How do I … color-code my e-mail?

Microsoft Outlook offers lots of ways to customize the appearance of messages in your inbox. Using a system to organize those messages is one step nearer to managing inbox overload.

One simple option is color-coding messages based on the person sending them.

Say you want your drill-sergeant supervisor’s messages to show up in flaming pink. Go to Outlook’s main panel, choose Tools and Organize; you’ll find the Using Colors choice. Select names from your address book or add names, then choose colors.

Another nice Outlook feature is having messages sent only to you appear in bold blue. The option is found in the same frame where one assigns e-mail colors. That’s handy for office workers who often get bulk messages sent to dozens of recipients, since messages sent to you alone are probably a little more important.