seeking HOWTO -- email format and print from Thunderbird
 

Yes, I know this is not a Thunderbird forum.

Since Ubuntu and its derivatives, eg. Linux Mint, use Thunderbird as the desktop email client, I'm asking a larger audience that just the T-bird folks.

So I select PRINT while reading an email in Thunderbird. Can someone tell me how I might modify and otherwise control what happens to manipulate and format the email content and attachments before it gets handed to CUPS for printing?

Thanks in advance,
~~~ 0;-Dan

When you print there are several tabs in the dialog box to manage what you're asking about.
??

Those options seem to control how the printer behaves -- duplex, 2 pages per sheet, draft vs/ high quality, etc.

I'm seeking formatting and other manipulation of the email message content. Think about the "pretty print" feature of source code editors -- syntax highlighting, colored bars for each line, etc. Each language has its own features and details. I want access to something similar for email. I hope to automate

• inspect the message
• apply formatting according to some rules I configure
• treat "replies" separate from the primary message
• gather attachments into the email print job in configured ways making one print job
• select per-printer options based on the target device
• ... and so on

For example, I might want the primary message in one font or text/background color with replies in a different font or text/background color. Another example, I might want messages that I give to my manager something "prettier" than I might use otherwise. I might want "draft" editions of documents (that's a logical draft not a mechanical draft-mode) to appear different from a more important edition.

I'm already running 'ssmtp' so that I have ability to send email other than with a desktop client. I understand that Postfix and other apps will re-write headers and enable automatic re-direct of messages. I'm not interested in those features.

Thanks for the reply,
~~~ 0;¬Dan

I think you’ll need to edit the message itself to make those kinds of changes.

T-Bird supports Add-Ons. Have you looked there? My gut feeling is that you might find something that help with some of those wants but not for all of them. (The Add-Ons page claims there are, as of a little while ago, 4,294,967,295 downloaded. No word on how many of those are actively maintained.)

Note: If you've used any T-Bird's Add-Ons on the past you probably already know this but there are a lot of them that only work with a specific version of T-Bird. When doing any searching through the those that are available, it will help if you include what T-Bird version you're using. If you don't, you'll see a long list of candidate add-ons but when you take a closer look you'll likely be informed that they're not compatible with your version of T-Bird. So... don't search for "Printing" but for something like "Printing 60.8.0". (Saves a lot of time.)

There are blue bars displayed by default indicating quoted text and handles nested replies quite nicely. But if you really looking for different colored backgrounds you might take a look at the "Quote Colors" Add-On. It might work with your version.

HTH...