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Copy file name to clipboardExpand all lines: Office/Client/office-suite-issues/set-default-font.md
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---
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title: Set the default font for Office applications
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title: Set the Default Font for Office Applications
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description: Provides detailed steps for administrators to set the default font for Office applications, such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
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author: helenclu
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ms.author: luche
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- PowerPoint for Microsoft 365
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- PowerPoint 2016
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search.appverid: MET150
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ms.date: 06/06/2024
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ms.date: 06/26/2025
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---
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# How to set the default font for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
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## Set the default font for Word
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> [!NOTE]
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> There are no direct Group Policy Objects (GPOs) to set the default font in Word (for both Microsoft 365 and 2016).
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> There are no direct Group Policy Objects (GPOs) to set the default font in Word.
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1. Create a blank file that is configured by using the font and styles that you want to set as the default.
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2. Select **File** > **Save As**.
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3. Select the **.dotm** file name extension.
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4. Save the file to **%Appdata%\Microsoft\Templates**.
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5. Replace the **Normal.dotm** file.
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6. After the **Normal.dotm** file is created on the administrator's computer, you can deploy the same file to the **%Appdata%\Microsoft\Templates** location on users' computers.
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Follow these steps:
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1. Back up the existing template:
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1. Navigate to the `%APPDATA%\Microsoft\Templates` folder, and locate the `normal.dotm` file.
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1. Rename the file to `normal.dotm.bak`.
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1. Open Word, and then close Word. This action creates a new, clean `normal.dotm` file in the `%APPDATA%\Microsoft\Templates` folder.
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1. Open Word again.
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1. Open the `%APPDATA%\Microsoft\Templates\normal.dotm` file.
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1. Configure the font and style settings that you want for the default font.
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1. Save and close the file.
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1. Close Word.
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The revised `normal.dotm` file now contains your customizations. You can distribute this file to other users by copying it to the same path on their computers.
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For more information, see [Change the default settings for new documents](https://support.office.com/article/Change-the-default-settings-for-new-documents-430B4132-E129-46E4-97D2-19C326352C7F).
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## Set the default font for Excel
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-**Set a cloud policy (for Microsoft 365):**
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1. Create a font policy from[Policy Management](https://config.office.com/officeSettings/officepolicies).
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2. Apply the cloud policy to a security group that target users are members of.
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1. Create a font policy at[Policy Management](https://config.office.com/officeSettings/officepolicies).
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2. Apply the cloud policy to a security group that the target users are members of.
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:::image type="content" source="media/set-default-font/policy-management.svg" alt-text="Screenshot to edit policy configuration in Policy Management." border="false":::
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:::image type="content" source="media/set-default-font/policy-management.svg" alt-text="Screenshot of the edit policy configuration in Policy Management." border="false":::
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-**Set a GPO (for Excel 2016):**
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:::image type="content" source="media/set-default-font/gpo-font.svg" alt-text="Screenshot to set Font Group Policy Object in Excel 2016." border="false":::
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## Set the default font for PowerPoint (for both Microsoft 365 and Office 2016)
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## Set the default font for PowerPoint
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To set default font for PowerPoint, set a default theme, and save it as a .potx file.
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> [!NOTE]
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> Setting the default template requires the following items:
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>
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> - The correct file name: **Default Theme.potx**
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> - The correct location: **%Appdata%\Microsoft\Templates\Document Themes**
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To set the default theme, follow these steps:
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1. Start PowerPoint.
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2. Open an existing PowerPoint template that you have configured by using the font and styles that you want to set as the default.
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3. Select **File** > **Save As**.
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4. Select **PowerPoint Template (*.potx)** in the file type list. This automatically changes the folder location to **Custom Office Templates** (a personal template folder).
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1. Open an existing PowerPoint template that you configured by using the font and styles that you want to set as the default.
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1. Select **File** > **Save As**.
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1. Select **PowerPoint Template (\*.potx)** in the file type list. This selection automatically changes the folder location to **Custom Office Templates** (a personal template folder).
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> [!NOTE]
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> Don't save it here because this enables you to view your template under **Custom Office Templates**.
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> Don't save the file here because this enables you to view your template under **Custom Office Templates**.
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5. Select **More options** to opens a file name dialog box, replace the whole file name with **%Appdata%\Microsoft\Templates\\**, and then press Enter.
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6. In the **Templates** folder, open the **Document Themes** folder. If you see a **Default Theme.potx** file existing in the folder, you can also make a backup of the file. To do this, select the file, press Ctrl+C, and then press Ctrl+V.
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7. Enter the name "**Default Theme**" to manually name the file, and then save it. If a Default Theme.potx file exists, you can also select the Default Theme.potx file, and then select **Save** to overwrite it.
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8. Close PowerPoint, and then select **File** > **New**. Now, you see the default template that's displayed as an option.
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1. Select **More options** to open a file name dialog box, replace the whole file name with **%Appdata%\Microsoft\Templates\\**, and then press Enter.
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1. In the **Templates** folder, open the **Document Themes** folder. If you see a **Default Theme.potx** file in the folder, you can also make a backup of the file. To make a backup, select the file, press Ctrl+C, and then press Ctrl+V.
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1. Manually name the file "**Default Theme**", and then save it. If a Default Theme.potx file exists, you can also select the Default Theme.potx file, and then select **Save** to overwrite it.
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1. Close PowerPoint, and then select **File** > **New**. The default template is now displayed as an option.
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:::image type="content" source="media/set-default-font/default-template.svg" alt-text="Screenshot shows the Default Theme that's displayed as an option." border="false":::
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