Change your default font in Outlook settings

To change the font that appears every time you write a new email, go to File > Options > Mail > Stationery and Fonts. Click the Fonts button under "Composing messages". Select your preferred font from the dropdown, choose your size, and click OK. From that point forward, every new email you compose will use that font.

This method changes only your outgoing emails, not how received emails appear on your screen. If you want to change how incoming messages look to you, that's a separate setting in the same Stationery and Fonts window — look for the section labeled "Replying or forwarding messages" and adjust the font there instead.

The font you choose applies to plain text emails only. If you send an email formatted as HTML or rich text, the recipient sees the formatting you applied in that specific message, not your default setting.

Key Takeaways

  • Your default font is set in File > Options > Mail > Stationery and Fonts > Fonts button.
  • Changing your default font affects only new emails you write, not emails you receive.
  • You can set a different font for replies and forwards separately from new messages.
  • The default font applies to plain text emails; HTML and rich text emails use formatting from that specific message.
  • Font size, color, and style can all be changed in the same Fonts window.

Change font in a single email message

If you want to use a different font for just one email, highlight the text you want to change, then use the font dropdown in the toolbar at the top of the compose window. The dropdown shows your current font name — click it to see all available fonts on your computer. Select the one you want, and that text changes when ready.

You can change font size the same way. The size dropdown sits right next to the font name dropdown. You can also make text bold, italic, or underlined using the buttons next to the size dropdown, or use the keyboard shortcuts Ctrl+B, Ctrl+I, and Ctrl+U.

If you do not see the formatting toolbar, make sure you are in the compose window (the window that opens when you click "New Email" or reply to a message). The toolbar appears at the top of that window, not in your main Outlook inbox.

Change font color and add emphasis

To change the color of your text, look for the font color button in the toolbar — it usually shows an "A" with a colored bar underneath. Click the small arrow next to it to open a color palette. Select the color you want, then highlight the text you want to color, or type new text after selecting the color.

You can also add a highlight color behind text, similar to using a highlighter pen on paper. Look for the highlighter icon (usually next to the font color button) and choose your highlight color the same way. Highlight is useful when you want to draw attention to a specific sentence or phrase without changing the text color itself.

Keep in mind that not all email clients display colors the same way. Some recipients may see your colors differently, or their email program might strip out color formatting entirely. Plain text emails cannot use color at all — if you want to send colored text, make sure your email is set to HTML or rich text format.

Check your email format before changing fonts

Outlook lets you send emails in three formats: plain text, HTML, and rich text. Font changes work differently depending on which format you are using. To check which format your current email is in, look at the Format tab in the compose window. If you see "Plain Text" selected, font changes will not be visible to the recipient.

To switch formats, click the Format tab and select either HTML or Rich Text. HTML is the most common and works with almost all email programs. Rich text is older and may not display correctly for recipients using web-based email or mobile devices. After you switch formats, your font changes will be preserved and visible to the recipient.

If you always want to send emails in HTML or rich text format, you can set that as your default in File > Options > Mail > Compose messages. Look for "Compose messages in this format" and select your preference.

Troubleshoot font changes that do not appear

If you change the font in your email but the recipient says it looks different, the most common reason is that they are using a different email program or device. Some email clients ignore font formatting and display everything in their own default font. Mobile phones often do this, especially older devices. There is no way to force a recipient's email program to display your chosen font.

If your font changes are not appearing even on your own screen while you are composing, make sure you highlighted the text before changing the font. If you change the font first and then type, the new text should appear in that font. If it does not, try closing the compose window without sending and opening a new one — sometimes the toolbar needs to refresh.

Another reason font changes might not stick is if you are composing in plain text format. Switch to HTML format (in the Format tab) and try again. Plain text emails cannot carry any formatting, so Outlook strips out all font changes before sending.

Use signatures with custom fonts

Your email signature can have a different font than the rest of your message. To set up a signature with custom formatting, go to File > Options > Mail > Signatures. Click New to create a signature, type your signature text, then highlight parts of it and change the font, size, color, or style. Click OK when you are done.

You can create multiple signatures and choose which one to use for each email. For example, you might have a formal signature with a professional font for work emails and a casual signature for personal messages. When you compose a new email, your default signature appears automatically, but you can change it by clicking the Signature button in the compose window.

Signatures are useful for keeping your contact information or a standard closing consistent across all your emails while still allowing the body of the message to use different fonts.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I change the font for emails I receive?

You cannot change how the sender formatted their email, but you can change how Outlook displays it on your screen. Go to File > Options > Mail > Stationery and Fonts and look for "Replying or forwarding messages" — the font you set there controls how you see incoming emails. This does not change the original email; it only changes what you see.

Why does my font look different on my phone than on my computer?

Different devices have different fonts installed. If you use a font that is not common (like a decorative or specialty font), phones and other computers may not have it, so they substitute a different font. Stick to common fonts like Arial, Calibri, Times New Roman, or Verdana if you want your emails to look the same on all devices.

Can I set different default fonts for different email accounts?

Outlook uses one default font setting for all accounts. If you need different fonts for different accounts, you will need to manually change the font each time you compose an email in a different account. Alternatively, use signatures with different fonts — each account can have its own signature with custom formatting.

What happens to my font changes if the recipient uses Gmail or another email service?

Most email services preserve font formatting, but some older or simpler programs may not. The safest approach is to use common fonts and avoid very small sizes or unusual colors. If the formatting is critical to your message, consider sending a document attachment instead of relying on email formatting.

How do I make my default font larger without changing the size every time?

Go to File > Options > Mail > Stationery and Fonts > Fonts button. In the "New mail messages" section, select your font and then change the size dropdown to your preferred size. Click OK twice to save. Every new email will now use that larger size by default.