Let’s open up a new mail message. We can do this in one of several ways:

-       Pressing Ctrl and N

-       Clicking the New button on the standard toolbar when we’re in a mail folder

-       Clicking the Actions menu and clicking on New Mail Message

-       Right-clicking on a blank spot in a mail folder and choosing New Mail Message.

 

When you do this, a new mail window pops up. Each option in the figure below is identified by number in a list after the picture: 

 

1.    The main menu. The options in it are different from the main Outlook window that we’ve been looking at all along, but the basic options are the same.

2.    Our friend the Standard toolbar. He’s got some new things to show off!

 

Send button	Sends your e-mail.
	Opens the attachment manager. Click the ▼ to choose a file or an item, or just click the button to add a file.
	Opens the Outlook Address Book.
	Checks names against your address book.
	Sets permissions on your message.
	Sets importance on your message as high. (This icon is shown in the inbox in the same spot as the paperclip: next to the message, below the time stamp.)
	Sets importance on your message as low. (This icon is shown in the inbox in the same spot as the paperclip: next to the message, below the time stamp.)
	Opens the reminders and flags box.
	Brings up the “Create Rule” box.
	Controls mail message options.
	Tells you what mail format you’re using and allows you to change it. (We’ll get into the details about mail formats later.)

 

3.    This is where you type in your recipients. People whose names are in the To line will get the e-mail directly; people in the CC line receive a carbon copy. (There really is no difference until the person replies to your message.) You can also add a Blind Carbon Copy (BCC) field, which hides recipients’ addresses from each other, by clicking the ▼ next to Options on the standard toolbar and clicking BCC.

4.    This is the subject line. Type a brief heading that describes your e-mail. This is the first thing people will probably see, so it should be accurate or they might not read your e-mail.

5.    These are the Word formatting options.

6.    The body of your message, where you’ll type all the information you want to send.

7.    You can change how you view your mail message (for example, switching to print preview) with these buttons.

 

That’s an overview of the new mail message window! You’ll get more comfortable with all the options as we move along. The main thing to know is where to type e-mail addresses, where to type your information, and how to click send. Once you’ve got those basics down, you can send e-mail!