How to Send a Memo Format in Outlook
By Alan Sembera
Sending an Outlook email formatted as a memorandum gives the recipient a visual reminder that the message is an official communication. While Outlook doesn't have a built-in memo template, you can change the formatting settings so that your message conforms to the generally accepted memo style. Once you format your message as a memo, you can save the settings to a template so you can use the same style for future memos.
Step 1
Click "New Email" in Outlook to open a new message window.
Step 2
Select the "Format Text" tab, and then click inside the message area to activate the ribbon options.
Step 3
Click the small arrow in the Paragraph group on the ribbon. Outlook opens a dialog box where you can change the paragraph formatting options to match the generally accepted business memo format.
Step 4
Set the Alignment setting to "Left" to left-justify your text.
Step 5
Set the Special setting in the Indentation section to "None" to remove any new-paragraph indentations.
Step 6
Change the Line Spacing setting to "Single."
Step 7
Change the After setting in the Spacing section to at least 8 points. This causes Outlook to insert a blank line between paragraphs.
Step 8
Click "OK" to save the paragraph settings.
Step 9
Select an easy-to-read font such as Times New Roman or Arial. For an old-fashioned, typewritten look, choose Courier New.
Step 10
Save the message as a template so you can use it for future memos. Click "File," select "Save As," and then change the "Save as Type" setting to "Outlook Template (*.oft)." Name the template "Memo" or something similar, and then click "Save."
Step 11
Enter the recipients' email addresses in the To field, and then put the topic of the memo in the Subject field.
Step 12
Enter the text of your memo in the message area. Insert short section headings when you change subjects or begin a new segment. Leave a blank line before and after each heading.
Step 13
Create a header section at the top if you want to include this information in the body of the message. The first four lines should start with "TO:", "FROM:", "DATE:" and "SUBJECT:", with each line separated by a blank line. This step is optional, as the email header at the top of the message already follows the memo format.
References
Tips
- Create a shortcut to the template file so that you can easily open it the next time you want to send a memo.
Warnings
- Information in this article applies to Microsoft Outlook 2013 and 2010. It may vary slightly or significantly with other versions.
Writer Bio
Alan Sembera began writing for local newspapers in Texas and Louisiana. His professional career includes stints as a computer tech, information editor and income tax preparer. Sembera now writes full time about business and technology. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in journalism from Texas A&M University.