How to Remove the Email Background in Outlook: A Comprehensive Guide

Want to clean up your Outlook emails and ditch those distracting backgrounds? Removing the background in Outlook emails can significantly improve readability and create a more professional look. Here’s how you can do it: Open Outlook, go to File > Options > Mail. Then, click Stationery and Fonts, and in the “Personal Stationery” tab, select “Theme…”. Choose the “(No Theme)” option to remove the background. Finally, click OK to save the changes.

Understanding Email Backgrounds in Outlook

Email backgrounds, also known as themes or stationery, are a feature in Outlook that allows you to personalize your messages with colors, patterns, and even images. While they can add a touch of flair, they can also be distracting, make emails difficult to read, and sometimes even cause compatibility issues with other email clients. Let’s explore how to manage and remove them for a cleaner, more professional email experience.

Step-by-Step Guide to Removing Email Backgrounds

Removing an email background in Outlook is a straightforward process, but it can be slightly different depending on whether you’re removing the background for new messages you’re composing or for existing messages you’ve received.

Removing the Background for New Emails

This method applies to the default background used when you compose new emails.

1. Open Outlook: Launch the Outlook application on your computer.
2. Access Outlook Options: Click on the “File” tab located in the top-left corner of the Outlook window. This opens the Backstage view.
3. Navigate to Mail Settings: In the Backstage view, select “Options” from the left-hand menu. This will open the Outlook Options dialog box.
4. Open Stationery and Fonts: In the Outlook Options window, choose the “Mail” tab from the left-hand menu. Look for the section titled “Compose messages”. Click on the “Stationery and Fonts…” button. This will open the Fonts and Stationery dialog box.
5. Select Theme Settings: In the “Personal Stationery” tab, click on the “Theme…” button. This opens the Theme or Stationery settings.
6. Choose No Theme: In the “Theme or Stationery” dialog box, scroll to the top of the list and select “(No Theme)”. This effectively removes any background theme or stationery.
7. Confirm and Apply: Click “OK” to close the Theme or Stationery window, then click “OK” again to close the Fonts and Stationery window, and finally, click “OK” one last time to close the Outlook Options window.
8. Restart Outlook Restart your Outlook program to ensure all changes are applied correctly.

From now on, all new emails you compose will have a plain white background (or your default Outlook background color if you’ve customized that).

Removing the Background from Existing Emails

Unfortunately, you can’t permanently remove the background from emails you’ve already received. The sender has embedded the formatting into the email. However, you can change how you view the email to make it more readable. This doesn’t change the email for the sender or anyone else who receives it.

1. Reading Pane Settings: If you are using the Reading Pane you can forward the email to yourself. That creates a new email where you can then change the theme to “(No Theme)” before sending.
2. Open the Email: Simply double-click on the email to open it in its own window.
3. Use a Plain Text Viewer (Not Recommended for Everyday Use): While Outlook doesn’t offer a direct “remove background” option for received emails, you could use a plain text viewer to strip all formatting. However, this will remove all formatting, including bold text, italics, and links, making it a less than ideal solution for most situations. Avoid this unless absolutely necessary.

Considerations

• HTML vs. Plain Text: Outlook supports both HTML and plain text email formats. HTML allows for rich formatting, including backgrounds, while plain text displays only basic text without any formatting. If you’re concerned about background compatibility, consider sending emails in plain text format.
• Recipient’s Email Client: Keep in mind that how an email looks depends on the recipient’s email client. Some email clients may not fully support or render backgrounds correctly.
• Accessibility: Complex or distracting backgrounds can make emails difficult to read for people with visual impairments. Prioritize clear and simple formatting for accessibility.

FAQs: Decoding Outlook Email Backgrounds

Here are some frequently asked questions about email backgrounds in Outlook to further clarify the topic:

1. Can I remove the background from just one email I’m sending?

Yes, when composing a new email, go to Options > Colors > Page Color and choose the background color you want (or No Color for a white background). This only affects the current email.

2. How do I change the default background color in Outlook?

You can customize the overall Outlook theme color (which affects the background) by going to File > Options > General. Look for the “Personalize your copy of Microsoft Office” section and change the “Office Theme”. This will affect the entire Outlook interface, not just email backgrounds.

3. Will removing the background affect the signature I’ve created?

No, removing the background theme will not affect your email signature. Your signature will remain intact.

4. I’m using Outlook on the web (OWA). How do I remove the background?

In Outlook on the web, go to Settings (the gear icon) > View all Outlook settings > Mail > Compose and reply. Here you can edit the default font settings, which indirectly affects the background by allowing you to control text and overall visual appearance. The options for changing the background are very limited compared to the desktop app.

5. Can I create a custom background image for my emails?

Yes, instead of selecting a theme, you can insert an image into the email body and set it as the background. However, this method is not recommended as it can cause rendering issues and is generally considered unprofessional. It also increases the email size.

6. Why are some email backgrounds appearing even after I’ve removed the theme?

Some senders embed backgrounds directly into their email content using HTML. In this case, you cannot remove the background on your end for received emails, as explained earlier.

7. Are there any add-ins that can help manage email backgrounds?

While there aren’t specific add-ins solely for background management, some email management add-ins may offer features related to formatting and consistency, which could indirectly help.

8. How do I ensure my emails are readable on mobile devices?

Use simple formatting, avoid complex backgrounds, and keep your email width narrow. Most mobile email clients will automatically adjust the layout, but clear and concise formatting is key.

9. What’s the difference between a theme and stationery in Outlook?

Themes are pre-designed sets of formatting options, including fonts, colors, and backgrounds. Stationery is a more basic form of customization that mainly affects the background. Both are used to personalize emails, but themes offer more comprehensive changes.

10. Can I disable HTML emails altogether to avoid background issues?

Yes, you can configure Outlook to send emails in plain text format by going to File > Options > Mail and changing the “Compose messages in this format” setting to “Plain Text”. However, this will remove all formatting, including bold text, italics, and links. This isn’t typically recommended.

11. How do I remove the background from an Outlook calendar invite?

Calendar invites use a similar theme system. Follow the same steps for removing the background for new emails to remove the theme from your calendar invites.

12. My emails look different on different devices. Why?

Email clients and devices render HTML differently. To ensure consistency, use simple formatting, test your emails on different devices, and consider sending plain text emails if formatting is critical. The recipient’s email client settings will always be the determining factor, to a large extent.