Introduction

In this lesson, you'll learn about using Mail view to send and receive email messages. We'll also explain how to use the Compose window, add a signature, set an automatic reply, and more. If you don't have much experience with email.
Mail view is selected by default whenever you open Outlook 2010. This is likely where you'll spend a lot of your time in Outlook, so it's important to become familiar with the interface.

Sending Emails

When you write an email, you'll be using the Compose window. This is where you'll add the email address of the recipient(s), the subject, and the body of the email, which is the message itself. You'll also be able to add various types of text formatting as well as attachments.

To Send an Email:

• Click the New Email command on the Ribbon. The Compose window will appear.

Doing More with Mail

Once you're familiar with the basics of Mail view, you can start taking advantage of its most helpful features with these additional tips.

To Create an Email Signature:

A signature is an optional block of text that appears at the end of every email you send. If you send a lot of email messages, signatures can save you a lot of time. They're also a good way to share your title and additional contact information, such as a phone number, with new contacts.

1. From the Compose window, locate and the select Signature command on the Ribbon, then select Signatures... from the drop-down menu.
2. The Signatures and Stationary dialog box will appear. Click New.
3. The New Signature Dialog Box will appear. Enter a name for the signature and click OK.
4. Enter the desired signature. A signature typically includes your name and some contact information, like your phone number or email address. You can also include basic formatting and hyperlinks.
5. When you're satisfied with the signature, click OK.
6. The Compose window will appear. Locate and select the Signature command, then select the newly created signature from the drop-down menu.
7. The signature will appear in the body of the compose window.

To Set an Automatic Reply:

If you won't be able to answer your messages for several days, it's easy to set an automatic reply (also known as a vacation reply), which will automatically reply to any messages you receive. A vacation reply typically includes the date you plan to return and contact information while you're unavailable.

1. Click the File tab on the Ribbon.
2. Backstage view will appear. Locate and select Automatic Replies.
3. The Automatic Replies dialog box will appear. From here, you can choose several options for your reply, including a time range, rules, and more.
4. Include a message for the reply, then click OK.
5. Your reply will be automatically sent to any messages you receive.
6. To turn off automatic replies, navigate to Backstage view and then select Turn off.

To Use Spell Check:

• Whenever you're composing an email, it's important to make sure that your message is free from spelling and grammatical errors. Some spelling errors will be detected automatically as you write your message, which should feel familiar if you've ever used the Spell Check feature in Microsoft Word. Check out our tutorial on Email Etiquette and Safety to learn more about best practices when using email to communicate in the workplace.

To Print Email Messages

If you need to reference or document an important message away from your computer, it's easy to print an email message.

1. Click the File tab on the Ribbon.
2. Backstage view will appear. Locate and select Print.
3. The Print pane will appear. Choose your settings, then click Print .

Challenge!

1. Use the Compose window to write an email message.
2. Add text formatting to your message.
3. Create an email signature and add it to a message.
4. Print an email message.