Ever found yourself in a bit of a bind when trying to print emails in Microsoft Outlook and you’re stuck with that rigid “Memo Style” format? You know, the one that insists on slapping a header on every message you print. Whether it’s Outlook for Microsoft 365 or another version, we’ve all been there, wrestling with printouts that feel more like a formal letter than an email.

Now, we have the power to tweak this! Whether you want to go minimalist with just the email body or get fancy with your own personal touch, it’s about time we showed that ‘Memo Style’ who’s boss. Say goodbye to unnecessary headings and hello to printouts that look just the way you like them! Let’s dive into the freedom of customizing print styles in Outlook and witness the beauty of printouts that are tailor-made to our liking. It’s not just about taking control; it’s about making Outlook work for us in every way possible, including the paper that comes out of our printer.
Contents
Setting Up the Document

As we roll up our sleeves to change the memo style printing in Outlook, it’s crucial to get our ducks in a row. This means we should be paying close attention to the page setup and defining our print styles like seasoned office gurus. Let’s dive right in!
Choosing the Right Page Setup
We’ve all been there—about to print an important email when the page looks like a hot mess. To avoid that heart-stopping moment, let’s start with the Page Setup. This is where magic happens: tweaking our page size and margins until everything looks just right.
First things first, click on the File tab; it’s our gateway to all things print-related. Then, find your way to the Print menu, and behold the Page Setup link. This little gem lets us play around with various formats until we find our perfect match.
Here’s a quick rundown of the steps:
- Click on the File tab – it’s your starting line.
- Select Print – that’s where the action is.
- Click on Page Setup and strut into the settings area with confidence.
Defining Print Styles
Now, onto the part where we give our emails a personal touch! Defining our own print styles is like giving our documents a bespoke suit—it simply fits better.
Hit the Print option again (you’ll become best friends with it) and then take a peek for Define Print Styles. This is where the fun begins. Clicking this will bring up a list of styles, but we’re not satisfied with off-the-rack options, are we? No, we’re going to be tailors today—click Edit to mold those styles to our liking.
Once we’re in the editor, we can tinker with the Paper tab. Fancy a landscape or portrait layout? Full control is ours, making sure that our document is the belle of the ball. Remember, the goal is to make that email body pop on the page without any unwanted fluff—because who wants to wear a winter coat to a beach party?
| Step | To Find | Goal |
| 1. Click on **Print** | **Define Print Styles** | Crafting our style |
| 2. Click **Edit** | **Page Setup** | Tailoring the format |
| 3. Modify **Paper** tab | Layout options | The final masterpiece |
By now, we’ve laid the foundation for a great printout. Remember to save your style with a snazzy name that screams “This is me!” Now we’re ready to print with style — Outlook will never see us sweat over esthetics again.
Customizing Print Options
When we’re looking to tailor our Outlook documents before hitting print, we need to mess around with header and footer settings and the nitty-gritty of print configurations. This can make the difference between an okay-looking document and a professional-looking one.
Let’s talk headers and footers – they’re like the bookends of our printouts, and without them, we’d be a bit lost, wouldn’t we? Here’s how to give them some flair:
To adjust them:
- Open the print dialog box by clicking on “File” then “Print”.
- Click “Print Options” to pop open the print options dialog box.
- Select “Page Setup…” where you’ll find options for headers and footers.
- Here, you can type in your desired text or insert auto-texts like page numbers or the date.
We can’t stress enough how much of a game-changer tweaking these can be. They’re essential for organizing and giving context to those pages and pages of emails or calendar info.
