You can [now*] customize Gmail messages with rich formatting. Add color to your greetings, underline key points, or make your words bold. Here's how to enhance your messages:

1. Click 'Compose Mail' at the top of any Gmail page.
2. Click the icon for the formatting feature you'd like to use in the formatting toolbar above the compose window. If you don't see any icons, click 'Rich formatting >>' to display all formatting options.
3. Type your message! (Please note that Gmail doesn't recognize HTML tags inserted in the body of a message.)

*If you decide you'd like to write a message in plain text format, just click '<< Plain text' along the top of the compose window.

Gmail's New Formatting Options:

Bold - bold all or some of your message
Italics - italicize all or some of your message
Underline - underline all or some of your message
Font - select a special font
Font Size - change the font size of all or some text
Font Color - change the color of all or some text
Background Color - change the background color of a message
Remove Formatting - remove formatting from selected text
Hyperlink Text - hyperlink the selected text
Numbered List - create a numbered list in your message
Bulleted List - create a bulleted list in your message
Indent Less - move text closer to the left of the page
Indent More - indent text further to the right of the page
Quote Text - format a block of text as a quote
Left Align - align text along the left side of the page
Center Align - align text in the center of the page
Right Align - align text along the right side of the page

Rich formatting is not available in GmailGmail's basic HTML view or in your signature settings.

* Don't see rich formatting in your account? The Gmail Team is excited to announce that, over the next several weeks, we are introducing rich formatting to all of our users. To make sure the feature is fully stable, we're giving users rich formatting in phases. Once this new feature is available to you, a 'New Features!' link appears at the top of your account, along with a 'Rich formatting >>' link in your compose window.

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