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Let Conditional Formatting Help You Organize Messages

Outlook provides a feature called Conditional Formatting that can aid you in keeping your Inbox  organized by helping you quickly locate certain messages.  Conditional Formatting is a special rule that changes font face, size and/or color when an item meets conditions specified by you.  Conditional Formatting is one way to keep track of what is important.  The steps below can be used to set up Conditional Formatting:

  1. Select Mail in the Navigation pane.
  2. Select the folder to which you want to apply a new conditional formatting rule.  For example, the Inbox folder.
  3. Click the View tab > View Settings button > Conditional Formatting button.
  4. Click Add to add a new rule.
  5. Type a name for the rule.
  6. Click Font… and select face, size, color, etc. you want to use then click OK.
  7. Click Condition… and choose options that tell Outlook what messages will receive the conditional formatting.  Two simple examples are listed below.  Remember that you have already set up the formatting; the last step is defining the conditions.

Example 1:  You can add color and other font attributes to messages from a particular person:

  1. In Filter window, click From…
  2. Select the name of the person > click OK.
  3. Click OK in the Filter window.
  4. Click OK in the Conditional Formatting window.
  5. Click OK in the Advanced View Settings window.

Example 2:  You can apply color to messages that are flagged by you:

  1. In Filter window, click the More Choices tab.
  2. Place a check next to Only items which:  then choose are flagged by me in the drop-down list.
  3. Click OK in the Filter window.
  4. Click OK in the Conditional Formatting window.
  5. Click OK in the Advanced View Settings window.

You can also use Conditional Formatting with your calendar.  The steps below can be used to set up conditional formatting of appointments:

  1. Select Calendar in the Navigation pane.
  2. Click the View tab > View Settings button > Conditional Formatting button.
  3. Click Add to add a new rule.
  4. Type a name for the rule.
  5. Click Font… and select face, size, color, etc. you want to use then click OK.
  6. Click Condition… and choose options that tell Outlook what messages will receive the conditional formatting.
  7. Click OK to close all windows after creating your special rule.  Two examples of Calendar rules are:

 

Example 1:  You can add color and font attributes to appointments organized by you.

Example 2:  You can add color and font attributes to appointments organized by your supervisor.


Last Updated: Aug. 31, 2011