Email tips...
Plain Text or HTML
In the early days of the Internet, (way back in the 1990's) email could only consist of letters and numbers. Formatting such as colour, font, size etc was not possible. This type of email is called "Plain Text".
Using Plain Text email, pictures and sounds can be attached to messages, but not actually included in the email letter.
Advances in email messaging have made it possible for many people to receive and send messages that include advanced formatting. Email messages can arrive on fancy stationery and can include pictures, coloured fonts of various sizes and styles and even sounds. This is known as HTML email.
Not everyone can receive HTML email and, indeed, not everyone even wants to be able to receive it. Most government offices and many businesses that send and receive large volumes of email prefer the speed and simplicity of plain text.
The email version of our newsletter is sent in plain text for just this reason. Because it is being sent to a large number of recipients and I cannot tell whether they can receive HTML mail, I have opted to send in plain text format. Those who wish to see an illustrated version, can visit this site.
Something that might look beautiful on my own computer and to some readers might look like this to others:
<x-html><!-base="" src="" id="0" charset="iso-8859-1"><!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1" http-equiv=Content-Type> <META content="MSHTML 5.00.2314.1000" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV><FONT size=2>Hi guys</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I'm sending this to both of you as I don't know if you're checking your mail at all, D.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Lately I have not been doing much. Except for work! Got home ...
As you can see, it's not easy to read if you're using email software which displays the coding, rather than a formatted message.
But, how can you tell whether the recipient can receive HTML email?
If you have received email from this person and it didn't look like this newsletter (in other words, it didn't look like it was typed on an antique Smith-Corona), then it's a safe bet they can receive your HTML messages just as you want them to.
If the email you receive from them does look like the old-fashioned typewriter text, it would be a good idea to use only plain text when emailing that person.
And how do you switch to plain text format, you ask?
In the message window (that's where you're composing your letter), in Outlook or Outlook Express, select Format. From the menu that drops down, select Plain Text.
Attaching a file to an email message
One of the questions we're most often asked is, "How do I attach a file to an email?"
In Outlook or Outlook Express, the 'Insert' command is used to attach files, such as Word documents or image files, to a message. You may attach as many files to an email as you wish but remember, depending on Internet connection speeds, email messages
with large files attached can take a long time to be sent and/or to be received.
| Step 1 - Create a New Mail Message. |
 |
Step 2 - Select Insert > File Attachment... |
 |
Step 3 - The 'Insert Attachment' dialog box will appear. Browse to the file you wish to attach and select it. Then press 'Attach'. |
 |
Step 4 - A new field will appear in the header of your message showing the attachment's file name and size. Your message is ready to send. |
 |
Sending Web Pages by Email
Using Internet Explorer, it's easy to send entire web pages by email.
This can be a very effective marketing tool to make a prospective client aware of your web page showing the details of your latest new listing. Or, maybe you've just come across something that you're sure a friend or colleague will appreciate.
Bear in mind, that your recipient should be able to receive HTML mail for this to work. Otherwise, you can just send them a link to the page in Plain Text format.
To send a web page by email, browse to the page with Internet Explorer. At the extreme upper left of the screen, select File > Send > Page by E-mail…
A new email message will appear with the web page already inserted into the body of the email. Type in the recipient's address and send.
Inserting a Signature in Your Email
Many businesspeople like to sign their email messages with a consistent signature.
Usually, this consists of their name, title, company, email address, company web site URL, etc. It may also include a catch-line or personal slogan.
A typical email signature look like:
James Dean
"Norfolk County's Coolest Realtor"
Phone 555-123-4567
FAX 555-234-5678
www.mywebsite.com
james@mywebsite.com
To save typing this same signature every time you write an email, you can create a signature in Outlook or Outlook Express.
From the main menu across the top of the screen, select Tools > Options.
The Options Window will appear. Click the Signatures tab at the top of the window. Select New and fill in your signature in the area provided.
Check the box for 'Add signature to all outgoing messages'. Click 'Apply' and 'OK'.
The next time you start a new mail message, your custom signature will be filled in.
If you don't want to include the signature in a particular message, you may simply select and delete it from that message.
