How to adjust zoom of reading pane and messages in Outlook?

Author Kelly Last modified 2025-04-15

When reading or composing email messages in Microsoft Outlook, the fonts and images may be too small to read clearly and comfortably. Actually Microsoft Outlook supports zoom feature for adjusting zoom level. Here I will introduce how to adjust zoom level of Reading Pane and new messages window in Microsoft Outlook.

Adjust zoom of Reading Pane in Outlook
Adjust zoom of messages window in Outlook
Adjust zoom of messages window with Kutools for Outlook

Adjust zoom of Reading Pane in Outlook

When previewing email messages in the Reading Pane, you can adjust the zoom level and make the fonts and images fit for reading comfortably.
Shift to the Mail view, click to select the email message that you will preview, and then adjust the zoom level with moving the zoom slider in the Status bar at the bottom of Outlook. See screenshot below:

the screenshot of adjusting zoom of reading pane in outlook 1

Notes:

(1) There is no Zoom Slider in the status bar in Microsoft Outlook 2007.

(2) You can also adjust the zoom level by clicking in the Reading Pane firstly, then holding the "Ctrl" key and scrolling the mouse at the same time.

(3) If the zoom slider does not appear in the status bar in Microsoft Outlook 2010 and higher version, you can right-click on any blank place in the status bar, and check the "Zoom Slider" from the right-clicking menu.

the screenshot of adjusting zoom of reading pane in outlook 2

Adjust zoom of messages window in Outlook

You can adjust the zoom level of new messages window as follows:

Step 1: Open a new message window with following ways:

A. In Outlook 2010 and higher version, create a new email message by clicking the "New" button on the "Home" tab;
B. In Outlook 2007, click "File" > "New" > "Mail Message".

Step 2: Click the "Zoom" button on the "Message" tab (or "Format Text" tab in Outlook 2007).

the screenshot of adjusting zoom of message window in outlook 1

Note: The "Zoom" button is gray until you put the cursor in the editing area.

Step 3: In the popping up Zoom dialog box, check one of zoom levels or specify a custom zoom level in the "Percent" box, and then click the "OK" button.

the screenshot of adjusting zoom of message window in outlook 2

Notes:

(1) You can also adjust the zoom level in message window by holding the "Ctrl" key and scrolling the mouse at the same time.

(2) If you adjust the zoom level when composing emails, for example reply/forward/create a new email, the adjusted zoom level remains in future when you reply/forward/create emails.

(3) Besides adjusting zoom level for new message window, you can also adjust the zoom level for any opened email message you received by this method. But the adjustment can only work for the current opened email message.

Adjust zoom of messages window with Kutools for Outlook

After changing the zoom level with the above method, the changed zoom level will turn back to the original default zoom level automatically when you open and read an email message next time. With the "Zoom" utility of "Kutools for Outlook", you can specify a zoom level as your permanently used one in message window, which includes composing, reading, replying and forwarding windows. Please do as follows:

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1. Click "Kutools" > "Options". See screenshot:

the screenshot of adjusting zoom of message window in outlook with kutools for outlook 1

2. In the "Options" dialog box, go to the "Zoom" tab, check the "Enable auto zoom (Percent) in read, compose and reply window" box, and specify a zoom level as you need from the drop-down list, and finally click the "OK" button. See screenshot:

the screenshot of adjusting zoom of message window in outlook with kutools for outlook 2

From now on, when you composing or reading an email message in Outlook, the zoom level will be changed to the level you have specified automatically.

the screenshot of adjusting zoom of message window in outlook with kutools for outlook 3

If you want to have a free trial of this utility, please go to free download the software first, and then go to apply the operation according above steps.