Accessibility features in Outlook

Microsoft Outlook includes features that make the software accessible to a wider range of users, including those who have limited dexterity, low vision, or other disabilities.

Keyboard shortcuts

Show or hide shortcut keys in ScreenTips and ScreenTips on toolbars

1. On the Tools menu, click Customize.
2. Click the Options tab.
3. Under Other, select or clear the Show ScreenTips on toolbars and Show shortcut keys in ScreenTips check boxes.

Note   Changing this setting affects all of your Microsoft Office programs.

Size and format options

Change the size of text

1. In the item, select the text you want to change.
2. On the Formatting toolbar, in the Font Size box , enter the size you want.

Note   This procedure is not available in messages if you use plain text as your message format.

Change the text font

Change a font in the current item

1. In the item, select the text you want to change.
2. On the Formatting toolbar, in the Font box , enter the font you want.

Note   This procedure is not available in messages if you use plain text as your message format.

Change the default font for new, forwarded, and replied to messages

1. From the main Microsoft Outlook window, on the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the Mail Format tab.
2. Click Fonts.
3. Choose the font:

   For HTML or RTF messages

   • Next to the When composing a new message box and the When replying and forwarding box, click Choose Font. 

   For plain text messages

   • Next to the When composing and reading plain text box, click Choose Font.
4. Select the options you want, and then click OK.

   For Help on an option, click the question mark , and then click the option.

5. If you use stationery, click an option under Stationery fonts.

Note   If Microsoft Word is your e-mail editor, you can set the default fonts in Word, too. If your message is in HTML format, you can even use a cascading style sheet (CSS) to define the fonts. For messages you reply to or forward, Word can also automatically choose a different font color to distinguish your message from the previous one in an e-mail discussion. For more information, see Word Help.

Change the style of text and other elements in a view

1. Switch to the view you want to change.

   How?

   • On the View menu, point to Current View, and then click the view you want.
2. On the View menu, point to Current View, and then click Customize Current View.
3. Click Other Settings.
4. Select the options you want, and then click OK.

   For Help on an option, click the question mark , and then click the option.

Change the format of a message you received or already created

• With the message open, on the Format menu, click the format you want to use (Plain Text, HTML, or Rich Text).

Note   If Microsoft Word is your e-mail editor, see Word Help.

Color and sound options

Change the color of text

1. Select the text you want to change.
2. On the Formatting toolbar, click Font Color , and then in the Color list, click the color you want.

Note   This procedure is not available in messages if you use plain text as your message format.

Change the background color of your Calendar

1. Click Calendar .
2. On the Tools menu, click Options, and then click Calendar Options.
3. In the Background color list, click the color you want.

Notes

• The color you choose is applied to Day and Work Week views. Week and Month views use system background colors, which by default, are gray and white.
• The color you choose is applied to weekday hours. A darker version of the background color is applied to night and weekend hours.

Change the default color, font, and size for notes you create

1. On the Tools menu, click Options.
2. Click Note Options.
3. Select the options you want.

Add, change, or delete sounds used with button and menu commands

Do one or both of the following:

Turn on or off sound

1. On the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the Other tab.
2. Click Advanced Options.
3. Select or clear the Provide feedback with sound check box.

Note   Changing this setting will affect all of your Microsoft Office programs.

Change sounds

1. Click the Microsoft Windows Start button, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
2. Do one of the following:
   • In Microsoft Windows 2000 or later and Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition, double-click the Sounds and Multimedia icon.
   • In Microsoft Windows 98, double-click the Sounds icon.
3. In the Sound Events list, click the event you want.
4. In the Name box, enter the sound you want.

Toolbar and menu options

Assign or change a keyboard accelerator

A keyboard accelerator allows you to select a menu command or button by pressing ALT+<single letter>. For example, to open the Edit menu, press ALT+E.

1. If the button or menu command you want to change is on a toolbar, make sure the toolbar is visible.

   How?

   1. On the View menu, point to Toolbars.
   2. Do one of the following:
      • Click the toolbar you want to display.
      • To view more toolbars, click Customize, click the Toolbars tab, and then select the check box for the toolbar you want to display. Click Close.
2. On the Tools menu, click Customize.
3. With the Customize dialog box open, do one of the following:

   Assign or change a toolbar button's keyboard accelerator

   1. Click the button on the toolbar.
   2. On the Commands tab, click Modify Selection.
   3. In the Name box on the shortcut menu, type a name for the toolbar with an ampersand (&) before the letter that you want as the keyboard accelerator.
   4. Press ENTER.

Assign or change a menu command's keyboard accelerator

1. Click the menu name on the menu bar or toolbar.
2. Click the menu command.
3. On the Commands tab, click Modify Selection.
4. In the Name box on the shortcut menu, type a name for the menu with an ampersand (&) before the letter that you want as the keyboard accelerator.
5. Press ENTER.
4. In the Customize dialog box, click Close.

Create a custom toolbar

1. On the Tools menu, click Customize, and then click the Toolbars tab.
2. Click New.
3. Type the name you want, and then click OK.
4. Click the Commands tab.
5. In the Categories list, click a category.
6. In the Commands list, click the same category, and then drag it to the toolbar.
7. Repeat steps 5 and 6 until you have added all the buttons and menus you want, and then click Close.

