. The first is labeled "When composing a new message"; and it sets the font when initiating a new e-mail message.
ii. The next option sets the font for replying and forwarding e-mails, and is marked, "When replying and forwarding."
iii. The last option, "When composing and reading plain text," is the font used to read e-mails and send e-mails to devices such as a Blackberry that do not have rich-text capabilities.

Select the "Change Font..." button for "Composing a new message"; the Font dialog box appears. From here, several aspects of the default font for all new e-mail messages can be customized.

Outlook Stationery

In Outlook, stationery is a background image that gives the message the appearance of having been typed on a stylized piece of paper.

· Using Stationery

In order to select stationery, begin by navigating to Tools à Options... à Mail Format tab. From here, select "Stationery Picker..." to bring up the Stationery Picker dialog box.

From here, highlight any stationery from the list and press "OK."

Open a new mail message to see your stationery.

· Customize your stationery

To even further personalize your e-mail, you can customize the stationery. To begin, return to the "Stationery Picker" dialog box.

With your desired stationery highlighted, press the "Edit..." button; the Edit Stationery dialog box will appear.

Note: A "Remove" option will be available as well; it deletes the Stationery profile.

· Edit Stationary

From the Edit Stationery dialog box, a number of options are available:

o Change font... - Stationeries have specific font schemes associated with them. This button initiates the Font dialog box and allowed the user to edit the font.
o Picture - With the Picture radio button selected, a user and browse through a dropdown menu of available backgrounds, or use the "Browse..." button to locate an image in another folder or on a different drive.
o Color - If the Color radio button is marked, a dropdown list of colors becomes available. From this list, a background color can be selected.
o Turn off Stationery

To remove the stationery and resume using no backgrounds in your e-mail, return to the Mail Format Tab of the Options dialog box.

From the dropdown menu under the label "Use this stationary by default," select .

· But I only want to change my stationery for just one e-mail

Using stationery for an individual e-mail is possible to do without changing any global settings by using the "Actions" menu.

Select Actions > New Mail Message Using >More Stationery...

The Select a Stationary dialog box will appear...

This tool can be used to select a desired stationery. Once chosen, press "OK" to be taken to a new e-mail message using the stationery.

E-mail Options

Using the advanced e-mail options, Outlook can be further customized to the user's needs. Small details can be adjusted.

Access e-mail options by following the path Tools à Options... from the main menu.

Then, from the Options dialog box, click on the button that is marked "E-mail Options..." to open the corresponding dialog box.

The E-mail Options dialog box allows the user to toggle on or off several message handling options.

Advanced E-mail Options

To open the Advanced E-mail Options dialog box, press the "Advanced E-mail Options button on the E-mail Options dialog box.

Save messages - This area allows the user to specify which folder that unsent items are saved to, and how often unsent items are automatically saved to before sending. The default is once every three minutes.

When items arrive in my Inbox - A number of options exist to customize how Outlook will alert the user of incoming e-mail. The Desktop Alert can be disabled here.

When sending a message - To alter the default setting for sending messages these options can be changed.

Desktop Alerts

A Desktop Alert is a pop-up at that, by default, appears in the lower right-hand corner of the screen when messages are received.

· Desktop Alert Options

Options, such as how long the alert stays on the screen and the level of transparency can be adjusted from the Desktop Alert Dialog box. This screen can be accessed by pressing the button marked "Desktop Alert Settings..." from the Advanced E-mail Options dialog box.

Out of the Office Message

An out of the office message is an auto-response sent to anyone who sends you e-mail while you are not in the office. It can be used not only to say that you're not in, but to also leave a return time, or give instructions on how to contact you.

To set up an out of the office message, access the Out of Office Assistant.

Tools > Out of Office Assistant...

The Out of Office Assistant dialog box will appear.

1. Select the radio button "I am currently Out of the Office."
2. Enter your message on the "AutoReply only once to each sender with the following text" field.
3. Press "OK"
4. Select "I am currently In the Office" to disable the auto-response.

Toolbars

When compiling an e-mail, toolbars are interactive items that contain MS Word editing tools to assist in the composition of an e-mail.

Note: Microsoft Word must be set as the e-mail editor for toolbars to be available.

To open a toolbar:

1. First, begin in a new e-mail.
2. Select "View" from the main menu.
3. Then "Toolbars"
4. A toolbar with a check next to it will show until deselected.
5. A toolbar without a check is not showing.
6. To check or uncheck a specific toolbar, simply click on it from the list.

Customizing a Toolbar

Toolbars can be customized to add or remove icons, or to create a whole new toolbar from scratch. To customize a toolbar navigate to View >Toolbars >Customize...

The Customize dialog box will appear.

1. From the "Commands" tab, used the "Categories" list to select the type of command to add. For this exercise, select "Format."
2. Use the "Commands" list to locate the command or commands to add to a toolbar. In this example, select Character Scaling.
3. Left-click on the command and hold down the button on the mouse, then drag it to the destination toolbar.
4. The pointer will show that it is carrying an item and change its appearance.
5. Hold the cursor over the desired toolbar; a black separator line will appear in the place where the command will be dropped.
6. When the left mouse button is released then the command icon will remain permanently fixed to the toolbar until removed.

· Customizing Buttons

Toolbar command icons can be completly customized to the user's preferences. In order to customize a specific icon, open the Customize dialog box by following the path: View >Toolbars >Customize...

With the Customize box open, left-click on a toolbar icon. When selected, it will become surrounded by a black box.

Press the "Modify Selection" button to bring up a list of tools to modify the icon.

o Reset - Restores the default setting of a button.
o Delete - Removes an icon from a toolbar.
o Name - The name of the icon can be changed; a very helpful tool to help a person remember the function of the command if it's not a common word. The name displays when hovered over with the mouse.
o Change Button Image - Allows the image to be replaced by one existing on the user's computer.
o Default Style - Maintains the icon's default image and settings.
o Text Only (Always) - Removes the icon image so that only text is shown.
o Edit Button Image... - This option initiates the Button Editor dialog box

The Button Editor can be used to change the color of a button image, or to draw a new one from scratch.

· Viewing, Docking, and Floating

With toolbars containing large numbers of command buttons, may time not all of them are in view. In order to be able to see them, look for the double left arrows to the right of a toolbar. Clicking on the arrows will expose a menu of all buttons that are not currently in view.

Toolbars can be moved around to points of convenience of the user and to expose hidden icons. To move a toolbar, place the cursor over the left side of the toolbar, over the four vertical dots; the cursor will show four directional arrows.

o When the four arrows appear, left-click with the mouse and hold down the button; then drag the bar to the left to view the entire bar.
o Drag the bar into the middle of the screen to make it a "floating" toolbar.
o Drag the bar to the top, right, or bottom of the screen to "dock" the toolbar.

Create a New Toolbar

1. It can be very helpful to have all of the most commonly used toolbar buttons in one place for expedient use. Creating a new toolbar can be the solution.
2. Begin by opening the Customize dialog box (View >Toolbars >Customize...)
3. Select the "Toolbars" tab and press the "New..." button
4. The New Toolbar dialog box will appear.
5. Enter "Toolbar name" and select "Make toolbar available to" Normal.
6. Press "OK" to continue.
7. A blank toolbar will appear.
8. Now any buttons can be dragged to the new toolbar from the "Commands" tab.

Using these methods and incorporating them into your daily Outlook use will increase productivity and efficiency.