Changing default font options for symbol characters in PowerPoint

Question

Hi, I'm having the same issue with the degree symbol from this Q&A:

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/5329667/why-is-powerpoint-adding-spaces-after-a-degree-sym
but I would like a more permanent solution than a copy/paste. Is there a way to alter the default font settings for the symbols to make it so I don't have to change this between PowerPoint files, or from slide to slide. I often use the alt code (alt + 0176) to insert the degree symbol, among others, for convenience and efficiency, so having to go back and put the degree symbol into my clipboard every time I need to past it doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me.

This is a new issue for me as it has worked fin in the past, so I'm not entirely sure what has changed.

I use Microsoft365 for my Office applications and currently using Arial font and have made sure that the font on the symbol chart is set to Arial as well when I paste it (whether from the alt code or from the insert > symbol method).

Thank you for your time.

Answer 1

Hi @Michael,

Thank you for posting your question in the Microsoft Q&A forum.

I would like to provide you with the following information:

I understand that when you insert that symbol, it automatically creates a spacing, as shown in the illustration below:

Based on my testing environment, you can follow the steps below to resolve this issue:

Step 1: Select (click on) the symbol.

Step 2: In the Subset section, temporarily switch to any other subset.

Step 3: Then switch back to the subset that you were originally using.

This is the result after performing the steps above:

Finally, please check again to see whether the symbol still creates an automatic spacing when inserted.

I hope this information is helpful. Please follow the steps above and let me know the result. If the issue is still not resolved, I will be more than happy to continue working with you to find a solution.

Thank you for your patience and understanding. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please feel free to share them in the comments so I can continue to support you.

I look forward to continuing the conversation.

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Answer 2

PowerPoint does not provide a separate, global “default font for symbols” setting. Symbols use whatever font is applied to the text where they are inserted, and there is no additional per‑symbol default that can be configured.

To make symbol behavior as consistent as possible across slides and presentations:

1. Ensure the text where the degree symbol is inserted is formatted with the desired font (for example, Arial). The symbol will follow that font, whether inserted via ALT+0176 or Insert > Symbol.
2. Set Arial (or the preferred font) as the default font for the presentation via Slide Master, so all new text boxes and placeholders use the same font:
   • Select View > Slide Master.
   • On the Slide Master tab, open the Fonts drop‑down and choose Customize Fonts to set the header/body fonts.
   • Close Master View. New slides and text will now default to those fonts.
3. For a more permanent default across new presentations, save a template with the desired font settings and make it the default theme:
   • Configure a presentation with the fonts and styles you want.
   • Select File > Save As and choose PowerPoint Template (*.potx).
   • Use More options, navigate to %Appdata%\Microsoft\Templates\Document Themes, and save it as Default Theme.potx.
   • After restarting PowerPoint, new presentations based on the default theme will use these font settings, so symbols inserted with ALT codes will match.

If the degree symbol still appears differently, verify that the font actually contains the character and that no font substitution is occurring. Using common fonts such as Arial or Times New Roman reduces substitution issues.

There is no built‑in way to redefine how ALT+0176 behaves independently of the current font or to assign a different default symbol font globally.

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References:

• Change the default font in PowerPoint
• How to set the default font for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
• Insert ASCII or Unicode Latin-based symbols and characters
• Insert a symbol
• My fonts have changed