This has been a problem since I began using TB a few months ago -- updating to the latest version hasn't solved the problem.

When I compose a new message, the background color of the page is the same as that of the background I've set as default in Windows [for "window background"] -- this is good and it's what I want.

When I receive email, about half the time the text messages appear on my default "window background" color -- this is also good and what I want.

However, many times a received new message will appear with black text on a white page -- this is not a problem. The problem occurs when I reply to those messages as the recipient sees my text message on strips of color [my "window background" color] on his white page.

When that person replies to my email [and my message is quoted below his new message], I also see my original text message as appearing on strips of color on his white background. However, when I click "reply" and reply to his message, the entire message [including all quoted text] appears properly as black text on my default window background color. [But of course the recipient sees my new message and prior quoted messages as text on strips of color.]

In Accounts> Properties> Templates> New Messages [& Reply]> Format> "background color" is set as "default" and "document color" is set at "custom" [the same color as my Windows setting for "window background."

Could these settings be the cause of the problems I'm having?

Any help solving this problem would be most appreciated. Many thanks in advance.