How to Change the Default Font in Outlook (Any Version)
Every time you compose a new email in Outlook, it pulls from a saved set of default formatting settings — including font, size, and color. If you're tired of manually changing the font on every message, or your current default just isn't working for your needs, you can change it permanently in just a few steps.
Here's how it works, what variables affect the process, and why the right choice depends more on your setup than you might expect.
What "Default Font" Actually Means in Outlook
Outlook stores default font settings separately for different types of messages:
- New messages you compose from scratch
- Reply and forward messages (which can be set to a different font than new ones)
- Plain text messages (formatted differently, since plain text ignores rich formatting)
This matters because changing the default for new messages won't automatically change what font appears when you reply. Many users update one and wonder why the other still looks wrong.
How to Change the Default Font in Outlook for Windows 🖥️
- Open Outlook and go to File → Options
- Select Mail from the left sidebar
- Under the Compose messages section, click Stationery and Fonts
- You'll see three tabs worth of options — the key sections are:
- New mail messages — sets the font for original emails
- Replying or forwarding messages — controls how your text appears in replies
- Click Font under whichever section you want to change
- Choose your preferred font, style, size, and color
- Click OK through each dialog to save
The change applies immediately to any new message you compose after saving.
How to Change the Default Font in Outlook for Mac
The process on Outlook for Mac differs slightly depending on whether you're using the legacy version or the newer "New Outlook" interface.
New Outlook for Mac:
- Go to Outlook → Preferences → Fonts
- You'll find options for HTML (rich text) and plain text messages
- Set your preferred font for each
Older Outlook for Mac:
- Go to Outlook → Preferences → Composing
- Look for the Font section and update accordingly
If your version doesn't show these settings in the expected location, checking under Format → Font while in a compose window may reveal per-session overrides — though these won't persist as defaults.
Outlook on the Web (OWA) — What's Possible and What Isn't
Outlook on the web (used through a browser, often in Microsoft 365 corporate environments) has more limited font customization than the desktop app.
- Go to Settings → View all Outlook settings → Mail → Compose and reply
- You can set a default font, size, color, and basic formatting
- Changes apply only to the browser-based interface — they don't sync to Outlook desktop
This is an important distinction for people who use both. The web app and desktop app maintain separate formatting defaults.
Why the Same Setting Can Behave Differently
Even after following the steps correctly, some users find their default font doesn't stick or looks different to recipients. A few reasons this happens:
| Cause | What It Means |
|---|---|
| Email format setting | If Outlook is set to send plain text, font formatting is ignored entirely |
| Stationery or themes | Active stationery overrides font settings — you may need to remove it first |
| Corporate IT policies | In managed environments, admins can lock formatting defaults |
| HTML rendering by recipient | The recipient's email client may substitute fonts if the chosen one isn't installed on their end |
| Multiple Outlook profiles | Font defaults are per-profile, so switching profiles resets to that profile's settings |
The message format setting (HTML, Rich Text, or Plain Text) is the most commonly overlooked factor. Outlook defaults to HTML for most accounts, but if that's been changed — intentionally or not — font customization won't apply.
Fonts, Legibility, and Professional Considerations 🎨
Not all font choices behave the same across recipients' inboxes. Web-safe fonts — like Arial, Calibri, Georgia, Tahoma, and Times New Roman — are installed on virtually every device, so they render consistently. Fonts outside this set may display correctly on your screen but substitute to a fallback font for recipients on different systems.
Calibri 11pt has been Microsoft's default for years, chosen for screen legibility. If you're in a professional or corporate context, staying within standard body fonts (8pt–12pt range) typically ensures consistent display across mail clients.
Decorative or display fonts can work for personal email but often don't survive the trip between clients intact.
When Version and Account Type Change Everything
The exact steps, available options, and how persistent those changes are all vary based on:
- Outlook version (2016, 2019, 2021, Microsoft 365)
- Account type (personal Microsoft account vs. work/school Microsoft 365 account)
- Platform (Windows desktop, Mac desktop, mobile app, web browser)
- Whether your account is managed by an organization
A personal Microsoft 365 subscription on Windows gives you the most control. A work account in a managed IT environment may restrict what you can change. The mobile Outlook app offers the least formatting customization of all the options.
Understanding which version and account setup you're working with determines how much of the above actually applies — and which steps will be available to you. 🔧