XL2000: How to Change Default Font and Font Size in Microsoft Excel

ID: Q214368

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Excel 2000

SUMMARY

The default font used by Microsoft Excel 2000 is 10 point Arial. This article describes how to change the default font or font size.

MORE INFORMATION

You can override the default font or font size in Microsoft Excel by using either of the following methods.

Method 1: Set the Font Size and Font in the Options Dialog Box

To do this, follow these steps:

On the Tools menu, click Options.

Click the General tab.

In the Standard font and Size boxes, select the font and size you want to use.

Click OK.

Method 2: Create a Template

You can also override the default font and font size by creating a template with a style that is formatted with the font and font size you want. When you create a new workbook by using the template, the new workbook uses the same formatting as the template.

Default Fonts in Earlier Versions

The default fonts and font sizes used by earlier versions of Excel are listed in the following table.


                                                          Default
   Version of Microsoft Excel             Default font    font size
   ----------------------------------------------------------------

   Microsoft Excel 97                     Arial           10
   7.0, 7.0a for Windows                  Arial           10
   5.0, 5.0c for Windows                  Arial           10
   Earlier versions for Windows           MS Sans Serif   10

   Microsoft Excel 98 Macintosh Edition   Geneva           9
   5.0, 5.0a for the Macintosh            Geneva          10
   Earlier versions for the Macintosh     Geneva          10

Because of the differences in default font and font size, when you open a workbook that is created in one version of Excel in another version of Excel, the workbook may appear different from a new workbook that you create.

This behavior is especially noticeable in Microsoft Excel 98 Macintosh Edition, which uses a different default font size from other versions of Excel.

REFERENCES

For more information about creating and using templates, click Microsoft Excel Help on the Help menu, type "templates" in the Office Assistant or the Answer Wizard, and then click Search to view the topics returned.

Additional query words: XL2000

Keywords : xlloadsave xlformat
Version : WINDOWS:2000
Platform : WINDOWS
Issue type : kbhowto