Let’s take a closer look at the message options we can set from within Word. To access these options first click the email button on the standard toolbar or click the File menu, Send To, and click Mail Recipient. When the email toolbar opens, click the options button. Here’s what you will see:

Before we get into these options, remember that not all these features will work with every e-mail program. Some features are designed to work with Microsoft Office Outlook 2003, and some are for more complicated networks, such as Microsoft Exchange Server.

The first set of options lets you set your e-mail’s importance (low, normal, or high) and sensitivity (personal, private, confidential, or normal).

The second set of options is accessed through the Security Settings button. You can see a picture of this dialog to the left. There are options for protecting your message using digital signatures, encryption, and custom security zone settings.

Once you click OK, you will be returned to the main options dialog.

Back in that dialog, our third set of options lets us add voting buttons, read receipts, and delivery receipts. (Read and delivery receipts are e-mails sent back to you confirming when your message has been delivered or read.)

Our fourth set of options covers a whole gamut of delivery settings. You can choose to have replies sent to another e-mail address, change where your message is saved, set a delivery time for your message, set an expiration date, and choose attachment format and encoding.

The last two options allow you to link this e-mail with contacts or with categories (if you’re using Microsoft Office Outlook 2003).

Once you’re done setting these options, click the Close button. Remember that these settings are re-set every time you open the e-mail window within Word.