Mail quick reference

This quick reference includes a screen image, which explains the basics in Mail, as well as tables that list other commonly-used tasks and shortcuts.

Table 1. Basic tasks
Task Action

Open Mail

Click the Open button and select Mail.

Compose a new message

Click New > Message.

Send a message to someone from your contact list or another directory

While composing an email, click the To link, and select a directory.

Mark messages read or unread

Select the message or messages, right-click and select Mark as > Read or Mark as > Unread.

Sort Inbox by last name (surname)
  1. Click File > Preferences, and then click Mail.
  2. On the Basics tab, under Display names in mail in this format select Last, First.
  3. Click OK, return to your Inbox, and sort by the Who column.

Optional: Designate last name prefixes, such as Van for Van Morrison under Enter last name prefixes. For additional help, click and hold the ? icon.

Streamline the dates shown in your Inbox
Mail views now show abbreviated, simplified dates according to the following changes:
  • If the date falls on the current day, then the date column will only show the time, for example: 4:50 PM
  • Yesterday's date will have Yesterday plus the time
  • If the date falls on a prior day within the past year, then the month and day will be shown with the time, for example: May 12 3:50 PM
  • If the date falls on a day in a previous year, then the traditional date/time is show, for example 5/12/2011 3:15 PM
  • If, for some reason, there is a future date in the Mail view, due to OS settings, it will be displayed the way that the May 12 3:50 PM example shown above is displayed
Choose View > Customize this view, and select or de-select the Use abbreviated dates checkbox to turn this feature on or off.
Table 2. Personalize your Inbox
Task Action
Change the color of read and unread messages
  1. Click File > Preferences.Macintosh OS X users: Click Notes > Preferences.
  2. Click Fonts and Colors.
  3. Under Mail view font, select how you want messages to look in your mail views.
Mark all messages viewed in the preview pane as read

Click File > Preferences (Macintosh OS X users: click Notes > Preferences), and then click Basic Notes Client Configuration. Under Additional Options, select Mark documents read when opened in preview pane.

Add icons in my Inbox to show if I am the only recipient, a Cc recipient, or a Bcc recipient

To display icons that identify your recipient level, click File > Preferences, click Mail, and then click the Recipient Icons tab.

See messages in Inbox grouped by date

Beginning in Notes 12, this setting is enabled by default. To disable this setting, select Show > Group by Date.

Show or hide beginning of message in Inbox

Preview message text in your Inbox view. Hover over messages in your Inbox to see the first 100 characters.

Beginning in Notes 12, this setting is enabled by default. To disable this setting, select Show > Beginning of Message.

Table 3. Personalize other mail settings
Header Header
Change the letterhead (graphic in the header of emails)
  1. Click File > Preferences, and then click Mail.
  2. Click Letterhead.
  3. Select a graphic in the Letterhead field. To use no graphic, select No letterhead.
Spell check all messages before sending
  1. Click File > Preferences, click Mail, and then click the Basics tab.
  2. Select Spell-check messages before sending.
Encrypt all messages
  1. Click File > Preferences (Notes Basic client users: File > Preferences > User Preferences; Macintosh OS X users: Click Notes > Preferences).
  2. Click the plus sign beside Mail, and then click Sending and Receiving.
  3. Select Encrypt messages that I send or Encrypt saved copies of sent messages.
Turn off the Fw: prefix
  1. Click File > Preferences (Notes Basic client users: File > Preferences > User Preferences; Macintosh OS X users: Click Notes > Preferences).
  2. Click the plus sign beside Mail, and then click Sending and Receiving.
  3. Clear the Add forward prefix to the subject of forwarded messages option.
Save or do not save emails in the Sent folder
  1. Click File > Preferences, expand the Mail section, and then click Sending and Receiving.
  2. Under Sending, click one of the options in the Save copies of messages that I send field.
Table 4. Other things you can do
Task Action
Send mail from your user name, short name address, or Internet address. You can now send an email from your User name, Short name, or Internet address . Click From > Select From when composing an email to view and select on of these options. For example, you can send email from sdaryn@renovations.com rather than Samantha Daryn/Renovations@Renovations.

If you make any changes to your User name, Short name, or Internet address, click Refresh Names.

