Apr 3, 2026

How to Set Default Font in Outlook (Every Version, 2026)

Outlook How-to Font Email Microsoft 365 Formatting Email Font Outlook Settings

Outlook’s default font applies to every email you compose, reply to, and forward. If you’ve been manually changing the font each time you write an email, setting a default saves you from doing that on every single message. The steps vary depending on which version of Outlook you use.

1. Outlook on the Web (Microsoft 365 / Outlook.com)

Go to outlook.office.com and sign in.
Click the gear icon in the top-right corner.
Click View all Outlook settings at the bottom of the panel.
Go to Mail → Compose and reply.
Under Message format, you’ll see a preview area showing the current default font. Click the font name dropdown to change the typeface.
Click the font size dropdown next to it to adjust size.
Use the formatting toolbar to set a default color, bold, or italic if you want those applied by default.
Click Save.

Every new email, reply, and forward you compose will now start with this font. The setting syncs across devices when you use Outlook on the web.

What you can set: Font family, size, bold, italic, underline, font color. Outlook on the web does not let you set separate fonts for new messages vs. replies — one setting applies to all.

2. New Outlook Desktop App (Windows and Mac)

The new Outlook app shares the same settings backend as Outlook on the web, so the steps are nearly identical.

Open the new Outlook app.
Click the gear icon in the top-right corner.
Click View all Outlook settings.
Go to Mail → Compose and reply.
Under Message format, change the font family and font size using the dropdowns.
Adjust color or style (bold, italic) if needed.
Click Save.

If you already changed your default font in Outlook on the web, it will already be reflected here — the new desktop app and web app share the same settings store.

3. Classic Outlook for Windows

Classic Outlook (the version with the ribbon toolbar and File menu) gives you the most granular control. You can set separate default fonts for three different contexts: new messages, replies/forwards, and plain text emails.

New Messages

Open Outlook and go to File → Options.
Click Mail in the left sidebar.
Click the Stationery and Fonts… button.
In the Signatures and Stationery dialog, under New mail messages, click Font…
In the Font dialog, select your preferred font family (e.g., Aptos, Calibri, Arial), style (Regular, Bold, Italic), and size.
Optionally change the font color using the color dropdown.
Click OK to close the Font dialog.

Replies and Forwards

In the same Signatures and Stationery dialog, under Replying or forwarding messages, click Font…
Select your font, style, size, and color.
Click OK.

This is useful if you want a smaller or subtler font for replies (e.g., 10pt instead of 11pt) so the thread stays readable as it grows.

Plain Text Messages

Still in the Signatures and Stationery dialog, under Composing and reading plain text messages, click Font…
Select your font, style, and size.
Click OK.

This only affects how plain text emails appear on your screen. Recipients see plain text in whatever font their email client uses — you can’t control that. But it makes reading and composing plain text more comfortable for you.

Click OK to close the Signatures and Stationery dialog.
Click OK to close Outlook Options.

Note on themes: If you use a theme or stationery (set in the same dialog), the theme’s font may override your default font selection. To avoid this, set the Theme dropdown to (No Theme).

4. Outlook for Mac

The new Outlook for Mac shares the same settings interface as the web version (see Section 2 above). If you’re using the classic Outlook for Mac, the steps differ:

Open Outlook and go to Outlook → Settings (or Preferences on older versions).
Click Fonts.
Under New mail, click the Font… button to open the font picker.
Select your preferred typeface, style (Regular, Bold, Italic), and size.
Click the font picker’s close button or press Enter to confirm.
Under Reply or forward, click the Font… button and set your preferred font for replies and forwards.
Close the Settings window. Changes save automatically.

Classic Outlook for Mac does not have a separate plain text font setting — plain text messages use the system default.

5. What Happens When Recipients Use Different Email Clients

Setting a default font does not guarantee recipients see that exact font. Here’s how email font rendering actually works:

Web-safe fonts display reliably. Fonts like Arial, Verdana, Georgia, Times New Roman, Courier New, and Trebuchet MS are installed on virtually every computer and phone. If you pick one of these, almost everyone sees the same font.

Microsoft-specific fonts may not render everywhere. Calibri (Outlook’s former default) and Aptos (the current default since 2023) are bundled with Microsoft 365 and Windows but are not pre-installed on Macs, iPhones, or Android devices unless the recipient also has Microsoft 365 apps. When the recipient doesn’t have the font, their email client substitutes a fallback — typically a similar sans-serif like Helvetica or Arial.

Gmail strips some formatting. Gmail preserves font family, size, and color in most cases but can strip certain CSS properties. If pixel-perfect rendering matters (e.g., for branded emails), test by sending to a personal Gmail account.

Plain text emails ignore fonts entirely. If you or the recipient has their client set to read in plain text, all formatting is stripped. Only the text content comes through.

Practical recommendation: If consistent appearance across all recipients matters to you, use Arial (11pt or 12pt). It’s installed on every major operating system and renders identically on Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android. If you prefer a serif font, Georgia is the safest choice.

6. Quick Reference

Version	Where to change it	Separate reply font?	Separate plain text font?
Outlook on the web	Settings → Mail → Compose and reply → Message format	No	No
New Outlook (Windows/Mac)	Settings → Mail → Compose and reply → Message format	No	No
Classic Outlook for Windows	File → Options → Mail → Stationery and Fonts	Yes	Yes
Classic Outlook for Mac	Outlook → Settings → Fonts	Yes	No

Font	Web-safe?	Installed on Mac/iOS?	Installed on Android?
Aptos (Outlook default)	No	Only with Microsoft 365 apps	Only with Microsoft 365 apps
Calibri	No	Only with Microsoft 365 apps	Only with Microsoft 365 apps
Arial	Yes	Yes	Yes
Verdana	Yes	Yes	Yes
Georgia	Yes	Yes	Yes
Times New Roman	Yes	Yes	Yes

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