And you will see similar (and more consistent!) results in how your message is displayed on your screen.Įmail Design Compatibility (problems in certain versions of Outlook)

In contrast, email that is viewed on a web browser (Office 365), or the Outlook App, does not rely on Word. In addition, each version of Office Outlook desktop, can display email differently (i.e.: Office 2013, 2016, etc.). However, Word translating HTML formatting for email has not (so far) delivered good results. Word is a good document editor, and has its own proprietary formatting language. The end result is that the appearance of line spacing, text sizes, fonts, etc., may vary a bit when viewed in different email clients.īehind the curtain, the desktop version of Office Outlook reads HTML using the Microsoft Word processor. Basically, each email client (Outlook, Apple Mail, Gmail, etc.) can interpret the HTML formatting according to its own rules. The HTML formatting may be interpreted differently depending on who performs the translation. HTML is a language! And like most languages, translations may not read the same for everyone.

Of the three versions, the Office Outlook (desktop) version is the most inconsistent in displaying emails, as it supports minimal variations of HTML.Ī note about how email formatting works most email that includes photos, formatted text, etc., is built on a foundation of HTML code (excluding a message created in a plain text editor). The web browser version is Office 365, the Outlook App is available for phones, and the desktop version is included with the Microsoft Office suite. Microsoft Outlook is available in several versions including web browser, phone app, and desktop.

Email Design Compatibility in Outlook (potential problems with email display).

HTML email formatting and Microsoft Word.

This article discusses the following topics related to Microsoft Outlook: However, there are some challenges with displaying email, specifically HTML email. Microsoft Outlook is widely utilized, and is a wonderful tool for organizing contacts and communications. If you notice that your email appears differently than intended when opened in Outlook, you are not alone! From experienced marketing professionals, to tech-savvy graphic designers, you may experience this issue.

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