Font problems and question about Plain Text for reading email

Font problems and question about Plain Text for reading email

How do I force Opera mail to ALWAYS USE PLAIN TEXT? I have not checked "prefer HTML" so why is it opening messages in HTML?

How do I change the color of the font for the message that I am replying to? It is currently in blue! I want that text in black like all other text.

How do I get a smaller font size for the list of unread messages and sent messages? I figured out how to make the headers smaller font by unchecking "use large" font for Subject, but the headers are still way, way too large font. How do I get them even smaller and get the list of unread and sent messages font size smaller? The header font size should be the same font size as I chose for the text of the email itself not a lot larger.

At the top of the mail list there is a VIEW button. Click this and select DISPLAY \ Show as Plain Text.

If you are working in plain text - both colour and fonts are irrelevant. The point of plain text is to not have colours and font formatting in the message you are sending.

Go into each of you mail accounts and make sure they are not set to create HTML email. From the main Opera TOOLS menu, select MAIL and CHAT ACCOUNTS. Now pick your account and edit it. Check the OUTGOING page. If "Prefer HTML Formatting" is ticked you will be able to send messages with fonts and colours. If not ticked, then you will send just plain text messages.


With your Font Size questions, I am a little confused a to which fonts you are trying to change. Maybe worth looking in opera:configas there is a fonts section in there which may be what you are looking for.

I already had that Show as Plain Text on the View button checked. That is completely IGNORED in Vista Ultimate. Maybe it was fixed with Vista service packs. I have plain Vista because this is a virtual machine that I set up two years ago and I didn't make the virtual hard drive nearly large enough so I can't install a service pack. (I added another virtual drive but I can't put a service pack on it). On XP Pro, the view as Plain Text button is honored. I had Windows 7 RC on VirtualBox and the view as Plain Text is also IGNORED there. So, apparently, that works only if you have XP. I don't need Opera mail on my XP machine because I use OE. I wanted Opera mail for Vista and Win 7 and it was because I will be getting a new computer probably at the end of this year with Win 7 that doesn't even have Windows Mail that I decided to learn Opera mail so I could use it on the new computer but if it won't use Plain Text for viewing that is not going to work.

The font/text size is too large on the list of unread email. I don't know how to change that. The font/text size for the Headers (from, to, date) is still a MUCH larger size font that the font I have for reading email, replying or composing. It shouldn't be so big. It is a a little smaller now and I don't know why but it is still too big. Do I have to close Opera and REBOOT to effect changes? Because the last time I looked at Opera mail and tried to change the size of the header information it changed just a little. Since then, I closed Opera and shut down this machine. Now that I have cold booted and opened Opera I see the font is smaller than it was the last time I used the machine but still not as small as it should be. I can't see why Opera would require a cold boot of the machine to change font size for the headers in email!

I had already looked at Fonts in Opera:config but that section is confusing. I don't know what half the list is for. That is why I am asking for help here. I changed some obvious ones like "email" and "email compose". But what is "H1", "H2", "Menu", "N ormal", "Pre", etc? How am I supposed to know what each of those refers to? What one would change the font size for the list of unread messages?

I think Opera mail is a most frustrating and difficult to use email client. I have used a number of email clients but this is the first one where the settings are strewn all over creation. Everything pertaining to Opera Mail should be located in ONE PLACE. Having said that, I have to note that OE has a few settings in Internet Explorer instead of having all settings in OE. So, to be fair, Opera is not the only email client to strew settings all over everywhere but it sure is frustrating when email clients do this.

I am getting confused already.

I am a Vista Business user, but this should make no difference to how Opera operates. As an IT Engineer I STRONGLY advise you to find some way to get the service packs onto your copy of Vista. The original, non-service pack version has just too many bugs in it to be able to use sensibly. You would notice a MASSIVE difference in the way your PC behaves if you can get at least SP1 onto it. Ideally SP2 as well. Even if this means scrapping that Virtual PC and starting again with a SP2 edition. (You could always roll the service pack into the installation media to keep the sizes down)

Your assumption that "Opera Mail only works with XP" is wrong. And probably why no one else is stepping in to help you.

I am really confused as to your comments on the fonts. What size have you got Vista showing its fonts? I am personally running at 96dpi on a 24" monitor. And I also regularly use a 22" screen with 120dpi fonts. And there is no obvious problem with the size of fonts in Opera Mail. I have left the fonts at default sizes for years.

Changing fonts in Opera will take effect once you restart Opera. No need to reboot Vista and the PC.

Maybe it would help if you could get a Screenshot for me to have a loook as to what your problem is? It may not even be Opera itself causing your issues.

What size screen are you working on?


I think your frustrations have come from misunderstanding something fundamental here. OE is horrendous - so I am happy to try and help you get your head around this. I would not want to see my worst enemy having to use that old bit of abandonware.


One of my suggestions would be to revert your font changes and get back to "plain" Opera. Then we can work from there and tweak each bit you need. I have a feeling that you may of been hacking around a little too much already and trashed something en-route which is then causing your problems.

It seems to me that you have changed one setting to many playing around without knowing what you are doing.
Opera email is no more difficult to set up then any other email client IMO.

What you should do is start with a fresh install and profile for Opera and go from there.
It would also not hurt to get your OS updated first even if you have to create a new one.

Originally posted by Mele20:

How do I force Opera mail to ALWAYS USE PLAIN TEXT? I have not checked "prefer HTML" so why is it opening messages in HTML?

I forgot the easier questions. As someone who has been keeping "Text only view" in place for years, I know this is possible. It just means using the VIEW menu above the mail window to set VIEW \ DISPLAY \ Show Plain Text. This will then display all emails as plain text, removing all colour and silly links and pictures.

Originally posted by Mele20:

How do I change the color of the font for the message that I am replying to? It is currently in blue! I want that text in black like all other text.

Once you get the above switch to "Show and Plain Text" then those people sending you blue emails will not have any colour as your reply will default to plain text.

If the reply does not automatically appear as Plain Text, check the main TOOLS menu and check the settings for each of your mail accounts. Make sure the outgoing page has no tick in Prefer HTML Formatting