Having Formatting Issues With Your Emails Using Thunderbird? I Did, And This Is What I've Learned

If you're like me, email is an essential part of your daily routine. You send, receive, and manage dozens of emails, and the last thing you want is for your messages to look unprofessional or be difficult to read. 

Recently, I found myself grappling with some serious formatting issues in Mozilla Thunderbird, the popular open-source email client. What seemed like a minor inconvenience at first quickly turned into a recurring frustration.

Here’s the thing: Thunderbird has many customization features that can help you tailor your email experience. But, these options can sometimes lead to unexpected results, particularly with formatting. 

After spending some time figuring things out, I’ve picked up a few useful tips that might help others who are facing similar problems. 

If you’ve had issues with inconsistent fonts, text that won’t align, or links that don’t display correctly, this article is for you.

Identifying the Formatting Problem

When I first encountered the issue, I noticed that my emails were displaying inconsistently across different platforms. On my Thunderbird client, everything looked fine, but when I checked those same emails on my phone or via webmail, the formatting was completely off. Fonts were either too large or too small, text alignment was haywire, and some links weren’t clickable.

This is a common problem with email clients, as different programs render HTML and rich text formatting in slightly different ways. Thunderbird, being a desktop-based email client, handles rich text differently compared to web-based platforms like Gmail or mobile apps. 

It became clear that Thunderbird was rendering my emails one way, but recipients using other platforms were seeing something quite different.

Step One: Investigating Thunderbird’s Settings

The first thing I did was take a deep dive into Thunderbird’s settings to see if there was anything obviously wrong. The settings menu, found under “Preferences” or “Options” depending on your operating system, contains several key tabs that control how Thunderbird handles both composing and displaying emails.

1. HTML vs. Plain Text: One of the first things I checked was whether Thunderbird was automatically converting my emails into plain text. If your emails are being sent in plain text, any formatting such as bold, italics, or hyperlinks will be stripped away. Ensure that "Compose messages in HTML format" is ticked under Composition > General. Without this option enabled, your formatting won’t carry over to recipients.

2. Fonts and Colours: Thunderbird has a wide array of font customization options. These settings, found under Display > Formatting, can impact both how you see emails and how they are sent. I discovered that my font settings were set to default, which didn’t match the fonts I wanted in my emails. You can choose default fonts for proportional, monospace, and minimum size. I recommend picking a universal font like Arial or Times New Roman, as these are more likely to appear correctly across different devices and platforms.

3. Remote Content: Many emails include images, which are often hosted remotely. Thunderbird blocks remote content by default to protect users from potential privacy risks. However, this can sometimes lead to images not displaying properly in your outgoing emails. If your recipients report broken images or missing graphics, you can manage this setting under Privacy > Mail Content.

Step Two: Fixing the Composition Window

One of my main frustrations was that the composition window, where you write your emails, often didn’t behave the way I wanted it to. I would format text in a specific way, but it wouldn’t appear that way in the final email. To remedy this, I realised I had to do a couple of things:

1. Change Paragraph Formatting: In the composition window, Thunderbird defaults to using paragraph breaks when you hit "Enter." This means there’s often extra space between lines of text that you didn’t intend. To prevent this, you can change the line break behaviour by selecting "Body Text" from the drop-down menu in the composition toolbar. This will ensure that hitting "Enter" doesn’t create unnecessary spacing.

2. Using HTML Signatures: If you use a signature, you’ve likely encountered issues with how it displays. Thunderbird allows you to create signatures in both plain text and HTML. If your signature looks off, you may need to switch to an HTML version. You can create one by composing it in an HTML editor, then saving it as an .html file and linking it under Account Settings > Signature text.

Step Three: Test Your Emails

Once I’d made the necessary adjustments, the next step was testing. Sending test emails to myself and opening them on different devices helped me understand how they would appear to others. You can also use different email providers, such as Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo, to see how your Thunderbird emails are rendered on each platform.

During my tests, I learned that Thunderbird’s formatting, while flexible, doesn’t always play nicely with mobile apps. If your recipients frequently check emails on their phones, it’s a good idea to keep your formatting simple. Stick to basic fonts and avoid overly complex layouts, as these are more likely to break or display inconsistently.

Step Four: Update Thunderbird Regularly

It sounds obvious, but keeping Thunderbird up-to-date is essential. Each new release often fixes bugs, improves compatibility, and enhances security. At the time of writing, Thunderbird is actively maintained by a dedicated team of developers, so updates are released fairly regularly. If you’re having persistent issues, make sure you’ve installed the latest version.

Step Five: Consider Add-Ons

Thunderbird has a wealth of add-ons that can help streamline your email experience. If you’re still having trouble with formatting, there are specific add-ons designed to improve HTML composition, manage fonts, or even give you more advanced tools for email creation. Some add-ons, like Stationery, allow you to design and save templates for your emails, which can help ensure consistency across messages.

After spending time investigating and fixing my Thunderbird formatting issues, the most important lesson I learned is that simplicity is key. 

While it’s tempting to use a variety of fonts, colours, and formatting options to make your emails stand out, less is often more when it comes to email composition. Sticking to basic, universally recognised fonts and minimal formatting ensures that your emails will display properly no matter what platform or device your recipient is using.

If you’ve been struggling with formatting issues in Thunderbird, don’t be discouraged. With a bit of patience and some tweaking of settings, it’s possible to get your emails looking polished and professional. 

Hopefully, these steps will help you as much as they’ve helped me!