As monitors get larger, their resolution increases.

This is all natural and good as it keeps the images crisp and sharp.

Are Tiny Fonts Causing You Eye Strain?

Unfortunately, monitor resolutions also increase where it does not necessarily make sense, with laptops, for example. On an average notebook-sized display, a resolution beyond 1024x768 is hardly bearable for the eyes when it comes to reading text — emails — using the default font sizes.

Fortunately, Outlook lets you increase the font size in most emails swiftly. Unfortunately, there are some emails that specify the font in a way that is remarkably resistant to being adapted for your needs. If you encounter such a difficult case you can still resort to the use of a display lens such as the free Virtual Magnifying Glass.

Increase the Font Size While Reading Mail in Outlook

To read mail in a larger font in Outlook:

• Hold down Ctrl while turning the scroll wheel on your mouse down.

In Outlook 2007 and later, alternatively

• Open the message in its own window.

• Click Other Actions.

• Select Zoom... from the menu.

• Choose the desired zoom level.

• Click OK.

Outlook will not remember the zoom level.

As an alternative to the mouse in Outlook 2000-2003, you can also

• open the message in its own window and

• select View | Text Size and the desired size from the menu.

Since this does not work with plain text emails (the mouse wheel does), also select Tools | Options... from the menu, go to the Mail Format tab, click Fonts... and use the Choose Font... button under When composing and reading plain text: to choose a bigger font.