Problem Summary
When you are replying to an email you received in Outlook, you may find that the size of the font in the message you are typing is so small that you can barely see what you have typed, even though the font size in your tool bar has not changed.
This has happened to me when the size of my font is at 11 in the tool bar, but any message I type when replying to an email is like font size 6. Many people have tried increasing their Outlook font size in reply mode up to size 18 or 20, just so they can read what they are typing, but only to find out to their dismay that when they send the message without reducing the font back to the normal setting, the recipients of their reply get the message in VERY large size 18 or 20 font!
The fix for Outlook font size when it changes to very small size when you are replying to an email is really very simple, and I have summarized it below. The Zoom factor in the Reply Mode is what you need to increase to 100%.
The Fix for Outlook Font Size Change in Reply Mode
In Outlook Reply Mode:
- Hold down the “Ctrl” key on your keyboard
- If you are using a mouse with a scroll wheel, scroll the wheel up or down to increase the Zoom to 100%
- Or, while holding the “Ctrl” key down, pinch the mouse pad on your laptop in or out to get 100% Zoom factor.
This should fix your font changing to very small size when you are replying to an email in Outlook. This fix also works if your Outlook font in Reply Mode has increased, just reduced it to 100% with the same steps.
The key combination you may have to press to get 100% font Zoom factor may differ on your laptop. I have tested this fix on a Dell laptop running Windows 10.
If you find that a different key/Mouse combination works for you, please share it here so others can benefit.
Pinching the mouse pad while holding the control key worked! Thank you!
Thank you it worked ,solved another mystery.
Thank you
Thank you Andy for the feedback. Glad the fix worked for you.
Jeff
Thanks Jeff
Brilliant solution and trivial to do. Any idea why the problem arose?
Thanks Bob for the feedback. I suspect the problem arose from a software update.
Regards
Jeff
Thank you, I was doing some rapid clicking and next thing I knew my reply message blew up larger than life. This was exactly what worked for the issue and I’m very grateful.
Hello Julie,
Thank you for the feedback. I am glad the fix worked for you.
Jeff
Thanks, quick easy fix.
Hi Austin,
Thanks for the feedback.
Jeff
Thank you that really helped
Hello Francis,
Thank you the feedback. Good to know the fix helped you.
Jeff
It works, brilliant, thanks! chrs Geert
Thanks Geert for the feedback.
Jeff
Thank you Jeff. Great help.
thank you Jeff!
I suspect it is a software change also, it happened right after that but holding the control key and scrolling with my mouse ball doesnt help. The reply font is VERY small, everything else is great and when someone see’s my reply it is normal font. Any other suggestions? Thanks Mark
Hi Mark,
If every other thing look ok as you said, try the follow:
1) Open any Outlook email message and click on the Reply button.
2) Depending on your version of Outlook, in MESSAGE (or Format) tab, click on Zoom menu options.
3) Change the Zoom setting to 100% (or whatever size you prefer) and click on the OK button.
Let us know if it makes any difference.
Regards
Jeff
I did get your original message to work once I found a mouse with a scroll button, thank you so much for your reply
Thanks for the feedback.
Jeff
YOU ARE A GENIUS, JEFF! You don’t know how many times I went into other websites, yet the recommendations could not solve my problem. So glad that I found you, Jeff!
Have a great day!
Hi Shelia,
Thank you for the feedback. I am so glad the fix worked for you.
Jeff
I have a related but different issue. When replying to an Outlook email I am not able to
change the font and/or font size.
All the font elements are greyed out.
Is there a solution to this?
Hi Skip,
Have you checked that your Reply format is not set for Plain Text? Change it to HTML, if it is Plain Text.
Regards
Jeff
THANK YOU!!!
Glad it worked for you Michelle.
Jeff
Can’t thank you enough! This was driving me crazy and your “fix it” worked! I don’t know how I accidentally changed it to the small type in the first place…, but your advice saved my eyes AND sanity. : )
Thanks for the feedback Beth. Glad you find the fix helpful.
Jeff
Thanks a million!!! Easy fix:)
Thanks for the feedback Grill. Happy to know the solution for fixing Outlook font size in reply mode worked for you.
Jeff
Jeff
I tried this and it increased the font size in the reply email for text that I had copied and pasted. However, I tried one to myself as a sample and when I received it the font was still the same size, small, and not as large as it looked when sending it. Apparently the zoom only makes it bigger visually but does not change the font size.
Thanks.
Thanks Claude for your test and feedback. Perhaps recent updates have resolved the issue, or it may be dependent on version.
Jeff
Thank you. This fixed my problem of the font size appearing to increase when I hit Reply.
Thanks Schwartz for the feedback. Glad to know the fix worked for you.
Jeff
Brilliant. This needs to be atop the search instead of legacy solutions
Thanks Steve for your feedback.
Jeff
Hi Jeff, thanks for providing this workaround. It worked exactly as you mentioned!
Thank you so much!! This actually worked!! spent an hour trying to figure this out.
Thank you for the feedback. I am happy the fix worked for you.
Jeff
Thank you so very much. It worked like a charm!
I’m on the newest version of Outlook and sometimes when I send response emails the font becomes 50+ in size once it’s delivered – IT’S HUGE! The font looks fine on my end – but BIG once delivered. I have tested the Zoom control (it’s always at 100%), I’ve also made the email font Times New Roman (which I read was the best font to use in Outlook). Does anyone have any suggestions on how I can stop this from happening?
Hi Kelly,
That is new to me. I will check if I can help, but if anyone has a fix for Kelly, please chip in!
Jeff
Thank you so much. You saved the day! I don’t know how it got so tiny in the first place.