Add a button, menu, or command

Do one of the following:

Add a button or menu to a toolbar

1. On the View menu, point to Toolbars, and then click the toolbar you want to display.
2. On the toolbar, click the Toolbar Options arrow .
3. Point to Add or Remove Buttons, and then click Customize.
4. Do one of the following:

   Add a button

   1. Click the Commands tab.
   2. In the Categories list, click a category for the command you want the button to perform.
   3. In the Commands list, click the command or macro you want and drag it to the displayed toolbar.

   Add a menu

   1. Click the Commands tab.
   2. In the Categories list, click New Menu.
   3. In the Commands list, click New Menu and drag it to the displayed toolbar.
   4. Right-click the new menu on the toolbar, type a name in the Name box on the shortcut menu, and then press ENTER.

Add a command to a menu

1. On the View menu, point to Toolbars and click the toolbar you want to display.
2. On the toolbar, click the Toolbar Options arrow .
3. Point to Add or Remove Buttons, and then click Customize.
4. Click the Commands tab.
5. In the Categories list, click a category for the command.
6. In the Commands list, click the command you want drag it, and, without releasing the mouse, rest it over the menu you want to change. When the menu displays a list of commands, point to where you want the command to appear, and then release the mouse.

Change the size of a toolbar button or list box

Do one of the following:

Increase the size of toolbar buttons

1. On the Tools menu, click Customize.
2. Click the Options tab.
3. Select the Large icons check box.

Change the width of a drop-down list box on a toolbar

1. Make sure the toolbar you want to change is visible.

   How?

   1. On the View menu, point to Toolbars.
   2. Do one of the following:
      • Click the toolbar you want to display.
      • To view more toolbars, click Customize. In the Customize dialog box, click the Toolbars tab, and then select the check box for the toolbar you want to display. Click Close.
2. On the Tools menu, click Customize.
3. With the Customize dialog box open, click the list box you want to change ù for example, the Font or Font Size box on the Formatting toolbar.
4. Point to the left or right edge of the box. When the pointer changes to a double-headed arrow, drag the edge of the box to change its width.

Group related buttons and menus on a toolbar

You can add a separator bar before the first and after the last item in a group to distinguish the group from other buttons and menus on a toolbar.

1. Make sure the toolbar you want to change is visible.

   How?

   1. On the View menu, point to Toolbars.
   2. Do one of the following:
      • Click the toolbar you want to display.
      • To view more toolbars, click Customize. In the Customize dialog box, click the Toolbars tab, and then select the check box for the toolbar you want to display. Click Close.
2. On the Tools menu, click Customize.
3. To add a separator bar, keep the Customize dialog box open, right-click the button you want on the toolbar, and then click Begin a Group. A separator bar is added to the left of the button on a horizontal toolbar, and above a button on a vertical docked toolbar.

Show all buttons or commands

Do one or both of the following:

Show all the buttons on a toolbar

• Use the move handle on the toolbar to drag the toolbar to its own row. You can also move the toolbar to a location other than the edge of the program window so that the toolbar becomes a floating toolbar.

Show all the commands on menus

1. On any toolbar, click the Toolbar Options arrow.
2. Point to Add or Remove Buttons, and then click Customize.
3. Click the Options tab.
4. Select the Always show full menus check box.

Note   Changing this setting affects all of your Microsoft Office programs.

Options for automating tasks 

Automatically correct spelling and capitalization as you type

1. Turn on or off the AutoCorrect options you want.

   How?

   If Microsoft Word is your e-mail editor, see Word Help.

   1. From the main Outlook window, on the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the Spelling tab.
   2. Click AutoCorrect Settings.
   3. To select the options, do one or more of the following:
      • To set the capitalization options, select or clear the appropriate check boxes in the dialog box.
      • To turn on or off the AutoCorrect entries, select or clear the Replace text as you type check box.
2. Type the text you want to correct, followed by a space or other punctuation.

For example, type teh followed by a space, and watch AutoCorrect replace your text with "the".

Save frequently used text and graphics to insert as AutoText entries

To use this feature, you must be using Microsoft Word as your e-mail editor.

1. Select the text or graphic you want to store as an AutoText entry.

   To store paragraph formatting with the entry, include the paragraph mark () in the selection.

2. On the Insert menu, point to AutoText, and then click New.
3. When Microsoft Word proposes a name for the AutoText entry, accept the name or type a new one.

   If you plan to insert the entry by using AutoComplete, make sure the name contains at least four characters because Word inserts an entry only after four characters have been typed.

Create a distribution list instead of entering names in the To line individually

Create a distribution list using names in the Address Book

1. On the File menu, point to New, and then click Distribution List.
2. In the Name box, type a name.
3. Click Select Members.
4. In the Show names from the list, click the address book that contains the e-mail addresses you want in your distribution list.
5. In the Type name or select from list box, type a name you want to include. In the list below, select the name, and then click Members. Do this for each person you want to add to the distribution list, and then click OK.

