How To Produce 'Plain Text' Texts

(revised 09.11.12 for new webmail interface)

"Plain Text" looks the same on all "plaforms" -- on any email client, any word processor, anywhere. It is easy to correct and edit. That's why I want "plain text" only in your HW assignments.

There are a number of ways to get "plain text."

A. On Webmail

1. Write your essay on your word processing program. Do your spell-check and grammar-check. Make sure it is single-spaced.

Make sure there is no formatting -- no underlining, italics, colored text, etc.

Save it as "plain text."

NOTE: At this point the "new" webmail, installed during the summer of 2012, works differently from the older one.

On your Word Processing program, make sure to hit the "Enter" key ONCE at the end of each paragraph. This puts the ^p -- "end of paragraph" -- command into your text.

Viewed in your Word Processing program, there will NOT be any blank line between paragraphs.

The "new" Webmail will insert a blank line where that "Enter", or ^p, command is.

Do not press the "Enter" key twice, as in the "old" Webmail interface.

When you are ready to email it using Webmail,

2. Open Webmail and click on "Write" (on toolbar, between the "Get Mail" and the "Reply" commands).

3. On the new mail message, click on "Options".

4. Under "Options", UNcheck the "Rich Text" box.  Repeat: there should be NO check in the box.

5. NOW copy and paste your essay into the message area of your email using the Control-V" (Copy) command.

The result will be an email in Plain Text.

NOTE: You must uncheck the "Rich Text" box before copying and pasting your text into the message area.

B. Using a Text Editor

How To Install Editpad Lite

You can download the zip file for Editpad Lite here: http://www.editpadlite.com/

You will need Winzip to unzip it. You probably have it on your computer (Windows) already. If not, as an MSU student you can get a copy here: https://oit.montclair.edu  

Click on the "Software" link at the Left.

You will need your NetID and password (the same as for your mail.montclair.edu email). Then, click on "I agree to the above terms and conditions".

On the "Software" page, download the latest version of Winzip (version 8.1 as of 11.21.10). Install it.

Once you have Winsip installed, you will be able to install Editpad Lite by double-clicking on the .zip (dot-zip) file you have downloaded from the Editpad Lite site.

How To Use Your Text Editor

1. Format your finished text in your word processor to single-space between lines, blank line between paragraphs.

2. Copy and paste your finished text into your text editor -- Notepad, Editpad Lite, etc. Save it.

3. Now, copy and paste the text from your text editor into the message area of your email client.

The result will be "plain text" .