A user in the Microsoft Answers forum wanted to know how to use a Word macro to apply formatting to selected text in Outlook 2010.

Outlook does not (and never had) a macro recorder but you can use some VBA code that was recorded in Word, in Outlook macros provided you reference the Word object model, and set the Word object and selection (as seen in the code below). You'll need to set the reference in the VB Editor's Tools, References menu. You'll also need to have macro security set to low or or sign the macro with a certificate to use it.

See How to use Outlook’s VBA Editor for help using the editor, setting security levels, and signing macros.

I tested this macro in Outlook 2010 and Outlook 2013; it should also work in Outlook 2007.

Format Selected Text Macro

To use, open the VBA Editor (Alt+F11) and paste the code into a module. Select a block of text while composing a message and run the macro.

   Public Sub FormatSelectedText()
    Dim objItem As Object
    Dim objInsp As Outlook.Inspector
    
    ' Add reference to Word library
    ' in VBA Editor, Tools, References
    Dim objWord As Word.Application
    Dim objDoc As Word.Document
    Dim objSel As Word.Selection
    On Error Resume Next
   
'Reference the current Outlook item 
    Set objItem = Application.ActiveInspector.currentItem
    If Not objItem Is Nothing Then
        If objItem.Class = olMail Then
            Set objInsp = objItem.GetInspector
            If objInsp.EditorType = olEditorWord Then
                Set objDoc = objInsp.WordEditor
                Set objWord = objDoc.Application
                Set objSel = objWord.Selection

' replace the With block with your code
       With objSel
       ' Formatting code goes here
            .Font.Color = wdColorBlue
            .Font.Size = 18
            .Font.Bold = True
            .Font.Italic = True
            .Font.Name = "Arial"
       End With

            End If
        End If
    End If
    
    Set objItem = Nothing
    Set objWord = Nothing
    Set objSel = Nothing
    Set objInsp = Nothing
End Sub

Change font size of entire email

This macro selects the opened message and changes the entire message to use a uniform font size (12pt in my example) and saves the change.

You need to set a reference to the Word object model in the VB Editor's Tools > References menu.

Public Sub ChangeTextSize()
    Dim objItem As Object
    Dim objInsp As Outlook.Inspector
    
    ' Add reference to Word library
    ' in VBA Editor, Tools, References
    Dim objWord As Word.Application
    Dim objDoc As Word.Document
    Dim objSel As Word.Selection
    On Error Resume Next
   
'Reference the current Outlook item
   Set objItem = Application.ActiveInspector.currentItem
   If Not objItem Is Nothing Then
      If objItem.Class = olMail Then
        Set objInsp = objItem.GetInspector
          If objInsp.EditorType = olEditorWord Then
            Set objDoc = objInsp.WordEditor
            Set objWord = objDoc.Application
            Set objSel = objWord.Selection

' put the message into Edit mode
If objDoc.ProtectionType = WdProtectionType.wdAllowOnlyReading Then objDoc.UnProtect

  With objSel
' Select entire message
   .WholeStory
 
' Formatting code goes here
   .Font.Size = 12
            
  End With
         End If
      End If
  End If
objItem.Save
    
    Set objItem = Nothing
    Set objWord = Nothing
    Set objSel = Nothing
    Set objInsp = Nothing
End Sub

Find and Format Text Code Sample

This example creates appointments for the selected contact(s), adds their name and address to the appointment body then changes the font used for their name and address to 14 point bold. This method can be used with any word or phrase stored in a variable.

The original macro this code sample came from collects data from all selected contacts and creates a string to use in a single appointment but I simplified it for this example. The original macro is at Outlook 2007 Calendar.

Sub CreateAppointmentSelectedContact()

 Dim ObjItem As Object
 Dim strFullName As String
 Dim strPhone As String
 Dim strAddress As String
 Dim strDynamicDL2 As String
 Dim strDynamicDL3 As String
 Dim StartDateTime
 Dim itmAppt

 Set oContact = ObjItem
 Set objApp = CreateObject("Outlook.Application")
 Set objNS = objApp.GetNamespace("MAPI")
 Set objSelection = objApp.ActiveExplorer.Selection

 For Each ObjItem In objSelection
 If ObjItem.Class = olContact Then

 strFullName = ObjItem.FullName
 strPhone = ObjItem.HomeTelephoneNumber
 strAddress = ObjItem.HomeAddressStreet & ", " & ObjItem.HomeAddressCity & ", " & ObjItem.HomeAddressState & " " & ObjItem.HomeAddressPostalCode

 strDynamicDL2 = ("Name: ") & strFullName
 strDynamicDL3 = ("Address: ") & strAddress
 
 Set MyFolder = Session.GetDefaultFolder(9)
 Set itmAppt = MyFolder.Items.Add("IPM.Appointment")

 itmAppt.Subject = strFullName & (" -- ") & strPhone

        With itmAppt
            .Body = strDynamicDL2 & vbCrLf & strDynamicDL3
        End With

 StartDateTime = Date + 3.5
 itmAppt.Start = StartDateTime
End If
 Next

itmAppt.Display

Dim objInsp As Outlook.Inspector
Dim objWord As Word.Application
Dim objDoc As Word.Document
Dim objSel As Word.Selection

Set objInsp = itmAppt.GetInspector
Set objDoc = objInsp.WordEditor
Set objWord = objDoc.Application
Set objSel = objWord.Selection

 
 objSel.Find.ClearFormatting
 objSel.Find.Replacement.ClearFormatting
 
    With objSel.Find.Replacement.Font
       .Size = 14
       .Bold = True
       .Underline = wdUnderlineSingle
       .Color = wdColorBlack
    End With
    
    With objSel.Find
       .Text = strFullName
       .Replacement.Text = strFullName
       .Forward = True
       .Wrap = wdFindContinue
       .Format = True
       .MatchCase = False
       .MatchWholeWord = False
       .MatchWildcards = False
       .MatchSoundsLike = False
       .MatchAllWordForms = False
    End With
 objSel.Find.Execute Replace:=wdReplaceAll
 
     With objSel.Find
       .Text = strAddress
       .Replacement.Text = strAddress
       .Forward = True
       .Wrap = wdFindContinue
       .Format = True
       .MatchCase = False
       .MatchWholeWord = False
       .MatchWildcards = False
       .MatchSoundsLike = False
       .MatchAllWordForms = False
    End With
 objSel.Find.Execute Replace:=wdReplaceAll
 
Set objInsp = Nothing
Set objDoc = Nothing
Set objSel = Nothing
Set objMsg = Nothing

Set objMsg = Nothing
 Set ObjItem = Nothing
 Set objFolder = Nothing
 Set objNS = Nothing
 Set objApp = Nothing
 
 End Sub

How to Use Macros

First: You will need macro security set to low during testing.

To check your macro security in Outlook 2010 and above, go to File, Options, Trust Center and open Trust Center Settings, and change the Macro Settings. In Outlook 2007 and older, it’s at Tools, Macro Security.

After you test the macro and see that it works, you can either leave macro security set to low or sign the macro.

Open the VBA Editor by pressing Alt+F11 on your keyboard.

To put the code in a module:

1. Right click on Project1 and choose Insert > Module
2. Copy and paste the macro into the new module.
3. Set a reference to the Word Object Model in the VBA editor's Tools, References dialog.
   

More information as well as screenshots are at How to use the VBA Editor