How to Create a New Message Using Stationery in Outlook

Stationery is a distinctive way to make your messages stand out and enhance your message. Use email stationery in Outlook to apply special fonts and background images to holiday greetings, party invitations, event announcements, or everyday correspondence. Outlook contains a list of built-in stationery themes that you can customize to fit your needs.

Create a New Message Using Stationery in Outlook

To start a new email that uses a stationery theme in Outlook:

1. Select Home.

2. Go to the Folder Pane and select Mail. Or, press Ctrl+1.

3. Go to the Home tab and select New Items > E-mail Message Using > More Stationery. In Outlook 2003, select Actions > New Mail Message Using > More Stationery.

4. Highlight the desired stationery. A preview of each theme appears in the Sample pane.

5. To make some of the theme text brighter, select the Vivid Colors check box. Clear the Vivid Colors check box to use dull colors.

   The preview changes to show how the selected theme looks with and without vivid colors, active graphics, and background images.

6. To use theme elements such as horizontal lines and bullet points that have a 3D appearance, select the Active Graphics check box. Clear the Active Graphics check box to use flat elements.

7. To add the theme background image, select the Background Image check box. Clear the Background Image check box to use a solid color background.

8. Select OK.

9. The stationery you chose is used in the new message. Compose the message and send it.

10. To quickly find and use this stationery theme in another message, go to the Home tab and select New Items > E-mail Message Using. The stationery template appears above More Stationery.

    You can also create your own custom Outlook templates to stylize and even use often repeated text in your emails. Once you've created a new template, you can use it in much the same way the premade templates are used.