How do I disable all HTML in incoming email messages?

I just switched from Thunderbird to Mail and discovered that I cannot disable HTML rendering in email.

I don't want to turn off only images. I want all HTML commands to be ignored.

Most HTML is an annoyance, esp. with all the bad web designers who put gray text on a white background among other things.

For now, it's back to Thunderbird.

Mac Mini, Mac OS X (10.4.11)

Posted on Aug 14, 2009 11:43 PM

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15 replies

Aug 19, 2009 8:25 PM in response to Golden Shoes

Some of the senders are corporations I am doing business with. They will not make an exception for a few people. The reason I want to disable to HTML is because of certain usability problems, such as gray text on a white background, which I find very hard to read. It is not just a personal preference.

I don't mind rich text in email, so long as it does not affect readability.

In my browser, Firefox, I use Stylish to force most pages to display black text on a pale yellow background. Yes, this is how I am viewing this forum site.

Aug 18, 2009 3:19 AM in response to HerrM

The solution is to go back to using a more configurable email client (Thunderbird) until Mail.app is fixed. Configurability is often my top criterion in picking a software application.


You can tell Apple here:

http://www.apple.com/feedback/macosx.html

But I don't think it is realistic to think Mail is ever going to conform to your desires, so you should continue to use whatever app works best for you. There are many requests in these forums for Mail to be enhanced so people can produce and send html more easily, and a very tiny number who want receiving it disabled.

Aug 20, 2009 12:59 PM in response to David M Brewer

It's not a matter of rejecting messages that contain HTML. That would be easy using a filter.

The issue is displaying HTML messages as plain text, which Golden Shoes just kindly showed me how to do. I can still read HTML messages, it's just that they appear as plain text.

Actually, apple.com makes such heavy use of very light gray text on a white background, that I've given up using it except on my own machine, which I have set up to change that. Some web sites have an option to change how they're viewed.

I decided to switch to Mail.app, because it uses the better built-in Mac dictionary and uses all of my special keyboard shortcuts.

Oh BTW, where can I find some documentation on all of these hidden settings? I have no problem finding them. I know how to read plists. I want to know what they mean.

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How do I disable all HTML in incoming email messages?

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