Step 1: Start a New Message

In addition to the attachments, the text body of an email can also be read from or saved to a text file. Sometimes you may want to save the text from the body of a mail message into a text file on your disk. For example, we may want to write a letter to various family members. The text of each will vary slightly but we don't want to retype the whole letter each time. From Eudora's main screen, click the "New message" button.

Step 2: Enter Common Text

Skip the address and subject lines for now, and click in the message composition box. Type and proofread the text to be saved into the file. In our case, the common text is that portion of the message we want to send to everyone. It's just a few lines in the example, but it could be a lot longer.

Step 3: Save Text File

Select File / Save As and choose a name for the text file. We'll call it "letter1." Leave the "include headers" box unchecked in this case, because we only want the message body itself included. You would check the "include headers" box if you were saving a message and wanted to include the To, From, Subject, and other header fields. By default, the file is saved in the Eudora directory. Click Save to return to composing the message.

Step 4: Complete First Message

Now add the text you only want to send to the first recipient. Text may be inserted at the beginning, middle, or end of the saved text. Give the message a subject line. Also, address the message to the first recipient, either by entering the address manually, by clicking the address book button, or by clicking in the To field and selecting Edit / Insert Recipient.

Step 5: Send First Message

When the first message is completed and proofread, click Send or Queue and you will be returned to the main message list. Click the New Message button again to start the next message.

Step 6: Open Text File

Select File / Open Text File, and double-click the file "letter1" which you saved before. Select Edit / Select All to select all the text in the file.

Step 7: Copy and Paste

Press <Ctrl-C> to copy the text onto Windows clipboard. Press the lower X to close the text file and you will be returned to composing the new message. Click in the message body area, then press <Ctrl-V> to paste the text.

Step 8: Complete Second Message

Now customize the second email by editing the text of the body, and by giving it a subject line and recipient. When the second email is completed and proofread, you can send it by clicking the Queue button or the Send button. You may repeat the process as many times as you want, bringing in the text file and moving text from it to your email messages. Received messages may be saved to text files in the same way you saved the message you were composing. Just select a message and choose File / Save As.