How to set up and send formatted HTML emails from Outlook

Posted by mike on Dec 8, 2011 in All, Know How | Comments Off

Outlook and Word logosA client recently asked me how to set up and send HTML emails from Outlook with a pre-formatted template. He wanted to use it to send out email newsletters.

This is quite simple to do from Outlook. I use Outlook 2003 but the principle is the same whatever version you’re using.

A word of caution though before you start using it to bulk email to your client list. If you’re sending to a large distribution list I advise against using Outlook through you ISP’s server.  ISPs tend to get upset about sending a large volume of email through their servers. Also, if people complain about spam, you could be in big trouble with your ISP and lose your email account.

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Know How – Shortcut Keys 2

Posted by mike on Jun 20, 2011 in All, Know How | 1 comment

Following on from my previous article on shortcut keys, here are some more:

  • Ctrl + A – Selects all the text in a document, or webpage. Also select all emails listed in Outlook. Works in many other areas too. Try it.
  • F1 – Universal Help in almost every Windows program.
  • Home - Goes to beginning of current line.
  • Ctrl + Home – Goes to beginning of document.
  • End – Goes to end of current line.
  • Ctrl + End – Goes to end of document.
  • Shift + Home – Highlights from current position to beginning of line.
  • Shift + End – Highlights from current position to end of line.
  • Ctrl + Left arrow – Moves one word to the left at a time.
  • Ctrl + Right arrow – Moves one word to the right at a time.
  • Alt + Print Screen – Takes an image copy of the screen. You can then paste it into a video editing application to edit and/or manipulate.

Feel free to comment with your own suggestions for other shortcuts.

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Know How – Shortcut Keys

Posted by mike on Jun 14, 2011 in Know How | 5 comments

This is the first in a series of simple hints and tips for users who are relatively new to computers. This description probably applies to a significant number of small business owners.

Three things that you often have to do when you’re writing on the computer are; copying text, cutting text and pasting the text you’ve just copied or cut. This usually requires lots of cursor movement using the mouse or touchpad. You can eliminate most of the cursor movement by using shortcuts.

Instead of clicking on a cut, copy or paste option from the menu (in Microsoft Word for example) hold down the Ctrl key and then press x, c or v. The shortcuts are as follows:

  • Cut – Ctrl/x
  • Copy – Ctrl/c
  • Paste – Ctrl/v

These shortcuts work is most places, not just Microsoft Word, and are useful if there are no equivalent menu buttons. Typical places where they might be useful are:

  • Pasting a web address into the address bar in Internet Explorer.
  • Pasting a text string into Google’s search box.
  • Copying text from a web page.
  • Pasting an email address into the address field on an email after copying from a document or another email

Not only do these shortcut keys save you time but they let you do things that you can’t otherwise do.

There are many other shortcuts similar to these but that’s for another blog entry in the future.

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