How to Switch Outlook to Classic View
TAMMY COLUMBO
TECH
The interface of Microsoft Outlook 2013 has changed drastically from previous versions of the email client. Though there is no easy way to switch back to the classic Outlook layout and views, you can configure some of the new features to resemble the features in previous versions. For example, you can remove the first line of each message that now displays by default, leaving only subject lines in your message list. You can change the blue text in the subject lines back to black, and you can resize the subject line text closer to the size of other fonts in the message list.
- Remove First Line of Message
- Open Outlook
- Click the drop-down arrow next
- Click
- Change Subject Text Color
- Click the View ” tab
- Click the Conditional Formatting button
- Click the Unread Messages
- Click the Color ” drop-down box
- Reduce Subject Text Size
- Click the View tab
- Click the Conditional Formatting button-2
- Click the Add button
- Type
- Click the Smaller option in the Font dialog box
- Check the check box
- Click once again to close the Conditional Formatting dialog box
1 Remove First Line of Message
2 Open Outlook
Open Outlook, then click the “View” tab.
3 Click the drop-down arrow next
Click the drop-down arrow next to the “Message Preview” button in the navigation ribbon.
4 Click
Click “Off” in the Message Preview menu to disable the display of the first line in the message. You can also click “2 Lines” to display two lines of message text, or click “3 Lines” to display three lines, should you wish to see more message content.
5 Change Subject Text Color
6 Click the View ” tab
Click the “View” tab, then click “View Settings.”
7 Click the Conditional Formatting button
Click the “Conditional Formatting” button to open the Conditional Formatting dialog box.
8 Click the Unread Messages
Click the “Unread Messages” check box, then click the “Font” button.
9 Click the Color ” drop-down box
Click the “Color” drop-down box, then click the desired color. Click “Black” to revert to the look of earlier versions of Outlook.
10 Reduce Subject Text Size
11 Click the View tab
Click the “View” tab, then click “View Settings.”
12 Click the Conditional Formatting button-2
Click the “Conditional Formatting” button to open the Conditional Formatting dialog box.
13 Click the Add button
Click the “Add” button to open the New Rule dialog box.
14 Type
Type a name for the new rule in the Name field, then click the “Font” button.
15 Click the Smaller option in the Font dialog box
Click the “Smaller” option in the Font dialog box. Leave the Condition field empty.
16 Check the check box
Check the check box in front of the name of the rule you just created, then click “OK.” A warning message will be displayed, indicating that you have not assigned a condition. Click “Yes” to continue.
17 Click once again to close the Conditional Formatting dialog box
Click “OK” once again to close the Conditional Formatting dialog box. The subject line text is now a similar size to the rest of the text in the message list.
- Information provided in this article applies to Microsoft Outlook 2013. Instructions may vary slightly or significantly for other versions of Outlook.
- The Read and Unread message envelope icon that formerly displayed next to each message in previous versions of Outlook has been replaced by the blue line in Outlook 2013. A blue line appears on the left side of each unread message. When you open the message, the blue line disappears. This feature cannot be changed.
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