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Sending Plain Text E-mail Messages

AOL 9.0

 

Copied directly from AOL Communicator Help manual page 66

Changing Plain Text Settings

By default, AOL Communicator Mail sends messages in HTML format. Messages sent in this format allow you to use different fonts and font sizes; underline, boldface, or italicize text; easily create bulleted or numbered lists and links to web sites; and attach files.

Not all mail programs support HTML, and not all users prefer to receive HTML-formatted messages. Some programs display messages in HTML format as if they were in plain text, including HTML tags and other format coding that can make the original message difficult to read.

If you are sending a message to someone who can’t read HTML-formatted messages (also called 'rich text'), you can switch to plain text. You can also specify plain text only for messages sent to a specific address or domain.

Messages sent in plain text lose all formatting and attachments. Replies to (and forwarded) plain text messages are also sent in plain text.

To change the plain text setting while you are composing a message:

1. Click in the message area of the Write Mail window.
2. Change the plain text setting:
3. Click the T icon just below the Subject label to toggle the message between plain text and rich text formatting; or
4. Open the Format menu and choose Rich Text or Plain Text.

When the T icon is red, the message uses rich text. When the T icon is black, the message uses plain text.

When you change the plain text setting from a Write Mail window, the setting 'sticks' for all subsequent messages you write. For example, if you switch from rich text to plain text for one message and then open a new Write Mail window, that window will also be set to use plain text. To change the plain text setting for all messages you send to an address or domain:

1. Open the Edit menu and choose Preferences.
2. Click Advanced Options.
3. Click Add.
4. Type the email address or domain for which you want all messages to be sent in plain text. If you specify a domain (such as example.net), you’ll have an opportunity to switch to plain text whenever you address a message to an email address that includes that domain.
5. Click OK.

 

Original material courtesy of Gerald E. Boyd.