How to Change Outlook Font Size, Color and Message Format

To make email text bigger in Outlook right away, hold Ctrl and scroll the mouse wheel in the reading pane, or use Zoom (View > Zoom in new Outlook, the slider at the bottom right in classic Outlook). To change the font size you type in, set a default font in new Outlook’s Settings > Mail > Compose and reply, or in classic Outlook’s File > Options > Mail > Stationery and Fonts.

Outlook has separate settings for the emails you read, the inbox list, and the emails you write. This guide covers each one in new Outlook, classic Outlook, Outlook on the web, and Outlook for Mac, plus fixes when text suddenly looks tiny. To identify the layout, look for the File tab in classic Outlook for Windows. New Outlook uses its Settings controls instead; the presence or location of a New Outlook toggle can vary.

Make Emails You Read Bigger

New Outlook and Outlook on the web

1. Select a message so it opens in the reading pane.
2. Select the View tab, then Zoom.
3. Select + to zoom in or − to zoom out (50% to 200%). Select Reset to go back. Expected result: the message text gets larger.

Microsoft notes that this only affects the email you’re viewing; the next one opens at normal size. In a browser, you can also use the browser’s own zoom (Ctrl and + or −).

Classic Outlook

1. Select the message you want to read.
2. Drag the zoom slider in the bottom-right corner of the Outlook window to the right, or hold Ctrl and scroll up.
3. To keep that zoom for every message, select the percentage next to the slider, pick a level, check Remember my preference, and select OK. Expected result: every email opens at your chosen zoom.

These steps come from Microsoft’s default font guide, which also covers reading zoom.

Make the Message List Text Bigger

• New Outlook: select View > View settings, then Mail > Layout. Under Text size and spacing, choose Large and select Save.
• Classic Outlook: select View > View Settings > Other Settings. Use Row Font for subject lines and Column Font for headers like From and Subject.

Microsoft covers both in its message list font guide.

Change the Font Size for Emails You Write

New Outlook and Outlook.com

1. Select the Settings gear, or View > View settings.
2. Select Mail, then Compose and reply (Microsoft also calls it Compose).
3. Under Message format, choose the font, size, and style.
4. Select Save. Expected result: new emails start in that font and size.

Classic Outlook

1. Select File > Options > Mail.
2. Select Stationery and Fonts.
3. On the Personal Stationery tab, select Font under New mail messages, pick a size, and select OK. Repeat for Replying or forwarding messages and, if you use it, Composing and reading plain text messages.
4. Select OK until you’re back in Outlook. Expected result: the change applies to new messages right away.

Microsoft says you have to set new messages and replies separately. Newer versions start with 12-point Aptos, as a Microsoft moderator notes on Microsoft Q&A; older ones used Calibri. To go back to the old defaults in classic Outlook, Microsoft lists +Body, Regular, size 11, and Automatic color.

Outlook for Mac

Select Outlook > Settings > Fonts and choose the font and size for new mail and replies.

Change the size in just one email

While writing, select the text and pick a size from the font size box on the Format Text tab or the formatting toolbar. You can also add strikethrough to text in Outlook from the same place.

If Emails Suddenly Look Tiny

• One sender’s emails are small: senders choose their own fonts, so zoom the reading pane for those messages.
• Replies look small: a Microsoft moderator suggests checking that File > Options > Mail > Compose messages in this format is set to HTML, and that the reply font is set too.
• The inbox layout looks cramped (classic): select View > Reset View to return the current folder to its default layout.
• Everything on the PC is small: go to Settings > Accessibility > Text size, or change scaling in Settings > System > Display.

Change the Message Format in Classic Outlook

For one email in classic Outlook for Windows, including Outlook 2013, open New Email or open the reply/forward in its own compose window. On Format Text, choose HTML, Plain Text or Rich Text in the Format group. Accept a format-loss warning only if you intend to remove that formatting. Check the draft: plain text cannot carry chosen fonts, colors or inline pictures, although files can still be attachments. Changing to HTML later does not reconstruct formatting you already removed.

For the default used by new messages, choose File > Options > Mail, set Compose messages in this format and select OK. Open a fresh draft to verify the choice; replies can follow the original message’s format. Microsoft’s message-format guide explains the options. HTML is generally the appropriate choice when recipients should see formatting; Outlook Rich Text has more limited compatibility. New Outlook and web Outlook have different compose controls and do not provide this classic three-format ribbon.

Change Message Text Color in Classic Outlook

For an individual message in classic Outlook for Windows, including Outlook 2013, open the compose window and select the existing text you want to recolor. On the Message tab, open the arrow beside Font Color and choose a color; check the selected text in the draft. With no text selected, the choice applies to text you type next. If color controls are unavailable, use Format Text > HTML. Plain-text messages cannot carry a chosen font color to the recipient.

Set a Default Font Color in Classic Outlook

Open File > Options > Mail > Stationery and Fonts. On Personal Stationery, choose Font under New mail messages, pick a Font color, inspect the preview and confirm the dialogs with OK. Set Replying or forwarding messages separately if desired. Open a new HTML draft to verify the result; changing this default does not recolor an existing draft. To restore the default color, choose Automatic in the same Font dialog. Microsoft documents these classic Outlook defaults; the new Outlook and web compose controls are described above.

Make the Whole Outlook Window Larger and Adjust the Ribbon

If the whole interface is too small, open Windows Settings > System > Display, select the monitor displaying Outlook, and choose a larger preset under Scale (Change the size of text, apps, and other items in Windows 10). Keep the display’s recommended resolution for sharpness. Microsoft’s display guide explains monitor selection and scaling. Check Outlook’s text and controls; reopen it if needed, and save work before any requested sign-out. This affects other apps on that display too. Return to the original scaling value to reverse it. For only a message’s text, use the existing Outlook zoom steps above instead.

To reclaim space in classic desktop Outlook, right-click a ribbon tab and use Collapse the Ribbon when that command is offered; clear that choice to keep the ribbon expanded again. Some Office layouts instead provide Ribbon Display Options, with Show Tabs or Always Show Ribbon choices. Microsoft’s ribbon guide covers the different layouts. Check that the commands appear when you select a tab and remain visible when you restore the expanded setting. Collapsing the ribbon changes available workspace rather than enlarging the message font. New Outlook and web Outlook have different ribbon controls, so do not assume a classic menu is present there.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are only some emails small?

Senders choose fonts in their messages. Zooming the reading pane is the fastest fix.

Does zoom change the email for the recipient?

No. Zoom only changes how it looks on your screen. To change what recipients see, change your default compose font.

Will recipients see my font?

Usually. Microsoft notes that if a recipient doesn’t have your font installed, their email app substitutes one, so common fonts are safest.

How do I add a signature?

See how to add a signature in Outlook.

If pasted text leaves your message with mixed fonts and sizes, here’s how to remove formatting from an email in Outlook.