Learn how to quickly and easily change the default font in Word in three simple steps.
By default, Word uses Aptos (Calibri in earlier versions) at size 11 as its default font. As a default font, it is specifically designed to be highly readable and universally compatible. However, there might be times when you’d like to use a different font as the default in Word. For example, maybe you don’t like the current default font or your organization requires using a specific font. Whatever your specific reason or use case is, when needed, you can change the default font in Word with just a few clicks. Once changed, Word uses the new font as the default font for all your new documents.
So, without further ado, let me show you the steps to change the default font in Word. Let’s get started.
Before You Start
- Make sure the font you want to use as the new default font is already installed on your computer.
- Changing the default font doesn’t automatically change the font in your existing documents. It only affects new, blank documents you create after making the change.
- When you share a document, if the recipient’s computer doesn’t have the font you used, Microsoft Word will substitute it. It will either pick a similar font or simply fall back to the default (like Aptos or Calibri).
- The steps given below work in Word 2013, 2016, 2019, and 365.
Steps to Change the Default Font in Word
Follow these steps to change the default font in Word.
- Open any Word (.docx) document.
- Press the “Ctrl + D” keyboard shortcut.
- Choose the font of your choice from the “Font” dropdown.
- Click the “Set as default” button at the bottom.
- Select “All documents based on the Normal.dotm template“.
- Click “OK“.
- Click “OK” in the main window.
- With that, you’ve set a new font as the default font in Word.
Detailed Steps (With Screenshots)
As the first step, open any Word document of your choice. To do that, simply double-click any .docx file. Don’t worry, you won’t modify it in any way. Once the Word application opens, press the “Ctrl + D” shortcut to open the Font settings dialog.
Note: You can also open the same Font setting dialog by pressing the “Font Dialog Box Launcher” icon in the bottom right corner of the “Font” section in the “Home” tab.
In the “Font” dialog box, choose the font you want to set as the default from the “Font” dropdown menu. After that, you can also configure optional settings, such as font style and size. For example, I decided on “Segoe UI” as the default font and set the style and size to “Normal” and “13”, respectively.
If needed, you can also configure font settings, such as the color, underline style, effects, and more.
After choosing the font, click the “Set as default” button in the bottom left corner.
As soon as you press the button, you will see another dialog. Here, select the “All documents based on the Normal.dotm template” option and click “OK“.
Click “OK” in the main “Font” window to save the change.
With that, you’ve configured Word to use a custom font as the default font. From now on, all new documents will use the new default font. Do keep in mind that if you are using a pre-made template that has different settings or defaults, Word will use those defaults instead.
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That is all. It’s that easy to change the default font in Microsoft Word. If you have any questions or need help, comment below. I’ll be happy to assist.
Good to know: How to change the default save folder in Word.
