How to change a font color in email opened in Outlook classic?

Jim Leatzow 15 Reputation points
2026-09-29T18:36:44.1766667+00:00

How to change a font color in opened email in Outlook classic?

Outlook | Windows | Classic Outlook for Windows | For business
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  1. Hendrix 1,590 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-09-29T19:26:29.76+00:00

    Hi Jim,

    In classic Outlook for Windows, you can change the font color only when composing or editing a message. If you want to change the font color of an opened received email, unfortunately, classic Outlook does not let you permanently change the sender’s message formatting while reading it. You would need to select Actions > Edit Message, if available, and then change the text color. Or you can reply/forward the message and format the text in your response.

    Hope this will help. Should you have any other questions, please feel free to share them in the comments on this post. I'm happy to assist you further.

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  2. AI answer

    2026-09-29T18:36:57.5+00:00

    In Outlook classic, the font color of text in an email that is already opened can be changed only while composing or editing the message body.

    1. Select the text to change.
    2. On the Message tab, in the Basic Text group, select the arrow next to Font Color.
    3. Choose the color needed.
    4. If the color is not shown, select More Colors.

    If the goal is to change how received messages appear in the message list, use conditional formatting instead:

    1. Go to View > View Settings.
    2. Select Conditional Formatting.
    3. Select an existing rule and choose Font, or select Add to create a new rule.
    4. Set the font color, then use Condition to define which messages the rule applies to.

    If the goal is to change the reading pane display size for opened messages, Outlook classic uses different reading pane options than compose formatting; the provided steps for direct font color changes apply to message text being composed or edited.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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