Change your default font before you start typing
To set a default font in Word, open the Home tab, click the small arrow in the bottom right corner of the Font group, then select "Set as Default" at the bottom of the dialog box. Word will ask you to confirm — choose "All documents based on the Normal template" to make the change stick for every new document you create.
This is faster than changing the font after you've already started writing. Once you set a default, every blank document you open will use that font automatically, and you won't have to select and reformat text later. The process takes about 30 seconds and saves time across dozens of documents over a year.
Key Takeaways
- The font selector lives in the Home tab under the Font group, with a small dropdown arrow in the bottom right corner that opens the full font list.
- You must choose "All documents based on the Normal template" when Word asks you to confirm, or the change will only affect the current document you have open.
- Changing your default font does not affect documents you've already created — only new ones going forward will use the new default.
- If you want different defaults for different types of documents, you can create separate templates with their own default fonts and save them as .dotx files.
- On Mac, the process is different and requires going through Word Preferences rather than the font dropdown menu.
Where to find the font dropdown and the Set as Default button
Open any Word document and look at the top of the screen. Click the Home tab if it's not already selected. In the Font group — the section with font names and sizes — you'll see a dropdown box showing your current font, usually "Calibri" or "Arial".
Next to the font name box, there's a small arrow pointing downward. Click that arrow to open the full font list. At the very bottom of the list, you'll see "Set as Default". Click it, and Word will open a confirmation dialog asking which scope you want the change to cover.
Why Word asks you to confirm which template to change
Word stores default settings in templates. The Normal template is the one Word uses every time you create a blank document. When you click "Set as Default", Word shows you two options: change the font for the current document only, or change it for all documents based on the Normal template.
If you choose "Only the current document", the change disappears the next time you open Word and create a new blank file. Choose "All documents based on the Normal template" to make the change permanent across every new document you create going forward. This is the option most people want.
What happens to documents you've already written
Changing your default font does not reformat text in documents that already exist. If you wrote a 20-page report in Calibri and then change your default to Times New Roman, that report stays in Calibri. The new default only affects blank documents you create after you make the change.
If you want to change the font in an existing document, select all the text (Ctrl+A on Windows, Command+A on Mac), then choose your new font from the Home tab. This will reformat every paragraph in that document at once, which is much faster than changing text section by section.
How to use different default fonts for different document types
If you write formal letters in one font and casual notes in another, you can create separate templates with different defaults. Open a blank document, set the font you want, then go to File > Save As. In the "Save as type" dropdown, choose "Word Template (.dotx)". Give it a name like "Formal Letter Template" and save it to your computer.
The next time you want to create a document with that font, go to File > New and search for your template by name. Word will open a new document based on that template, with your chosen default font already in place. You can create as many templates as you need — one for business correspondence, one for personal writing, one for academic work, and so on.
Troubleshooting when the default font won't change
If you click "Set as Default" but new documents still open in the old font, you may have chosen "Only the current document" instead of "All documents based on the Normal template". Go back to the font dropdown, select your preferred font, and repeat the process — this time select the option for all documents. This is the most common reason the change doesn't stick.
On Mac, the process is different. Open Word, go to Word > Preferences > View, then click "Default Font". Select your font and click OK. This sets the default for all new documents on your Mac. The Mac version doesn't use the same dropdown menu as Windows, so if you're switching between systems, remember that the steps differ slightly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does changing the default font affect documents I've already saved?
No. The new default only applies to blank documents you create after you make the change. Documents you've already written keep their original formatting unless you manually select and change the text.
Can I set different default fonts for different document types?
Yes. Create a template for each type of document, set the font you want in each template, then save it as a .dotx file. When you open a new document based on that template, it will use the default font you set in that template.
What if I want to go back to the original default font?
Open the font dropdown, select the font you want (usually Calibri), click the arrow in the bottom right corner, and choose "Set as Default" again. Select "All documents based on the Normal template" to confirm the change.
Is the process different on Mac?
Yes. On Mac, go to Word > Preferences > View, click "Default Font", select your font, and click OK. The Mac version doesn't use the same dropdown menu as Windows, so the steps are shorter but in a different location.
Can I set a default font size along with the font itself?
Yes. In the font dropdown dialog, you can select both the font name and the size before clicking "Set as Default". Both settings will apply to all new documents based on the Normal template.