To set the line length in outgoing newsgroup messages

Outlook Express automatically sets the line length of messages using plain text format at 76 characters per line. This accommodates news servers that do not display more than 80 characters per line. When messages are quoted in a reply, the original text is usually marked and indented with an additional character. If your message is likely to be quoted after posting, set your text to wrap at 70 or 72 characters per line to prevent text from running beyond the edge of the window.

1. On the Tools menu, click Options.
2. On the Send tab, in the News Sending Format section, select Plain Text, and then click the Plain Text Settings button.
3. In the text box for Automatically wrap text at x characters when sending, type the number of characters you want displayed per line.