A Primer on Views and Print Styles

Views are one of the key program elements of Outlook. Views display the contents of a folder in a defined way. There are five basic view styles; some are graphical layouts (for example, Calendar’s Day/Week/Month views); others are structured as tables in the traditional row and column format. Print Styles are a close cousin to views, and define how an individual item, or the contents of a folder, is printed.

Understanding views is important. Using the right view for a given data set allows you to focus on the records you need to see, in an order that brings important details to the surface, in a format or layout that’s conducive to what you’re trying to accomplish. And when you can’t find an appropriate view for the task at hand, understanding the options available for a view allows you to create a new, customized view that displays the information you need to see, how you need to see it.

Table 3-1 lists Outlook’s default views, the folder type they are associated with, and the print styles that can be used from a given view. These are Outlook’s out-of-box defaults. Within certain limitations, all views and print styles can be customized.

Note

We use the terms “default” and “preconfigured” synonymously when referring to views. When Outlook is first installed, a default or preconfigured set of views is created for each item type. These default views can then be customized to suit user preferences and work style. A customized default view can be reset ...

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