Problems with Arial font

Question

Im working with Mac Air 2020 and use Office 2021 previously then have switched to 365 office app for a week. However all my files in which use Arial encounter the error, especially with special sympol in Nowerian, only happen with Arial. Pls help

Answer 1

Hi Dauchier

I understand how frustrating this can be when it affects your files. 

To better narrow down the issue, could you please help confirm a few details: 

-Which macOS version are you currently using? 

-Which version of Word for Microsoft 365 are you using? 

-Does the issue occur in newly created documents, or only in files created before switching from Office 2021? 

In the meantime, you can try the following steps: 

1.Check and validate the Arial font  

-Open Font Book 

-Search for Arial and run “Validate Fonts” 

-Resolve any warnings if found 

2.Check for duplicate Arial fonts  

In Font Book, look for multiple versions of Arial

If duplicates exist, keep only one active version and disable or remove the others 

Reference: Install and validate fonts in Font Book on Mac - Apple Support

Note: This information is provided as a convenience to you. These sites are not controlled by Microsoft, and Microsoft cannot make any representations regarding the quality, safety, or suitability of any software or information found there. Please ensure that you fully understand the risks before using any suggestions from the above link. 

3.Clear the macOS font cache

You may try starting the Mac in Safe Mode, as this automatically clears and rebuilds the system font cache.

Once the Mac has started fully in Safe Mode and reached the desktop, restart it normally, then test Word again.

Reference: How to use a "clean startup" to determine whether background programs are interfering with Office f…

Please understand that our initial reply may not always immediately resolve the issue. However, with your help and more detailed information, we can work together to find a solution.  

I look forward to your response.

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Answer 2

The issue is likely related to how fonts are handled in newer Office for Mac builds and/or conflicts between multiple versions or types of the Arial font installed on macOS.

Try these steps on the Mac:

1. Check for multiple or outdated Arial fonts
   1. Quit all Office apps.
   2. Open Font Book (Applications > Font Book.app).
   3. In the left pane, select All Fonts.
   4. Click the Font Info button (the “i” icon) or press Command + i so the right pane shows font information.
   5. Search for Arial and expand it in the middle pane.
   6. If there are duplicate entries (some marked Off), right‑click each Off face and choose Enable.
   7. When Font Book shows warnings about multiple copies, choose Manually Resolve and set the latest version as the Active Copy.
   8. In the right pane, confirm the version and font type. If Arial is only available as PostScript-Type1, replace it with a newer OpenType version of Arial.
2. Prioritize Arial so Office loads it If many fonts are installed, Office may not load all of them and may substitute Arial.
   1. In Font Book, with Arial selected and Font Information visible, copy the PostScript Name for each Arial style needed (for example, ArialMT, Arial-BoldMT, etc.).
   2. Quit all Office apps.
   3. Open Terminal.app.
   4. Run a command like:

            defaults write com.microsoft.office PrioritizedFonts -array "ArialMT" "Arial-BoldMT" "Arial-ItalicMT"
      

      Use the exact PostScript names from Font Book (case‑sensitive).
   5. Open Word, then quit and reopen Word again so the prioritized font list is fully refreshed.
3. Make sure Office for Mac is fully updated For best font compatibility (especially cross‑version between Office 2021 and Microsoft 365), update to the latest Office for Mac build so it uses the newer, consistent font‑name handling.

If the problem persists only with Arial and only in Word/PowerPoint, test with another user account on the Mac to rule out a profile‑specific font issue. If Arial is still broken there, reinstall the Arial font from a clean source and repeat the steps above.

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References:

• Issues with fonts in Office for macOS
• Office documents are not rendering as expected
• Third-party installed font doesn't appear in the font list in Word for Mac