Adding a personal touch to your emails

Rich formatting
Although most emails are sent as drab text, they can also be created in HTML. This is the same technique used to create web pages, so it allows a high level of control over how an email looks. Most email programs and services can read and display HTML emails, although some mobile phones can’t.

HTML emails can include pictures and graphics, but there are three important considerations to note here. First, emails that include lots of images will be large and slow to send, receive and open, especially if the recipient has only a dial-up connection. Second, many email programs will not show the pictures until the recipient confirms that they wish to do so. Finally, remember that using too many images can look garish.

Both Google Mail and Windows Live Hotmail allow you to send emails in HTML format, although they give it a different name. In Google Mail, it’s called Rich Formatting, whereas in Windows Live Mail it’s called Rich Text.

In Google Mail you’ll see a link to the setting not currently in use just above the box where you type your message; if in Rich Formatting mode you will also find all the tools to customise your text here. Be careful, as clicking the Plain Text link will lose any formatting you’ve already applied.

Windows Live Hotmail has a dropdown menu at the top of the screen giving a choice between Rich text, Plain text and Compose in HTML. Choose Rich text if you wish to format your email using options such as adding coloured text, bold sections and so on.

Choosing Compose in HTML allows you full control over how the message will look, but you’ll either need to understand HTML code or to copy and paste code from another program. Any program that can generate HTML web pages could also be used to make HTML emails, with the results copied into Hotmail.

In Outlook Express you can set the format of your mail by creating a new email then opening the Format menu. Ensure Rich Text (HTML) is ticked if you want to add formatting.

As with Google Mail and Windows Live Hotmail, if you switch from Rich text to Plain text you lose all your formatting and the formatting buttons will disappear from the main window. In Windows Mail the procedure is similar. Ensure the mail icon is selected in the bottom left, then click New, then choose Rich text (HTML) from the Format menu.

Stationery styles
Outlook Express, Windows Mail and Windows Live Mail also allow you to use stationery: pre-formatted layouts that come complete with images and styled text. In Outlook Express click New Message Using from the Message menu and pick the stationery you want, or in Windows Live Mail create a message then choose Apply Stationery from the Format menu.

Microsoft offers additional free stationery sets available to download and install, with different themes including holidays and special occasions.

You can create your own individual stationery, too, and we have explained how to do this in the three-step guide below. Although we have used Outlook Express in our example below, Windows Mail and Windows Live Mail work in the same way. Just remember that the options menu in Windows Live Mail is reached by clicking the second icon along in the top right.

Although most email messages look dull, it’s easy to be creative with your email and add a personal touch. Adding a signature will make your email appear more personalised, while formatting text with different fonts and styles will help it stand out and look more professional. Just remember not to go too far: a few subtle changes can make an email look great, but too many colours and graphics could render it illegible.