How to Make Fonts & Icons in Outlook Smaller
By Mindi Orth
When the fonts within Outlook take up too much screen real estate, there are two ways you can modify their appearance. One way is to change certain Windows settings, which will decrease the size of text and icons globally. Because these are global changes, doing this also affects the other programs installed on your computer. If you want the changes to affect only Outlook, then modify the settings within Outlook itself.
Modifying Windows Settings
Step 1
Open the Start screen.
Step 2
Open the “Search” dialog box by swiping your finger in from the right side of the screen and tapping “Search.” Alternatively, point the mouse in the upper-right corner of the screen and click to select “Search”
Step 3
Type “Display” into the search area and then select “Settings” followed by “Display.” The Screen Resolution dialog box opens on the screen.
Step 4
Adjust the appearance of all images on the screen by selecting the “Smaller – 100% (default)” option. Alternatively, you can change the font size of specific items within the Windows interface under the Change Only the Text Size section of the Screen Resolution dialog box.
Step 5
Select “Apply” and then log out of Windows. The changes take effect the next time you log in to Windows.
Modifying Outlook Settings
Step 1
Adjust the appearance of the Navigation Pane. Click the “View” tab, followed by the “Navigation Pane” button and “Options.” Click the “Font” button from the dialog box.
Step 2
Modify the Calendar font size. Open your Outlook calendar, right-click an empty space and select “Other Settings.” Select the desired font and then click “OK.”
Step 3
Change the Mail Item list font size. Click the “View” tab, followed by “View Settings” and “Conditional Formatting.” Select the desired font and size and then click “OK.”
Step 4
Change the font size of the Date Navigator, which is the small calendar that appears on the side of the screen during certain navigation tasks. Click “File” and “Options,” followed by “Calendar” and “Display Options.” Click the “Font” button to select the new font size for the calendar.
Step 5
Modify the font size for your Outlook Notes. Click “File” and “Options,” followed by “Notes and Journal.”
Step 6
Modify the default font and size used for email messages. Click “File” and “Options,” followed by “Mail” and the “Stationery and Fonts” option. Here you can select the font you want to use when creating new email messages, when replying or forwarding a message and when reading or writing plain text messages.
References
Writer Bio
Mindi Orth began writing in 1996 as a technical writer for a consulting firm. She has experience in business documentation and has authored training and instructional materials. Orth holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from Baldwin-Wallace College.