#Changing the default font in word windows#

(The best way to find this file is to use the search capabilities in Word.) Locate the file Normal.dotm on your hard drive, and then open the file in Word.If Word has already created the default template (again, Normal.dotm) then the best way to change the default font is to make your change to the template itself. If you are asked whether you want to change the default font, click Yes.

#Changing the default font in word windows#

(This is what updates the information in the Windows Registry.) Use the controls in the dialog box to specify what you want as the default font.

Press Ctrl+D to display the Font dialog box.

Type a few letters into an empty document.

You can change the default font used for new documents in this manner, assuming that Word has not yet created the default template: It starts out in the Windows Registry, unless you've made sufficient changes to other default settings that Word creates a default template (Normal.dotm) to store those changes. One default-the font used in the document-is stored in either of two places. Next time you open Word, it will recreate it with the standard default settings.When you create a new document, Word bases what that document looks like on certain defaults that it establishes. If you mess up and want to return to the original default settings, all you have to do is delete the template Normal.dotm. Make all the changes you want to the fonts used here in Normal.dotm, but be careful: the changes you make will affect all new documents you create in the future. Instead, right click on it and select Open. Once there, donвЂ™t double click on Normal.dotm to open it! Doing so will simply create a new document based on the template, whereas we want to actually edit the template. The path to this template file is convoluted but a quick way of getting there is to put this in the address bar of Windows Explorer and press Enter: When you create a new document, Word copies all the formatting from Normal.dotm to the new document. Another way is to edit the template file Normal.dotm itself. ThatвЂ™s one way of changing the default font. IвЂ™d consider changing the default font for all future documents you create based on the normal.dotm template. ItвЂ™s your choice, but if the default font was bugging you in the current document, then itвЂ™s probably going to bug you in further documents you create. The next dialogue box asks whether you want these changes to affect only the document you are currently editing or all future documents you create based on the normal.dotm template. When youвЂ™ve changed all the font settings you want, click Set As Default. In the Font window, make all the changes you want regarding font family, font size, style and effects. To change the default font settings in Word, go to the Home tab and click the Font dialogue box launcher (in the bottom right of the Font group). Fortunately, itвЂ™s an easy task to change the default font in Word so you can say goodbye forever to 11 point Calibri. Having any kind of default value that isnвЂ™t the one you want is frustrating because you keep having to change it. However, with the introduction of Word 2007, the default font changed to 11 point Calibri. Since time began, and even before that, the default font in Microsoft Word was 12 point Times New Roman.