How to stop Outlook from changing the justification of text from left aligned to fully justified.

Anonymous
2023-04-13T02:02:04+00:00

Almost all email newsletters that come to Outlook are shown with fully justified text with words auto-hyphenated at line breaks when the email is NOT sent that way from the sender. I've seen this from at least three different external senders.

How do we stop Outlook from changing the line justification of incoming emails so they are shown as they are intended by the sender?

Outlook | Windows | Classic Outlook for Windows | For home

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

0 comments No comments
Answer accepted by question author
Anonymous
2024-04-10T19:17:31+00:00

Hi all,

The new Typography features are now available in production. The next step is that the feature is now being enabled by default starting with Current Channel Version 2403 (Build 17410.20000).

Since the initial release the team added controls to manage this feature in the client, Typography improvements in Word and Outlook for Windows (microsoft365.com).

Note:

  • Since this thread is old it may get locked again. If you need further help, please post a new thread.
  • There will be a new Typography article for Production shortly on https://support.microsoft.com/ 

In Outlook:

  1. The new typography features are enabled in the Reading Pane. Default values are “on” for Beta Chanel and “on” for Production starting with Channel Version 2403 (Build 17410.20000).
  2. To show the Reading Pane, click View > Reading Pane > Right or Bottom.
  3. To turn off these features in Outlook Desktop, click File > Options > Mail > Editor Options > Advanced > Reading mode, and then clear the Advanced Typography in Reading Mode checkbox.
  4. To turn off only Use Smart Justification or Use Hyphenationindividually, clear the corresponding check box.
  5. The sender can disable the features for the emails they create, and those settings will not be overwritten by settings on recipient's computer.

Image

Was this answer helpful?

30+ people found this answer helpful.
0 comments No comments
Answer accepted by question author
Anonymous
2024-09-23T00:57:45+00:00

... Outlook now fully justifies and over-hyphenates for all email, including HTML email (sent from Mailchimp or other mass email services). The Outlook client does this at the recipient display level, and there doesn't seem to be any easy way to turn it off. Those settings might work for Outlook to Outlook, in which case, there might be an email level override that somebody can work out.

Hmm ... I haven't seen that.

It might depend very much on one's computer environment and Outlook type and version.

I'm using the MS 365 desktop (not the 'New') Outlook on Windows 11, currently at Version 2408 (Build 17928.20156). What are you using?

My advanced typography settings in File > Options > Mail > Editor Options > Advanced are "Use Advanced Typography" is OFF, and "Disable Advanced Typography for outgoing mail" is also OFF.

None of my email correspondents sees any of my messages in Advanced Typography format, regardless of the email client either of us is using. Example client apps used by my correspondents include Thunderbird, Mac Mail, Outlook for Mac and Windows, various Android and iOS mail apps, and probably some webmail apps. Some have MS 365 (personal or business) mailboxes, and others use gmail or various other types of mail service.

When I send messages from my MS 365 outlook.com account via an Android app (Aqua Mail), those messages aren't being reformatted, either.

I don't see any received messages in Advanced Typography format, either in Outlook or in other clients such as that Android client app.

So ... with "Use Advanced Typography" turned off in desktop Outlook, my messages aren't being reformatted on sending, whether or not I also turn on "Disable Advanced Typography for outgoing mail".

Was this answer helpful?

2 people found this answer helpful.
0 comments No comments

122 additional answers

Sort by: Newest
  1. Anonymous
    2025-04-16T22:30:20+00:00

    The way to see the property to add to your HTML do the following:

    1. Disable Typography in Outlook (File, Options, Mail, Editor Options, Advanced), typography improvements.
    2. Send an email to yourself and then on that received email on the ribbon locate the Move column, More Move Actions, Other actions, View Source.
    3. Look for DontUseAdvancedTypographyReadingMail

    A good reference how to use this setting is this blog, Microsoft introduces controversial new “Advanced Typography” features for Outlook Classic | Knak

    Was this answer helpful?

    3 people found this answer helpful.
    0 comments No comments
  2. Anonymous
    2025-04-15T23:40:50+00:00

    What I'm looking for is an Outlook compliant html/css element which forces Outlook to obey the incoming html email and not overwrite it with forced client side settings

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments No comments
  3. Anonymous
    2025-04-15T23:17:04+00:00

    There must be a solution that doesn't ask Outlook users to change their settings to view emails as they were designed - there needs to be a coding solution.

    My suggestions, for a start:

    • Advanced Typography should never be the default either for sending or reading messages. If you want this function you should have to explicitly select it.
      AND
    • It should be easy to turn Advanced Typography on or off, for example via a toggle switch present by default in the ribbon that's easily found and used.

    And I'd like to add: Please, please Microsoft - stop changing option settings back to MS's default without permission. Once the user has selected an option it should stay as set until explicitly changed again.

    I have to keep restoring my preferences in File > Options > Editor settings... and Spelling and autocorrect... because every so often a routine behind-the-scenes update will revert them to Microsoft's preferred default.

    There is never any apparent reason for this. The first clue that it has happened yet again is double-quotes turning into 'smart' quotes and/or wavy red lines appearing under 'misspelt' words.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments No comments