Email Theme Stationery: What It Is & How to Use It

Email theme stationery refers to pre-designed visual templates—backgrounds, fonts, colors, and decorative elements—that you can apply to individual emails in a desktop email client, most notably Microsoft Outlook. You choose a stationery theme when composing a message, and it changes the look of that email while leaving your default settings intact. This article explains how email stationery works, where to find it, how to create your own, and how to troubleshoot common issues.

What Is Email Stationery?

Email stationery is a set of formatting rules bundled into a single file. It typically includes a background color or image, a font family and size, link colors, and sometimes horizontal lines or decorative graphics. When you apply stationery to a new message, the email client uses those rules for that message only. It does not change your default font or signature.

The concept became popular in the late 1990s and early 2000s, when HTML email was new and webmail services were still basic. Desktop clients like Outlook and Windows Live Mail offered dozens of built-in themes. Today, stationery is less common because modern webmail and mobile apps use plain text or simple HTML by default. However, Outlook for Windows still includes a stationery picker, and you can install third-party stationery files.

Where to Find Email Stationery

In Microsoft Outlook (Windows), stationery is located in the Options menu when composing a new message. Click File > Options > Mail > Stationery and Fonts. This opens a dialog where you can choose a theme for new messages, replies, and forwards. You can also open the stationery picker directly from a new message by clicking More > Stationery (or Format Text > Change Styles > Stationery in some versions).

Outlook for Mac does not have a stationery picker. Apple Mail has a similar feature called Stationery in the New Message window—click the stationery icon (a small envelope) to choose from Apple’s built-in themes. Gmail and Outlook.com do not offer stationery; they use a fixed default theme for all messages.

How Email Stationery Works

Stationery files are essentially HTML documents with inline CSS. When you choose a theme, Outlook copies the HTML into the body of your email. The background image or color is applied to the entire message area, and the font styles are applied to the text you type. Because the stationery is embedded in the email, the recipient sees the same design even if they use a different email client.

There are two main types of stationery:

• Built-in themes – Provided by the email client. Outlook includes about 30 themes, such as “Blue Sky” and “Echo”.
• Custom stationery – HTML files you create or download. These can include your logo, company colors, or a personal design.

When you apply stationery, Outlook also lets you set the default font for new messages, replies, and plain text messages. These font settings are separate from the stationery theme and control the typeface, size, and color of your text.

How to Create Custom Email Stationery

You can create your own stationery using any HTML editor. The file must be a single HTML document with inline CSS (no external stylesheets). Here’s a simple example:

<html>
<head><style>body { font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; }</style></head>
<body background="bg.png">
<div style="padding:20px;">Your content here</div>
</body>
</html>

To use it in Outlook:

1. Save the HTML file to your computer.
2. Open Outlook and go to File > Options > Mail > Stationery and Fonts.
3. Click Theme (or New in some versions).
4. Click Browse and select your HTML file.
5. Click OK to save it as a new theme.

Keep in mind that Outlook uses a limited HTML renderer. It does not support CSS classes or external stylesheets, so all styles must be inline. Also, background images are supported, but they may not display in all email clients.

Common Problems and Fixes

Here are the most frequent issues users encounter with email stationery:

• Stationery not showing up in new messages – Check that you have selected a theme in the Stationery and Fonts dialog. If you choose “(none)”, no stationery is applied.
• Stationery only applies to new messages, not replies – Outlook has separate settings for new messages, replies, and forwards. Set the theme for each category.
• Background image disappears when sending – Some email clients block external images. Embed the image as an attachment or use a background color instead.
• Fonts look different on the recipient’s side – If the recipient doesn’t have the same font installed, they see a fallback font. Use common fonts like Arial or Times New Roman.
• Stationery picker is grayed out – This happens if you are using a plain text editor. Switch to HTML format in the message window.

Email Stationery vs. Email Signatures

Stationery and signatures are often confused, but they serve different purposes. Stationery is the overall design of the email—background, fonts, and layout. A signature is a block of text (and sometimes images) that appears at the end of every message. You can use both at the same time: stationery for the visual theme, and a signature for your contact information.

In Outlook, signatures are managed separately in File > Options > Mail > Signatures. Stationery does not affect signatures, and signatures do not affect stationery. However, if you use a custom stationery with a fixed-width layout, a long signature may break the design.

Is Email Stationery Still Relevant?

For personal email, stationery is mostly a nostalgic feature. Most people use webmail or mobile apps that ignore stationery entirely. However, for business emails that need a consistent brand look, stationery can be useful—especially if you are using Outlook on a corporate network. It is also a lightweight alternative to full HTML email templates, which require more coding.

If you need a professional email design, you might be better off using a dedicated email marketing service or a simple HTML template. But for occasional themed emails—holiday greetings, announcements, or personal notes—stationery is a quick and easy option.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I remove stationery from an email?

In Outlook, open the message and go to Format Text > Change Styles > Stationery, then choose “(none)”. Alternatively, you can set the default stationery to “(none)” in the Stationery and Fonts dialog. For a single message, you can also copy the text and paste it into a new plain-text email.

Can I use stationery in Gmail or Outlook.com?

No, Gmail and Outlook.com do not have a stationery feature. They use a fixed theme for all messages. You can achieve a similar effect by using a browser extension or by pasting HTML directly into the compose box, but that is not the same as stationery.

Why does my stationery look different on my phone?

Mobile email apps often strip out background images and custom fonts to speed up loading and improve readability. They may also use a plain-text view by default. To ensure your email looks good on mobile, keep the design simple and use web-safe fonts.

Can I create stationery in Microsoft Word?

Yes, you can create a Word document with your desired design and save it as an HTML file. Then add it to Outlook as a custom theme. However, Word adds a lot of extra HTML code, which can make the stationery slower to load. It is better to write the HTML by hand or use a simple editor.

Does stationery work with encrypted or digitally signed emails?

Yes, stationery works with encryption and digital signatures because it is part of the message body. However, some email clients may display a warning if the stationery contains external content, such as images hosted online. To avoid issues, embed all images in the stationery file.

Can I share my custom stationery with others?

Yes, you can share the HTML file with others. They can add it to their Outlook by following the same steps. Keep in mind that if the stationery uses external images, those images must be available to the recipient or they will not display.

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