Note: This features requires the mail12.ntf template design.
Copy formatting of selected text and apply to other text in a document. Select text and click the new icon for Copy Format (between Text Color and Permanent Pen) to copy the text’s formatting. This setting is available in Notes versions 12 and later.
Spell check one message Click Tools > Check Spelling.
Encrypt one message In a message you create, click Encrypt above the To field of the message. If the Encrypt option doesn't display, click Display > Additional Mail Options.
Control when to deliver a message You can schedule a message to be delivered at a specific date and time.
  1. Click Delivery Options above a new message.
  2. Select Delay Delivery Until and select the date and time that you want the message to be delivered.

The message is shown in the Sent view of your mail but the message goes to your mail server and stays there until the scheduled delivery time. Notes does not need to be running at the scheduled delivery time because the mail server handles the delivery. Open a scheduled message in your Sent view to see the scheduled delivery time.

Note: If you don't see the Delay Delivery Until option, your administrator has not enabled this feature.
Confirm delivery of a message You can confirm delivery of your message to the mail server of the recipient
  1. Click Delivery Options above the message.
  2. Select from the following options:
    • None - No delivery report, except in cases where the recipient's address cannot be found
    • Only on failure - A delivery report is sent if, for any reason, Notes cannot deliver the message
    • Confirm delivery - A delivery report informs you whether or not the message was delivered
    • Trace entire path - Sends you a report from each server through which Notes routes the message, and a final report indicating whether the message was delivered
Receive a return receipt when recipients open a message

If a recipient's mail program supports this feature, you can have Notes® send you a return receipt when a recipient reads a message you sent. Many Internet mail programs support return receipts. However, even if a recipient's mail program supports this feature, a recipient's organization may not allow it for security reasons.

  1. Click Delivery Options above the message.
  2. Select Return receipt, and then click OK.
Prevent copying or forwarding of a message

You can prevent Notes® mail recipients from copying a Notes® mail message that you send. This includes copying with the clipboard, forwarding, replying with history, and printing. Note that this option is merely a deterrent to copying, as recipients can use other means to copy the message.

  1. Click Delivery Options above the message.
  2. Select Prevent copying, and then click OK.
Keep multiple forwarded messages separate You can forward multiple messages as separate attachments rather than keeping them together in the forwarded message. Select the messages to forward and click Forward > Forward as Attachments.
Add a Confidential prefix to a message subject
  1. Click Delivery Options above the message.
  2. Select Mark Subject Confidential, and then click OK.
Do not receive out-of-office messages from others

If you know that a recipient is on vacation, and want to be able to send the person messages without receiving out-of-office replies, you can have Notes® refuse this type of reply.

  1. Click Delivery Options above the message.
  2. Select Do not notify me if recipient(s) are running Out of Office, and then click OK.
When you send a message to a group, prevent recipients from seeing group members
  1. Click Delivery Options above the message.
  2. Select Do not expand personal groups, and then click OK.
Note: If you forward or reply to a message that displays the personal group name in the To field, you must select this option again for the forwarded message or reply to prevent expansion of the group again.
Preview emails in a popup window as they arrive
  1. Click File > Preferences,, click the plus sign (+) next to Mail, and then click Sending and Receiving.
  2. Select Display a popup alert when new mail arrives.
Table 5. Mail shortcuts
Task For Windows For Macintosh
Open Mail
Note: To enable this shortcut, click File > Preferences > Basic Notes Client Configuration > Enable alternate keyboard shortcuts.
 Ctrl+1 Ctrl+1
Create a new email Ctrl+M Apple + M
Reply to email
Note: To enable this shortcut, click File > Preferences > Basic Notes Client Configuration > Enable alternate keyboard shortcuts.
 Ctrl+R Ctrl+R
Reply All to email
Note: To enable this shortcut, click File > Preferences > Basic Notes Client Configuration > Enable alternate keyboard shortcuts.
 Ctrl+Shift+R Ctrl+Shift+R
Open selected email Enter Enter
Close current email or mail view Esc Esc
Mark selected email read or unread Insert N/A
Go to the next unread email F4 (Notes Basic client users: Tab) N/A
Go to previous unread email Shift+F4 (Notes Basic client users: Shift+Tab) N/A
Get help for the current feature F1 Help or Apple + ?
Undo last action Ctrl + Z Apple + Z
See a list of available shortcuts Ctrl+ Shift + L Ctrl+ Shift + L