It includes information on making on-the-fly changes using the formatting bar at the bottom of the composition window.

Do it for an individual message or change the defaults, so Gmail uses your preferences every time.

Use the Gmail General tweaks to change the default textGmail useswhen you compose email messages.

The Settings gear in Gmail

When you change the options, you choose the typeface, size, and color of the text.

After you preserve your changes, every email you send uses those styles unless you change them again.

In the upper-right corner, select theSettings(gear) icon.

The “See All Settings” button in Gmail

Select theSizedrop-down menu to the right to change the size of the default text.

you’re able to choose betweenSmall,Normal,Large, andHuge.Normalis the default setting.

Select theColordrop-down menu to the right to pull up the color picker.

Gmail settings with the General tab highlighted

Choose any color you like.Blackis the default color.

Select it if you want to start the process over.

Scroll to the bottom of theSettingsscreen and selectSave Changesto set the new default text options.

Gmail settings with the text options highlighted

No matter how you set the defaults, everything is editable in the window where you send an email.

This is true whether it’s a new message or a reply or forward.

Open a new message.

Gmail settings with the text size button highlighted

The text formatting bar appears at the bottom of the composition area, above the bar with theSendbutton.

Select your recipient and enter a subject and your message.

Highlight the message text.

The Gmail Default Text Style options with the Text Color option highlighted

Make selections using the formatting bar.

There are some controls here that aren’t included in the default controls.

For example, you might align text left, right, or center or add bullets.

The Gmail Default text style options with the reset button highlighted

Make any other adjustments you’d like and then selectSend.

A new message in Gmail with the text formatting options highlighted

Selected text in Message composition screen in Gmail

Text changed in Message composition screen in Gmail