This article explains how to choose a default font, size, and color in AOL Mail on Windows 10, 8, or 7 as well as Mac OS X or higher.

What to Know

  • Go to Options > Mail Settings > Compose > Font. Select a style, color and size. When finished, select Save Settings.To switch to Rich Text HTML formatting, go to Options > Mail Settings > Compose > Use Rich Text/HTML Editing > Save Settings.

Change the Default Mail Font in AOL Mail

Updating your AOL Mail settings enables you to choose from nine font styles, seven font sizes, and dozens of font colors.

The next time you compose an email, it uses the new font defaults you set up. You can change them manually one email at a time if you want to.

  • Log in to your AOL Mail account and go to the inbox.
  • Select the Options drop-down arrow in the upper-right corner of the inbox window and then choose Mail Settings.
  • Select Compose in the left pane of the Mail Settings window.
  • Select the Font drop-down arrow in the Default Font and Color section. Choose one of the available font styles.
  • Select the Font Size drop-down arrow in the Default Font and Color section. Choose one of the available font sizes.
  • Select the Text Color button in the Default Font and Color section. Choose one of the available text colors.
  • Preview how your default font will appear in the What your text will look like box. Make any changes you wish.
  • Select Save Settings to apply the new default font settings. Return to the inbox.

Add Rich Text to Your Emails

If you want to make a bigger impact than you see by changing the default font, switch to Rich Text HTML formatting in AOL Mail. When you turn on Rich Text HTML formatting, you can underline, use bold and italic, create bulleted lists, and color both the text and the background. To turn on Rich Text HTML formatting:

Log in to your AOL Mail account and go to the inbox.

Select the Options drop-down arrow in the upper-right corner of the inbox window and then choose Mail Settings.

Select Compose in the left pane of the Mail Settings window.

Select the Font drop-down arrow in the Default Font and Color section. Choose one of the available font styles.

Select the Font Size drop-down arrow in the Default Font and Color section. Choose one of the available font sizes.

Select the Text Color button in the Default Font and Color section. Choose one of the available text colors.

Preview how your default font will appear in the What your text will look like box. Make any changes you wish.

Select Save Settings to apply the new default font settings. Return to the inbox.

  • Log in to your AOL Mail account and go to the inbox.
  • Select the Options drop-down arrow in the upper-right corner of the inbox window and then choose Mail Settings.
  • Select Compose in the left pane of the Mail Settings window.
  • Select the Use Rich Text/HTML Editing check box.
  • Select Save Settings to apply the changes. Return to the inbox.

Select the Use Rich Text/HTML Editing check box.

Select Save Settings to apply the changes. Return to the inbox.

Because not all email clients can display HTML-formatted messages, AOL Mail also produces a plain text version of each rich text message that you send. It is displayed to recipients who cannot view HTML-formatted emails.

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