Changing Fonts and Font Size (Microsoft Word)

Posted November 01, 2002
PDF version

ont choice and size can be an important part of your manuscript's overall presentation. Though it may seem to have less impact when you are simply submitting your work for review by an editor or publisher, font clarity and style should always be considered when formatting. Consider whether your font may be too small to read or edit. Alternatively, an overly large font can inflate your page count needlessly. Certain fonts may also be more difficult to typeset.

If you are planning to self- or e-publish, be sure to check the printer specifications before altering your font. You will want to be sure that the font or fonts you have chosen are acceptable and licensed under specified guidelines.

1. Locating your available fonts. There are two main ways to review a list of available fonts (usually called true type fonts). For the first method, go to Format and select Font from the drop down menu in your toolbar.

Once you have selected Font, a new window will open, displaying a collection of type formatting options and a preview box.

The preview box allows you to preview the appearance of a selected font and size, as well as color, effects, and font style. Once you find one that suits you, you may choose OK and the window will close, returning you to your document. Once you begin typing, you will see your new font.

The second method for locating available fonts is by using Microsoft Word's default toolbar settings, which generally include a drop down box for both font and font size. This makes it easy to make changes to specific sections of text. (If you do not see this option on your toolbar, place your cursor over the blank section of your toolbar and right-click. A menu will appear, which should include a Formatting option. Make sure this option is checked.)

Once you have located the drop down box, press the arrow down. A drop down list should display a variety of fonts to choose from.

To the right of this, you should also see a smaller selection box containing a number. The number displayed represents the size of your font, measured in points.

2. Selecting a new font. If you would simply like to change the existing font or font size in your document to something new, you must first select the text you would like to change. If you wish to change the text of the entire document, you may choose Edit and then Select All from the drop down menu in your toolbar.

This will highlight all of the text in your document. You may then choose a new font or size from the drop down selection box on your toolbar, or by choosing the Font option from the Format menu.

If you wish to apply your changes to specific text, use your cursor or Shift and arrow keys to select the text you wish to change. This may be useful when choosing a different font or size for chapter headings.

3. Choosing effects or formatting styles. If you decide to apply effects or styles to your text, you may wish to consider the following:

Effects such as shadow, outline, emboss, or engrave are also rarely if ever used as the main text style, as they tend to make text difficult to read.

To read more about formatting your work, review our article on Formatting Your Manuscript for Submission and Print.

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Screenshots are of Microsoft Word 97
and older or newer versions of this program may differ slightly in appearance.

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