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How to set the line spacing on new email in the New Outlook.

Bobby Spilman 25 Reputation points
2025-09-30T17:09:08.3+00:00

So in the images attached, you can see the spacing in the old Outlook vs the new. If I select the message body and select "Clear Formatting" it goes back to the spacing I prefer. So something in the New Outlook is making it behave that way and it is something that can be changed.

Where can I go in my setting to make the not extra-wide spacing the default?

Old:

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New:

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Outlook | Windows | New Outlook for Windows | For business
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  1. Kai-L 12,925 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2025-10-15T18:01:11.96+00:00

    Dear @Bobby Spilman,
    Thank you for providing the screenshot of your signature configuration. It helps us confirm that the issue is likely due to how the New Outlook interprets legacy formatting carried over from the Classic Outlook.

    As your signature was likely brought over from the Classic Outlook, it may contain hidden paragraph formatting that the new system is misinterpreting, causing the extra spaces you see when composing an email.

    Please try one of the following two methods to see if it resolves the issue:

    Option 1: Recreate the Signature

    This is the most effective way to eliminate hidden paragraph spacing within the signature lines.

    1. Go to Settings → Accounts → Signatures.
    2. Select your current signature, "Main," and copy all the text (from "Thank you for your time" downwards) to your clipboard.
    3. Click the "New signature" button to create a fresh, clean signature (e.g., name it "Main_New").
    4. Paste your copied text into the new signature editor.
    5. Manually go through the new signature and delete all the line breaks (the gaps between lines) and replace them with a soft return: To start a new line without adding the extra paragraph space, press Shift+Enter instead of just Enter.
    6. Click Save.
    7. Set this new signature as your default for new messages and replies.
    8. Test to see if it works as you expected.

    Option 2: Stripping All Formatting to Clean the Signature

    If the above is too tedious, you can strip all formatting out first and then paste it back in.

    1. Go to Settings → Accounts → Signatures.
    2. Copy the entire content of your current "Main" signature.
    3. Paste the signature text into a plain text editor (like Notepad on Windows or TextEdit in plain text mode on Mac). This action removes all hidden formatting.
    4. Copy the text back out of the plain text editor.
    5. Go back to the Outlook signature editor, delete the contents of your "Main" signature, and paste the plain text back in.
    6. Now, re-apply any necessary formatting (like bolding your name) and, importantly, use Shift+Enter for your line breaks.
    7. Save the signature and test a new email.

    One of these steps should ensure that the signature itself doesn't introduce unwanted paragraph spacing. I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience this has caused.

    I hope this information helps clarify the situation and provides you with workable solutions. Should you have any further questions or need additional assistance, please don't hesitate to reach out. We're always here to help. Have a wonderful day! 

    2 people found this answer helpful.

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  1. Kai-L 12,925 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2025-09-30T17:57:50.1733333+00:00

    Dear @Bobby Spilman,

    Thank you for reaching out to the Microsoft Q&A Forum.

    I understand that you're having an unexpected issue while composing emails in the New Outlook. From your information and screenshots, when you select the message body and select "Clear Formatting," it reverts to the spacing you prefer. This indicates that an unwanted default style is being applied.

    While I tried to replicate your issue, my New Outlook and Classic Outlook emails show similar spacing, which suggests this may be specific to your environment or settings. To provide you with more targeted troubleshooting, could you please answer a few questions?

    • Do you compose this email from somewhere else and paste it into the New Outlook, or do you compose it directly within New Outlook?
    • Has anything changed recently? For example, did a new update install?
    • Do you have this issue with all of your emails or only specific ones?
    • Do you have this issue on any other device (like a mobile app or a different computer)?

    Once I have more information, I can better understand your issue and assist you more effectively.

    In the meantime, you can try this step to see if it helps, especially if the extra spacing is due to pasted content:

    1. Open Outlook Settings: Click the Gear icon in the top-right corner of the New Outlook window.
    2. Go to Mail Settings: In the Settings pane that opens, select Mail → Compose and reply.
    3. Adjust Pasting Defaults: Under the "Cut, copy and paste" section, change the defaults for both:
    • Pasting from emails and calendar
    • Pasting from other apps
    • Change them from "Keep source formatting" to "Keep text only" → Click Save.
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    You can then write a test email to see if that helps with the spacing.

    If these steps don't work, please provide more information so I can investigate further. Please note that our initial response does not always resolve the issue immediately. However, with your help and more detailed information, we can work together to find a solution. Thank you for your patience and understanding. I'm looking forward to your reply.

    If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".  

    Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread. 
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