Bring Spring to Your Screen by Changing Your Outlook Theme
Are you tired of staring at the same old boring Outlook designs? It’s easier to bring a breath of fresh air to your digital world than you might expect!

Shifting Your Perspective on Outlook
Just as with other Microsoft Office applications, there are plenty of Outlook options that you may not even realize. You can do everything from personalizing the look of Outlook’s interface to changing the way notifications and messages are displayed. Another way that many users like to add their own touch to Outlook is by changing the view within folders, to make it faster to navigate to your preferred location with ease.
With only a few simple steps, you can quickly change the overall look of Microsoft Outlook and other applications within the Microsoft Office 365 suite of solutions. Here are the easy steps that will get you started:
- From within the Outlook application, select ‘File’
- When the ‘File’ menu opens, look for ‘Options’ which should be near the bottom of the menu
- Inside the ‘Options’ menu, select ‘General’ to view a variety of useful ways to customize your Outlook application
- Look for the area ‘Personalize Your Copy of Microsoft Office’ section
- From here, you can select your ‘Office Background’ as well as ‘Office Theme’
There are a variety of options within the standard Office themes that may appeal to you, including Colorful, Dark Gray, Black, and White schemes.
Quicks Tips for Outlook Productivity
Now that you have your Outlook color scheme on point, why not take a quick pass at the functionality? In this same ‘General’ options area, you can also show or minimize the toolbar, adjust your privacy and attachment settings, and more. Perhaps one of the most useful ways to customize Outlook is by shifting the size and location of the reading pane. From the ‘View’ tab, select ‘Reading Pane,’ where you can choose where to place the reading pane in relation to the Message Preview. You can also modify the five-second delay by which Outlook automatically marks items as ‘Read.’
Staying up-to-date on ways to enhance your Outlook 365 experience is one of the ways that the team at Colorado Computer Support helps educate the community through these weekly quick tips and tricks. If you have questions about this Outlook tip or need more information about an Office 365 upgrade or migration, contact the friendly professionals at Colorado Computer Support at 719-204-6507 or by filling out our quick online form.