How to Customize an Email

Understand how to use the formatting and customization icons in an email., Add bold formatting to words or phrases of an email., Italicize certain words or phrases., Underline parts of your email message., Change the font style of your email...

12 Steps 3 min read Medium

Step-by-Step Guide

  1. Step 1: Understand how to use the formatting and customization icons in an email.

    These icons are located in a formatting toolbar at the top of an email.

    With most email providers, you will use your cursor to highlight text you want customized, and click on the formatting icon of your choice.

    To learn more about a particular customization or formatting icon, place your cursor on top of the icon in question, then wait for your email provider to display the description of the icon.
  2. Step 2: Add bold formatting to words or phrases of an email.

    The bold feature will pronounce a word or phrase by adding thickness to its appearance, and is usually indicated by an uppercase letter "B."

    The italics command will add stress to certain words and phrases, giving the text a slanted appearance.

    The italics icon will appear in the form of an uppercase letter "I" slanted in an italicized format. , The underline feature can be used to specify and add importance to certain words or phrases.

    The underline command will often appear in the form of an underlined, uppercase letter "U."

    Some font styles are easier to read than others, and will change the appearance of the text throughout your entire email.

    The font style icon is usually a drop-down menu that either resembles an uppercase letter "T" or "F," depending on your email provider. , The font size icon is normally a small drop-down menu labeled with a double letter "T," "F," or "A," depending on the email provider you use.

    For example, use the font size icon to make sub-headings larger than the rest of your text. , You can either change the color of the text itself, or change the color of the background to make certain text appear highlighted.

    The icons for these features usually resemble color palettes or paint brushes. , An emoticon is an icon of a facial expression used to convey emotion; such as happiness, sadness, anger, surprise, and more.

    The emoticon feature will usually resemble a smiley face on your toolbar.

    For example, use emoticons when sending personal emails to your friends and family. , This customization feature can be useful if you want to place links to websites in an email message.

    The link, or hyperlink feature is usually indicated by a chain "link," or the picture of a globe with a chain link by its side. , A numbered list will assign numbers to the beginning of every sentence in your message; whereas a bulleted list will add bullet points to the beginning of each sentence in a list.

    For example, when sending a "to-do" list, use the numbered list format. , The indention formatting commands will usually resemble paragraphs with left- or right-pointing arrows, for "indent less" or "indent more," respectively.

    For example, when emailing a fictional short story, use the indention feature. , You can align certain words or blocks of text to the left, right, or center of an email.

    The alignment icons will usually resemble series of lines that are either aligned to the right, left, or center.

    For example, align sub-titles within an email to the center of the page.
  3. Step 3: Italicize certain words or phrases.

  4. Step 4: Underline parts of your email message.

  5. Step 5: Change the font style of your email message.

  6. Step 6: Change the font size of some or all text in an email.

  7. Step 7: Customize the color of text or its background.

  8. Step 8: Add emoticons throughout an email.

  9. Step 9: Add Internet links to an email.

  10. Step 10: Add a numbered or bulleted list to your email.

  11. Step 11: Indent lines or paragraphs within your email.

  12. Step 12: Align text within an email.

Detailed Guide

These icons are located in a formatting toolbar at the top of an email.

With most email providers, you will use your cursor to highlight text you want customized, and click on the formatting icon of your choice.

To learn more about a particular customization or formatting icon, place your cursor on top of the icon in question, then wait for your email provider to display the description of the icon.

The bold feature will pronounce a word or phrase by adding thickness to its appearance, and is usually indicated by an uppercase letter "B."

The italics command will add stress to certain words and phrases, giving the text a slanted appearance.

The italics icon will appear in the form of an uppercase letter "I" slanted in an italicized format. , The underline feature can be used to specify and add importance to certain words or phrases.

The underline command will often appear in the form of an underlined, uppercase letter "U."

Some font styles are easier to read than others, and will change the appearance of the text throughout your entire email.

The font style icon is usually a drop-down menu that either resembles an uppercase letter "T" or "F," depending on your email provider. , The font size icon is normally a small drop-down menu labeled with a double letter "T," "F," or "A," depending on the email provider you use.

For example, use the font size icon to make sub-headings larger than the rest of your text. , You can either change the color of the text itself, or change the color of the background to make certain text appear highlighted.

The icons for these features usually resemble color palettes or paint brushes. , An emoticon is an icon of a facial expression used to convey emotion; such as happiness, sadness, anger, surprise, and more.

The emoticon feature will usually resemble a smiley face on your toolbar.

For example, use emoticons when sending personal emails to your friends and family. , This customization feature can be useful if you want to place links to websites in an email message.

The link, or hyperlink feature is usually indicated by a chain "link," or the picture of a globe with a chain link by its side. , A numbered list will assign numbers to the beginning of every sentence in your message; whereas a bulleted list will add bullet points to the beginning of each sentence in a list.

For example, when sending a "to-do" list, use the numbered list format. , The indention formatting commands will usually resemble paragraphs with left- or right-pointing arrows, for "indent less" or "indent more," respectively.

For example, when emailing a fictional short story, use the indention feature. , You can align certain words or blocks of text to the left, right, or center of an email.

The alignment icons will usually resemble series of lines that are either aligned to the right, left, or center.

For example, align sub-titles within an email to the center of the page.

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Robert Hall

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