Changing the Default Font in Word

Do you want to switch things up in Word by changing the default Times New Roman or Calibri font to something else? There’s an easy way to adjust settings so you can set a new default font. This wikiHow article will show you how to set the default font in Word Office 365 (for all versions since Word 2013) on Windows and macOS.

Method 1
Method 1 of 4:

Changing Font on Windows

  1. Image titled Changing the Default Font in Word Step 1
    1
    Open Word. On your Windows PC, open up the Microsoft Word application.
  2. Image titled Changing the Default Font in Word Step 2
    2
    Open up a document. You can use any document you want, but if you want to start a new document, click on File > New > Blank Document in the top left corner of the window.[1]
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  3. Image titled Changing the Default Font in Word Step 3
    3
    Click on Home. This is located in the left corner of the top Windows menu bar.
  4. Image titled Changing the Default Font in Word Step 4
    4
    Click on the Font Dialogue Box Launcher. This is the small square icon with an arrow inside. It is located in the bottom right corner of the “Font” section above the document.[2]
  5. Image titled Changing the Default Font in Word Step 5
    5
    Select your font. In the pop-up window, you’ll see a drop down menu labeled “Font” in the top left corner. Simply scroll until you find the font that you want to set as the default. Click on it.
    • You can see a preview of your font in the “Preview” section near the bottom of this pop-up window. This will show you exactly what your font looks like as you make changes.
  6. Image titled Changing the Default Font in Word Step 6
    6
    Set your Font style and Size. There are two drop down menus to the left of “Font.” Scroll through each to set your desired default font style and size.
  7. Image titled Changing the Default Font in Word Step 7
    7
    Set other font preferences (optional). If you also want to change features such as "Font color," "Underline style," or "Effects," simply adjust these settings within the same pop-up window.
    • You can also click on Advanced near the top of this pop-up window to change more settings such as “Character Spacing” and “Advanced Typography.”
  8. Image titled Changing the Default Font in Word Step 8
    8
    Click on Default…. This is located in the bottom left corner of the pop-up window.
  9. Image titled Changing the Default Font in Word Step 9
    9
    Click on This document only or All documents based on the Normal template. The former will only change the default font for this particular document, while the latter will change the default font for all future Word documents.
  10. Image titled Changing the Default Font in Word Step 10
    10
    Click on OK. This is located in the bottom right corner of the pop-up window. You have now successfully changed the default font in Word.
    • If you’ve tried this method and the font you chose still does not appear as the default font, look towards the next method for troubleshooting.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 4:

Checking Permissions on Windows

  1. Image titled Changing the Default Font in Word Step 11
    1
    Open the Start menu. This is located on the left or center of your PC’s taskbar. This button is the Windows logo, which looks like four squares.[3]
  2. Image titled Changing the Default Font in Word Step 12
    2
    Type Normal.dotm into the search bar. The search bar is located in the bottom left corner of the Search menu. If your office template directory is not indexed and you are unable to find "Normal.dotm" through search, Right click start menu and select "Run" option. Then type "%Appdata%/Microsoft/Templates" in run dialogue box and click "OK". This will open office's templates directory and you will find Normal.dotm in this directory.
  3. Image titled Changing the Default Font in Word Step 13
    3
    Right-click the Normal.dotm. Now click on Properties at the bottom of this drop down menu.
  4. Image titled Changing the Default Font in Word Step 14
    4
    Navigate to General. If it isn’t already displayed, click on this button near the top of the pop-up window to view the general information.
  5. Image titled Changing the Default Font in Word Step 15
    5
    Uncheck Read-only (if necessary). If you see that the checkbox next to “Read-only” is selected, simply click on it to uncheck it. You should now be able to change default settings on Word.
    • If you are unable to uncheck this box, look towards the last step of this method.
  6. Image titled Changing the Default Font in Word Step 16
    6
    Click on the Security tab. This is located at the top of the pop-up window.
  7. Image titled Changing the Default Font in Word Step 17
    7
    Click on your name. You should see your name located underneath “Group or user names.” Now look and see if there’s a checkmark in the “Allow” section of the “Write” permission.
    • If there isn’t, look to the last step.
  8. Image titled Changing the Default Font in Word Step 18
    8
    Click on OK. This is located at the bottom of the Normal Properties pop-up window.
  9. Image titled Changing the Default Font in Word Step 19
    9
    Contact your company (if necessary). If you weren’t able to uncheck the “Read-only” box, or did not see the “Write” permission allowed, this means that your company will not allow you to change the default font. We recommend that you contact your company’s technology or computer services to try and resolve this issue.
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Method 3
Method 3 of 4:

Changing Font on macOS

  1. Image titled Changing the Default Font in Word Step 20
    1
    Open Word. On your Mac, open up the Microsoft Word application.
  2. Image titled Changing the Default Font in Word Step 21
    2
    Open up a document. You can use any document you want, but if you want to start a new document, click on File > New Document in the top left Apple menu bar.
  3. Image titled Changing the Default Font in Word Step 22
    3
    Click on Format > Font. These are located in your top Apple menu bar.[4]
  4. Image titled Changing the Default Font in Word Step 23
    4
    Click on the “Font” drop down menu. This is located in the top left corner of the “Font” pop-up window. Simply click on the arrow.
  5. Image titled Changing the Default Font in Word Step 24
    5
    Select your font. In the drop down menu that appears below “Font,” you’ll see all of the fonts available to you. Simply scroll until you find the font that you want to set as the default. Click on it.
    • You can see a preview of your font in the “Preview” section near the bottom of this pop-up window. This will show you exactly what your font looks like as you make changes.
  6. Image titled Changing the Default Font in Word Step 25
    6
    Set your Font style and Size. There are two drop down menus to the left of “Font.” Click on each to set your desired default font style and size.
  7. Image titled Changing the Default Font in Word Step 26
    7
    Set other font preferences (optional). If you also want to change features such as "Font color," "Underline style," or "Effects," simply adjust these settings within the same pop-up window.
    • You can also click on Advanced near the top of this pop-up window to change more settings such as “Character Spacing” and “Advanced Typography.”
  8. Image titled Changing the Default Font in Word Step 27
    8
    Click on Default…. This is located in the bottom left corner of the pop-up window.
  9. Image titled Changing the Default Font in Word Step 28
    9
    Click on This document only or All documents. The former will only change the default font for this particular document, while the latter will change the default font for all future Word documents.
  10. Image titled Changing the Default Font in Word Step 29
    10
    Click on OK. This is located in the bottom right corner of the pop-up window. You have now successfully changed the default font in Word.
    • If you’ve tried this method and the font you chose still does not appear as the default font, look towards the next method for troubleshooting.
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Method 4
Method 4 of 4:

Checking Permissions on macOS

  1. Image titled Changing the Default Font in Word Step 30
    1
    Open Finder. If the default font you chose isn’t remaining as the default, use these steps to check your permissions. The Finder application is blue and white with a smiley face inside.
    • Some companies have permission settings that don’t allow default font changes, which is why you may want to check and see if this is the case for you.
  2. Image titled Changing the Default Font in Word Step 31
    2
    Type Normal.dotm into the search bar. Click on the magnifying glass in the top left corner to open the search bar. Press Enter on your keyboard after typing it in.
  3. Image titled Changing the Default Font in Word Step 32
    3
    Click on the Normal.dotm file. If you don’t see this file in your search results, you may need to click on This Mac near the top left corner of the window.
  4. Image titled Changing the Default Font in Word Step 33
    4
    Click on File > Get Info. These are located in the top Apple menu bar.
  5. Image titled Changing the Default Font in Word Step 34
    5
    Navigate to General. If it isn’t already displayed, click on this button near the top of the pop-up window to view the general information.
  6. Image titled Changing the Default Font in Word Step 35
    6
    Uncheck Locked (if necessary). If you see that the checkbox next to “Locked” is selected, simply click on it to uncheck it. You should now be able to change default settings on Word.
    • If you are unable to uncheck this box, look towards the last step of this method.
  7. Image titled Changing the Default Font in Word Step 36
    7
    Click on Sharing & Permissions. This is located at the bottom of the pop-up window. Now look and see if the “Read & Write” privilege appears next to your name. If it doesn’t, look to the next step.
  8. Image titled Changing the Default Font in Word Step 37
    8
    Contact your company (if necessary). If you weren’t able to uncheck the “Locked” box, or did not see “Read & Write” next to your name, this means that your company does not allow you to change the default font. We recommend that you contact your company’s technology or computer services to try and resolve this issue.
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References

  1. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/create-a-document-28508ada-9a3c-4333-a17b-cb29723eb64c
  2. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/change-the-default-font-in-word-2f50603b-9886-47e4-a483-48ac5ab80163#ID0EBDF=Windows
  3. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/open-the-start-menu-4ed57ad7-ed1f-3cc9-c9e4-f329822f5aeb#WindowsVersion=Windows_10
  4. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/change-the-default-font-in-word-2f50603b-9886-47e4-a483-48ac5ab80163#ID0EBDF=macOS

About This Article

Mobile Kangaroo
Co-authored by:
Mobile Kangaroo
Computer & Phone Repair Specialists
This article was co-authored by Mobile Kangaroo and by wikiHow staff writer, Ellie Salyers. Mobile Kangaroo is a full service repair shop and Apple Authorized Service Provider headquartered in Mountain View, CA. Mobile Kangaroo has been repairing electronic devices such as computers, phones, and tablets, for over 19 years, with locations in over 20 cities. This article has been viewed 2,396 times.
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Co-authors: 2
Updated: June 13, 2022
Views: 2,396
Categories: Microsoft Word
Article SummaryX

1. Open a document in Word.
2. Click on Home > Font Dialogue Box Launcher.
3. Select your font.
4. Change font style.
5. Click on Default.
6. Click on This document only or All documents.
7. Click on OK.

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