Where to find the font settings in Outlook

The steps to change your default font depend on which version of Outlook you use. Microsoft Outlook for Windows, Outlook for Mac, and Outlook on the web (the browser version) all have different paths to the same setting. The good news: once you change it, every new email you write will use that font automatically, without you having to select it each time.

Your default font choice affects only the emails you compose going forward. It does not change how received emails look on your screen — those keep their original formatting. The font you pick becomes the baseline for new messages, replies, and forwards unless you manually override it for a specific email.

Key Takeaways

  • In Outlook for Windows, go to File > Options > Mail > Stationery and Fonts to set your default compose font.
  • In Outlook for Mac, the font setting lives under Outlook > Preferences > Composing, in the Font dropdown.
  • Outlook on the web (in your browser) has a font picker in the compose window toolbar, and the last font you use becomes your new default.
  • Changing your default font does not affect emails already sent or received — only new messages you write from that point forward.
  • If you use multiple email accounts in Outlook, you can set a different default font for each account.

Changing the default font in Outlook for Windows

Open Outlook and click the File menu in the top left. From there, select Options. In the Outlook Options window, click Mail on the left sidebar. Scroll down until you see the section labeled Composing messages, and within that section, click the button that says Stationery and Fonts.

A new window opens with three tabs: Personal Stationery, New Mail, and Replying or Forwarding. Click the New Mail tab. You will see a dropdown menu labeled Font. Click it and choose the font you want. Below that, you can also set the font size and color if you want. Once you have made your choices, click OK, then OK again to close the Options window. Your new default is now active.

If you want a different font for replies and forwarded emails, go back to that same Stationery and Fonts window and click the Replying or Forwarding tab. The process is identical — pick your font, size, and color, then save.

Changing the default font in Outlook for Mac

Click Outlook in the menu bar at the very top of your screen. From the dropdown, select Preferences. In the Preferences window, find and click Composing. You will see a section labeled Font. Click the dropdown next to Font and select the typeface you want to use.

You can also adjust the font size in the same area. Once you have chosen your font, close the Preferences window. The change takes effect immediately on any new email you start writing.

Changing the default font in Outlook on the web

Outlook on the web works differently from the desktop versions. There is no permanent settings page for default fonts. Instead, the font you use most recently becomes your default for future emails. When you compose a new message, look at the toolbar above the text box. You will see a font dropdown — it usually shows the name of the current font. Click it and select a different font.

After you send that email, the font you chose is now your default for the next message. If you want to change it again, simply pick a different font from the dropdown in your next compose window. This approach means your default can shift if you intentionally use a different font for one email — the next email will start with that new font instead.

Common fonts and when to use them

Calibri and Arial are the safest choices for professional email. Nearly every computer and phone displays these fonts correctly, and they are easy to read on any screen size. If your workplace has brand guidelines, they may specify a particular font — check your company style guide before changing your default.

Georgia and Times New Roman are serif fonts (they have small lines at the ends of letters). Some people find them easier to read in long emails, but they can look formal or dated in casual correspondence. Sans-serif fonts like Helvetica and Verdana are cleaner and more modern-looking.

Avoid decorative or script fonts as your default. Fonts like Comic Sans or Brush Script may not display correctly on the recipient's device, and they can make professional emails look unprofessional. If you want to use an unusual font for emphasis in a single email, that is fine — just do not make it your default.

What to do if your font choice is not showing up

If you set a default font but your emails still appear in a different font when you open them to edit, the issue is usually that Outlook is overriding your choice. This happens most often when you reply to an email — Outlook sometimes defaults to matching the original message's font instead of using your default.

To fix this, go back to your font settings and make sure you have set the font for both new messages and replies separately. In Outlook for Windows, this means checking both the New Mail and Replying or Forwarding tabs in the Stationery and Fonts window. If the problem persists, try restarting Outlook entirely.

Another common issue: if you paste text from a website or another document into your email, that text may keep its original formatting instead of adopting your default font. To force it to use your default, select the pasted text, then click the font dropdown and choose your default font again.

Setting different fonts for different email accounts

If you have multiple email accounts set up in Outlook, you can assign a different default font to each one. In Outlook for Windows, open Stationery and Fonts again and look for a dropdown at the top that says Choose Font. This dropdown lists all your email accounts. Select the account you want to customize, then set the font for that account alone.

In Outlook for Mac, the font setting applies to all accounts at once — you cannot set per-account defaults. If you need different fonts for different accounts on Mac, you will have to manually change the font each time you switch accounts, or use a workaround like creating separate signatures with different fonts and applying them to different accounts.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will changing my default font affect emails I have already sent?

No. Your default font setting only applies to new emails you compose from that point forward. Emails you have already sent keep their original formatting, and emails you receive are not affected at all.

What if the recipient cannot see my chosen font on their computer?

If you pick a font that is not installed on the recipient's device, their email client will substitute it with a similar font automatically. This is why Calibri, Arial, and Times New Roman are the safest choices — they are installed on virtually all computers and phones. Unusual fonts may display differently for the recipient, but the email will still be readable.

Can I set a different font for the subject line than the body?

In Outlook for Windows, the Stationery and Fonts window controls both the subject and body together — you cannot split them. You can manually change the subject font for individual emails, but there is no way to set a separate default for subjects alone.

Does my default font choice affect how my signature looks?

Your signature uses its own formatting, separate from your default compose font. If you want your signature in a specific font, edit the signature itself in your Outlook settings rather than relying on your default font choice.

What happens to my font choice if I update Outlook?

Major updates to Outlook sometimes reset your preferences to the factory defaults. If you update and your font choice reverts, you will need to set it again. It is a good idea to write down which font and size you prefer so you can restore it quickly if this happens.