Configuring Print Settings
Now, for the really fun part – tinkering with print settings like a tech wizard. It’s not complicated, promise; just some simple steps:
| Orientation | Paper Size/Type | Other Settings |
| Landscape or Portrait? Your call. | Match it to your paper pile (A4, Letter, etc.) | Think margins, scaling, and more. |
With a couple of clicks in that Print dialog box, under ‘Print Options…,’ we can have our Outlook spitting out paper in the exact way we imagined. Adjust the orientation – go wild, choose landscape! Make sure you’ve got the right paper size picked out. Ever printed a Letter-sized doc on A4 paper? Not pretty. And then, there are those other settings – margins, paper type, quality. They’re like the secret sauce to a perfect print job. Remember, it’s the little adjustments that lead to the ‘wow’ once you collect your printout.
Enhancing Readability with Fonts and Styles
When we’re talking about printing in Outlook, the readability of our documents can be the difference between a message well received and one that’s tossed aside. It’s all in the finesse of choosing the right font size and style, and knowing when to use table or memo styles to our advantage.
Selecting Font Size and Style
First things first, let’s chat about font size and style—crucial components in making our printed materials a breeze to read. Ever squinted at an email because the font was just painfully petite? We’ve all been there. That’s why we recommend making font size at least 12-points; it’s a sweet spot where comfort meets clarity. As for the font style, sticking to classic, sans serif fonts is like choosing that comfortable pair of shoes for a long walk—easy on the eyes and always dependable.
Applying Table and Memo Styles
Moving on to table and memo styles—the dynamic duo of organization in Outlook. If we’re looking to present our information in a clear, structured manner, table style is our go-to. It’s perfect for lists and providing quick access to the info that matters most. Just think of it as organizing a jumble of ideas into neat, tidy boxes—suddenly, everything makes sense!
Memo style, on the other hand, can be more descriptive, similar to traditional letters. But wait, here’s the kicker: if we’re not a fan of those obtrusive headers in memo style, tweaking the setup is easy as pie. We dive into Page Setup, dance through the fonts, waltz past paper formats, and voilà! We’re tailoring Outlook prints like pros, helping our readers get to the good stuff without any distraction.
| Table Style | Memo Style | Custom Style |
| – Organizes data. | – Traditional letter format. | – Personalize your printout. |
| – Easy to read. | – Includes headers. | – Creatively edit styles. |
Executing Print Commands
Navigating Outlook’s printing functions can be a touch trickier than finding that elusive paperclip when you need it most. But fear not, we’ve got the insider scoop on how to handle those print commands like a pro, whether you’re trying to spruce up a drab email or just get down to the nitty-gritty of your message content.
Previewing Documents Before Printing
Let’s kick things off by talking about sneaking a peek—previewing documents, that is. We never wish to waste paper on a misprint. So, here’s what you do:
- Click on File > Print within your Outlook.
- Right under the print settings, you’ll find a nifty little preview window. This baby lets you see exactly what you’re about to print, Memo Style and all.
Now, you might be thinking, “That’s great, but what about tweaking what’s in the preview?” Hold your horses; we’re getting there.
Using the Print Function in Outlook
Buckle up, because we’re diving into the meat and potatoes of printing from Outlook. Once you’ve admired your email in the preview pane, it’s time to work our magic with the **Print Options**.
- Hit that Print Options button, would you? It’s your gateway to customization.
- Once in, you’ll see a dialogue box where you can play around with settings till the cows come home.
- Want to change the print style? Maybe ditch the headers for just the juicy bits of the email? Click Define Styles. From there, you can edit the styles to your heart’s content.
| What You Can Customize | How to Do It | Why It Matters |
| Print Style | Choose from options, define new ones, or edit existing styles. | Get the look you want, from professional to minimal. |
| Fonts | Change font type and size in the Define Styles dialogue. | Make sure your printout is legible and suits your taste. |
| Page Range | Specify pages if you’re not printing all of them. | Save paper, focus on what’s important. |
| Header/Footer | Add or remove these in Page Setup. | Put the finishing touches on your document. |
Remember, whether you’re using Outlook 2016, 2019, 2021, or the slick Microsoft 365, printing doesn’t have to be a bore or a chore. Let’s keep it smart and savvy, just how we like our emails. Happy printing!