Redefining and Setting the Default Font (Normal Style)

SUMMARY

This article describes the methods you can use in Word for the Macintosh to change the default font.

MORE INFORMATION

Word 6.x and Word 98 Macintosh Edition

In Word, you can modify the default font by modifying the Normal style. Use one of the following methods to do this.

Method 1: Modify the Normal style using the Style command:

1. On the Format menu, click Style.

2. Select the Normal style and click the Modify button.

3. Select the Add To Template check box if you want the style change for all documents based on the active template.

4. On the Format list, click Font. Select the desired font and font size. (Note that you can change other paragraph and character formatting from the Format list.) Click the OK button.

5. Click OK to exit the Modify Style dialog box.

6. Click Close to exit the Style dialog box and return to the document. To change all paragraphs formatted with the Normal style, click Apply instead of Close.

1. On the Format menu, click Font.

2. Select the Font tab. Type or select a font name in the Font box. You can also select a new size in the Size box or add other effects by selecting the appropriate options under Effects.

3. When you have finished changing the default font formats, click the Default button.

4. When Word prompts you to confirm that you want to change the default font for the current template, click Yes.

1. Select text that has the desired formats you want.

2. On the Format menu, click Font.

3. On the Font tab, click the Default button.

4. When Word prompts you to confirm that you want to change the default font for the current template, click the Yes button.

Word 5.0, 5.1, 5.1a

In Word 5.0, 5.1, or 5.1a, use the Default Font command on the Font menu to change the default font and point size. For specific instructions, see pages 132 and 708 of the 5.0/5.1 "User's Guide."

Versions of Word 5.x and Earlier

You can change the default font by redefining the Normal style, as described in the following procedure:

1. On the Format menu, click Style (Define Styles in Word 3.x and 4.0).

2. Select the Normal style.

3. Do one of the following:

   - Choose the desired font and font size from the Font menu.

          -or-
   

       - On the Format menu, click Character and select the desired
         font and font size. Click OK.
   

   At this time, you can also choose any additional character or paragraph formatting that you want to apply to the default Normal style.

4. In the Style dialog box (Define Styles dialog box in Word 3.x and 4.0), click Define.

5. Click the Use As Default button (Set Default button in Word 3.x and 4.0). Click the Yes button in response to the following prompt:

         OK to record style in default style sheet?
   

6. Do one of the following:

       - Click the Close button (the Cancel button in Word 3.x and 4.0)
         to exit the Define Styles dialog without applying the new Normal
         style to the current paragraph.
   

          -or-
   

       - Click the OK button to exit the Style dialog box (Define Styles
         dialog box in Word versions 3.x and 4.0) and apply the new
         Normal style to the current paragraph.
   

MORE INFORMATION

In Word versions 4.0, 5.0, and 5.1, you can also define styles using the style selection box on the ruler. To change the font of the Normal style using the style selection box, do the following:

1. Change the font of all the text of a paragraph to the desired font.

2. Select the paragraph.

3. If the ruler is not showing, click Ruler on the View menu (choose Show Ruler from the Format menu in Word 3.x and 4.0).

4. In the style selection box on the ruler, select Normal.

5. Select the "Redefine style based on selection?" option.

6. Click OK.

   NOTE: To make this the default for all new documents, do the following in addition to the above steps:

7. On the Format menu, click Style (Define Styles in Word 3.x and 4.0).

8. From the list of styles, choose Normal.

9. Choose the Use As Default button (Set Default button in Word 3.x and 4.0). Choose the Yes button in response to the following prompt:

         OK to record style in default style sheet?
   

REFERENCES

"User's Guide," versions 5.0 and 5.1, pages 132, 179, 708

"Reference to Microsoft Word," version 4.0, pages 21, 41

"Reference to Microsoft Word," version 3.0, page 361