Set a default font before you open a new workbook

Excel starts every new spreadsheet with Calibri 11-point as the default font. You can change this to any font installed on your computer, and the new default will apply to all future workbooks you create — but not to ones you've already opened. The process takes about two minutes and happens in the same place where you'd change other workbook defaults.

The catch: this setting lives in a template file that Excel creates the first time you change it. If you skip this step, Excel will revert to Calibri the next time you restart your computer. Following the steps below ensures your choice sticks.

Key Takeaways

  • Changing your default font in Excel requires you to edit the blank workbook template, not just change the font in an open spreadsheet.
  • Your new default font applies only to workbooks you create after making the change, not to files already open or saved.
  • The process is the same in Excel 2016, 2019, 2021, and Microsoft 365 — open a blank workbook, change the font, then save it as a template in a specific folder.
  • If you want different defaults for different projects, you can create multiple templates with different fonts and open them instead of the blank workbook.

Steps to change your default font in Excel

Step 1: Open a blank workbook. Start Excel and create a new blank workbook. Do not open an existing file.

Step 2: Select all cells. Click the box in the top-left corner where the row numbers and column letters meet. This selects every cell in the workbook at once.

Step 3: Change the font. On the Home tab, click the font dropdown (it shows "Calibri" by default). Select the font you want. You can also change the font size in the box next to it if you prefer something other than 11-point.

Step 4: Save as a template. Go to File, then Save As. In the Save As dialog, change the file type dropdown from "Excel Workbook" to "Excel Template." Name the file "Book" — this is important, as Excel looks for a file with this exact name. Click Save.

A folder will open automatically. This is the correct location. Do not move the file or change its name after saving. Close the template when you're done.

Where Excel saves your template and why it matters

When you save as a template, Excel stores the file in a hidden folder specific to your user account. On Windows, this is usually C:\Users\[YourUsername]\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Excel\XLSTART. On Mac, it's in ~/Library/Application Support/Microsoft/Office/User Templates. You do not need to navigate to this folder yourself — the Save As dialog takes you there automatically.

Excel checks this folder every time you create a new workbook. If a file named "Book.xltx" exists there, Excel uses it as the template. If the file is missing or named something else, Excel falls back to Calibri. This is why the filename must be exactly "Book" and why the location matters.

If you ever want to revert to Excel's original defaults, you can delete the Book.xltx file from this folder. Excel will then use Calibri for all new workbooks again.

What happens if you just change the font in one spreadsheet

Changing the font in an open workbook and saving that file will not change your default. The next time you create a new blank workbook, it will still open in Calibri. This is a common mistake — the font change applies only to that one file, not to future files.

If you want to use the same formatting across multiple spreadsheets, you have two options. The first is to follow the template steps above, which sets the default for all future workbooks. The second is to save a spreadsheet with your preferred font and formatting, then use it as a starting point each time you need a new file with those settings.

Creating multiple templates for different projects

You can create more than one template if you work on different types of projects that need different fonts. For example, you might want Arial for financial reports and Georgia for client-facing documents. Save each template with a different name — "Book_Financial.xltx" and "Book_Client.xltx" — in the same XLSTART folder.

When you want to use a specific template, go to File, New, and look for "My Templates" or "Personal" (the label varies by Excel version). Your custom templates will appear there. Click the one you want and it will open with your chosen font and any other formatting you saved.

The template named exactly "Book.xltx" will always be the one that opens when you use File, New, Blank Workbook. All other templates require you to select them manually from the New menu.

Troubleshooting: Your default font isn't changing

If you've followed the steps but new workbooks still open in Calibri, the most common reason is that the template file wasn't saved in the right location or with the right name. Check the XLSTART folder on your computer to see if "Book.xltx" is actually there. If it's not, repeat the save-as-template steps and watch for the folder that opens automatically — that's your confirmation you're in the right place.

Another possibility is that you saved the template but Excel was already running. Close Excel completely and reopen it. Excel reads the template folder when it starts, so changes won't take effect until you restart the program.

If the template file exists and Excel has restarted but the font still hasn't changed, open the template file itself (Book.xltx) and verify that the font change was actually saved. Double-click the file in the XLSTART folder to open it. If it opens in Calibri, the font change didn't save — go back and repeat steps 2 through 4.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will changing my default font affect files I've already created?

No. Your default font change applies only to new workbooks you create after saving the template. Existing files keep whatever font they were already using. If you want to change the font in an old file, open it, select all cells, and change the font manually.

Can I set different default fonts for different workbooks?

Yes. Create multiple templates with different fonts and save each with a unique name in the XLSTART folder. The template named "Book.xltx" will be your default for File, New, Blank Workbook. Other templates appear in File, New, My Templates, and you can choose which one to open each time.

What if I want to go back to Calibri?

Delete the Book.xltx file from your XLSTART folder. Excel will revert to Calibri for all new workbooks. You can also open the template, change the font back to Calibri, and save it again if you want to keep the file.

Does the default font setting work the same way on Mac and Windows?

Yes, the process is identical. The only difference is the folder location — Windows uses AppData\Roaming, while Mac uses Library/Application Support. The Save As dialog takes you to the correct folder automatically on both systems.

Can I set a default font size along with the font?

Yes. In step 3, change both the font name and the size before saving the template. Both settings will become your new defaults for all future workbooks.