   If you want to add a longer description of the distribution list, click the Notes tab, and then type the text.

   The distribution list is saved in your Contacts folder by the name you give it.

Create a distribution list by copying names from an e-mail message

1. In the e-mail message you want to copy the names from, select the names in the To or Cc box.
2. On the Edit menu, click Copy.
3. On the File menu, point to New, and then click Distribution List.
4. In the Name box, type a name for the distribution list.
5. Click Select Members.
6. In the Add to distribution list list, right-click, and then click Paste on the shortcut menu.

Create Rules to organize your Inbox automatically

Do one of the following:

Create a rule from a template or from scratch

1. Click Inbox .
2. On the Tools menu, click Rules Wizard.
3. In the Apply changes to this folder list, click the Inbox you want.
4. Click New.
5. Do one of the following:

   Use a template with pre-specified actions and conditions

   • Click Start creating a rule from a template.

   Use your own conditions and actions

   • Click Start from a blank rule.

   Note   This option is not available when you create a rule for a public folder.

6. Click Next.
7. Follow the instructions in the Rules Wizard.

   If you want to run a newly created rule on messages already in the Inbox, select the Run this rule now on messages already in Inbox check box on the last page of the Rules Wizard.

   To have this rule apply to all your accounts and Inboxes, select the Create this rule on all accounts check box on the last page of the Rules Wizard.

   Tip

   If you want to run a rule periodically, after creating it, turn it off. Then, when you want to run it, click Run Now.

Create a rule based on a message

1. Right-click the message you want to base a rule on.
2. Click Create Rule.
3. Follow the instructions in the Rules Wizard.

   Tip

   To run the rule as soon as you have created it, select the Run this rule now on the messages already in Inbox check box on the last page of the Rules Wizard.

Create a rule with an OR condition

To create a rule with multiple conditions, in the Which conditions do you want to check list, select a condition that contains the word "or".

1. Click Inbox .
2. On the Tools menu, click Rules Wizard.
3. In the Apply changes to this folder list, click the Inbox you want.
4. Click New.
5. Click Start creating a rule from a template.
6. Select the rule template, and then click Next.
7. In the Which conditions do you want to check list, select one or more conditions containing "or", and then click Next.
8. Follow the instructions in the Rules Wizard.

   Tip

   If you want to run a newly created rule on messages already in the Inbox, select the Run this rule now on messages already in Inbox check box in the last page of the Rules Wizard.

Note   If you have multiple e-mail accounts, "me" refers to the e-mail address of any of your accounts, not just the account that is currently active.

Automatically process requests and responses

1. On the Tools menu, click Options.
2. Click E-mail Options, and then click Tracking Options.
3. Set processing options. Do one or more of the following:

   Automatically record responses in the original item

   • Select the Process requests and responses on arrival check box.

   Delete notifications of delivered and read messages

   • Select the Process receipts on arrival check box.

   Move receipts out of your Inbox after processing

   • Select the After Processing move receipts to check box.

     To select a folder other than Deleted Items, click Browse.

   Delete blank responses

   • Select the Delete blank voting and meeting responses after processing check box.

Note   To review responses in your Inbox before they are recorded, clear the Process requests and responses on arrival check box.

Preview items without opening them

Do any of the following:

Preview the first three lines of messages in the main Outlook window

• On the View menu, click AutoPreview.

Note   To preview the first three lines of unread messages only, on the View menu, point to Current View, and then click Customize Current View. Click Other Settings, and then click Preview unread items.

Preview the content of any item in the preview pane

In the preview pane, you can read the content of an item, open attachments, follow a hyperlink, and respond to meeting requests.

• On the View menu, click Preview Pane.

To hide the preview pane, repeat this step.

Note   When you're viewing a message in the preview pane, you can view e-mail properties about a name in the From, To, or CC fields by double-clicking it.

Collect and paste among programs

Collect items to paste

1. Make sure that the Microsoft Office Clipboard is displayed in the task pane of any open Office program or the Collect Without Showing Office Clipboard option is turned on.
   • If you want to display the Office Clipboard in the active program, click Office Clipboard on the Edit menu.
   • If you want to check the Collect Without Showing Office Clipboard option, display the Office Clipboard, click Options, and then make sure the Collect Without Showing Office Clipboard option is checked.
2. Select the first item you want to copy.
3. On the Standard toolbar, click Copy .
4. Continue copying items from documents in any Office program until you have collected all of the items you want (up to 24).

Note   In some cases, the image displayed in the gallery will look slightly altered. This is because text is always displayed in the gallery using the Tahoma font. However, the correct formatting and font information is restored when the item is pasted from the gallery.

Paste collected items

1. If the Microsoft Office Clipboard is not displayed in the task pane, click Office Clipboard on the Edit menu.

   Note   If the Office Clipboard is not available, you are in a program or view that doesn't support showing or pasting multiple items from the Office Clipboard.

2. Click where you want the items to be pasted. You can paste collected items into any Microsoft Office program.
3. Do one of the following:
   • To paste items one at a time, on the Office Clipboard, click the each item you want to paste.
   • To paste all the items you copied, click Paste All on the Office Clipboard task pane.