How to set the default font for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint

  • Article
  • Applies to:
    Word for Microsoft 365, Word 2016, Excel for Microsoft 365, Excel 2016, PowerPoint for Microsoft 365, PowerPoint 2016

This article provides detailed steps for administrators to set the default font for Microsoft Office applications, such as Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, and Microsoft PowerPoint.

Set the default font for Word

Note

There are no direct Group Policy Objects (GPOs) to set the default font in Word (for both Microsoft 365 and 2016).

  1. Create a blank file that is configured by using the font and styles that you want to set as the default.
  2. Select File > Save As.
  3. Select the .dotm file name extension.
  4. Save the file to %Appdata%\Microsoft\Templates.
  5. Replace the Normal.dotm file.
  6. After the Normal.dotm file is created on the administrator's computer, you can deploy the same file to the %Appdata%\Microsoft\Templates location on users' computers.

For more information, see Change the default settings for new documents.

Set the default font for Excel

  • Set a cloud policy (for Microsoft 365):

    1. Create a font policy from Policy Management.

    2. Apply the cloud policy to a security group that target users are members of.

      Screenshot to edit policy configuration in Policy Management.

  • Set a GPO (for Excel 2016):

    File name Policy setting name Scope Policy path Category Registry information Part Default setting Possible settings Supported on Help text
    excel16.admx Font User Microsoft Excel 2016\Excel Options\General General HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\policies\microsoft\office\16.0\excel\options\font Name, Size
    Arial, 10    		 [ ] At least Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows 7 Specifies the "Standard font" font name and size.

    Screenshot to set Font Group Policy Object in Excel 2016.

Set the default font for PowerPoint (for both Microsoft 365 and Office 2016)

To set default font for PowerPoint, set a default theme, and save it as a .potx file.

Note

Setting the default template requires the following items:

  • The correct file name: Default Theme.potx
  • The correct location: %Appdata%\Microsoft\Templates\Document Themes

To set the default theme, follow these steps:

  1. Start PowerPoint.

  2. Open an existing PowerPoint template that you have configured by using the font and styles that you want to set as the default.

  3. Select File > Save As.

  4. Select PowerPoint Template (*.potx) in the file type list. This automatically changes the folder location to Custom Office Templates (a personal template folder).

    Note

    Don't save it here because this enables you to view your template under Custom Office Templates.

  5. Select More options to opens a file name dialog box, replace the whole file name with %Appdata%\Microsoft\Templates\, and then press Enter.

  6. In the Templates folder, open the Document Themes folder. If you see a Default Theme.potx file existing in the folder, you can also make a backup of the file. To do this, select the file, press Ctrl+C, and then press Ctrl+V.

  7. Enter the name "Default Theme" to manually name the file, and then save it. If a Default Theme.potx file exists, you can also select the Default Theme.potx file, and then select Save to overwrite it.

  8. Close PowerPoint, and then select File > New. Now, you see the default template that's displayed as an option.

    Screenshot shows the Default Theme that's displayed as an option.

For more information, see Change the default font in PowerPoint.