# Is there a way to set the default font in Word? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 18, 2004, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-way-to-set-the-default-font-in-word/240721 "2004-04-18T22:02:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2004, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-way-to-set-the-default-font-in-word/240721/1 "2004-04-18T22:02:43Z")
My boss prefers that I Arial in my documents, but Words seems to default to Times New Roman. As I’m typing along, I use ctrl-I for italic and then like to use ctrl-space to set the font back to _normal_. The problem with this is, it sets the font back to Times New Roman and I want it to be Arial (well, actually, I don’t care, but my boss does…) Is there a way to tell word that “normal” is Arial? ---
**Author:** ![BuckleberryFerry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5f9b8f/32.png) [@BuckleberryFerry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BuckleberryFerry)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2004, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-way-to-set-the-default-font-in-word/240721/2 "2004-04-18T22:11:30Z")
I’ve got Microsoft Works Word, and I think you can do it through changing the default template. I’m not sure how you’d go about doing that in MSWord, if it would be different at all. Hope I was at least a touch of help. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2004, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-way-to-set-the-default-font-in-word/240721/3 "2004-04-18T22:35:30Z")
For Word 97 (but should be similar in most versions): Go to Tools Then go to Templates & Add-Ins. Look for a template named “normal.dot”. (For most people, that will be the only template shown). That is the standard template applied for any ‘new’ document you create in Word. Changes made in it will affect any new documents you open afterwards. ---
**Author:** ![anson2995](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c77e96/32.png) [@anson2995](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anson2995)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2004, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-way-to-set-the-default-font-in-word/240721/4 "2004-04-18T22:37:19Z")
> [@Khadaji](#): > > Is there a way to tell word that “normal” is Arial? From within any document, select Format from the main menu, then Font. Select the font that you want and click on the buton that says “default.” In older versions of word, you can change the default settings by editing the document called “normal.dot” ---
**Author:** ![leenmi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f1d935/32.png) [@leenmi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leenmi)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2004, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-way-to-set-the-default-font-in-word/240721/5 "2004-04-19T00:06:37Z")
until then, use “ctrl+i” to get you back out of italics. “Ctrl+i” will get you in and out. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2004, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-way-to-set-the-default-font-in-word/240721/6 "2004-04-19T14:54:23Z")
> [@anson2995](#): > > From within any document, select Format from the main menu, then Font. Select the font that you want and click on the buton that says “default.” > > In older versions of word, you can change the default settings by editing the document called “normal.dot” That worked great, thanks.