How to set the default font and font size for new workbooks in excel
Excel uses the very nice Calibri font by default in Windows, but if you’d like to use a different font or change the default size, you can easily adjust the setting in the Excel options screen.
Start by clicking the “File” tab.
On the backstage screen, click “Options” in the list of items on the left.
Make sure the General screen is active. Then, select the font you want as the default from the “Use this as the default font” drop-down list.
To select a different font size as the default size, select a size from the “Font size” drop-down list.
Click “OK” to accept the changes and close the Excel Options dialog box.
You must exit Excel and restart it for the changes to take effect. Click “OK” on the following dialog box that displays and then close and reopen Excel.
Now, you’ll see your chosen font and size as the defaults for all cells on all worksheets in any new workbooks you create in Excel.
You can always change the font using the Home tab on the ribbon as well, but it’s only for the selected cells on the current worksheet.
Our Virtual Agent can help answer your questions about fonts in Office.
You can change the font size for all text or just selected text in desktop Excel, PowerPoint, or Word.
Change the default font size for all text
The way you change the default font size varies by app. Select your app below, and then follow the steps.
Click File > Options.
(In Excel 2007, click > Excel Options.)
In the dialog box, click General.
(In Excel 2007, click Popular.)
Under When creating new workbooks, in the Font Size box, enter the font size you want.
Or, you can type in any size you want, between 1 and 409, in multiples of .5, such as 10.5 or 105.5. You can also choose a different default font style.
Note: To begin using the new default font size or font, you must restart Excel. The new default font and font size are used only in new workbooks created after you restart Excel; any existing workbooks are not affected. To use the new default font and size in existing workbooks, move worksheets from an existing workbook to a new workbook.
To change the font size for all slides, change it on the slide master. Every PowerPoint presentation contains a slide master with related slide layouts.
Note: If you want to change the theme, you should do that before changing the font, as a different theme may use different fonts.
On the View tab, click Slide Master.
In Slide Master View, the slide master is at the top of the thumbnail pane with the related layouts beneath it.
Click the slide master to change the font on all slides, or click any of the layouts to change the font size on just that layout.
On the slide master or layout, select the level of placeholder text for which you want to change the font size.
On the Home tab, click the font size you want in the Font Size box.
You can also type in any size you want in multiples of .1, such as 10.3 or 105.7.
The bullet automatically increases or decreases in size to match the font size changes.
In this article, we will learn How to Change Excel default font and font size.
New workbook in Excel
When a user opens a new workbook in Excel, it opens with the book name as Book1. Book1 has some default options like default font, font size, default view and number of sheets when any new workbook is opened. You can change these default styles.
Excel options to change default styles
Go to File > Options > Select new default font and font size (under When creating new workbooks option)
All of these might be confusing to understand. Let’s understand how to use the function using an example. Here we have a sample workbook and we need to change the default font Calibri with font size 11.
Follow the steps
Go to File. You can find the File tab options adjacent to Home tab in the menu bar.
Now select Options from the left pane as shown below.
Now you will see the Excel Options dialog box. You can find the default font and font size boxes. Select the new default font and font size and click Ok as shown below.
When you click Ok. Excel throws an instruction “Please close and restart Microsoft Excel so that the font changes can take effect”. Click Ok. Make sure there is no work that needs to be saved.
This will open a new blank workbook with required font style and font size.
Here are all the observational notes using the process in Excel
Notes :
- Make sure to save your work before proceeding to the Excel options tab.
- You can also change the default view and number of default sheets when a new workbook opens.
Hope this article about How to Change Excel default font and font size is explanatory. Find more articles on calculating values and related Excel formulas here. If you liked our blogs, share it with your friends on Facebook. And also you can follow us on Twitter and Facebook. We would love to hear from you, do let us know how we can improve, complement or innovate our work and make it better for you. Write to us at [email protected]
Related Articles :
How do I Insert a Checkmark in Excel 2016 : To insert a checkmark in Excel Cell we use the symbols in Excel. Set the fonts to wingdings and use the formula Char(252) to get the symbol of a check mark.
How to disable Scroll Lock in Excel : Arrow keys in excel that move sheet cell up, down, Left & Right. But this feature is only applicable when Scroll Lock in Excel is disabled. Scroll Lock in Excel is used to scroll up, down, left & right your worksheet not the cell. So click this link to learn how to check scroll lock status and how to disable it?
Use a closed workbook as a database (DAO) using VBA in Microsoft Excel : To use a closed workbook as a database with DAO connection use this VBA snippet in Excel.
Use a closed workbook as a database (ADO) using VBA in Microsoft Excel : To use a closed workbook as a database with ADO connection use this VBA snippet in Excel.
Popular Articles :
How to use the IF Function in Excel : The IF statement in Excel checks the condition and returns a specific value if the condition is TRUE or returns another specific value if FALSE.
How to use the VLOOKUP Function in Excel : This is one of the most used and popular functions of excel that is used to lookup value from different ranges and sheets.
How to use the SUMIF Function in Excel : This is another dashboard essential function. This helps you sum up values on specific conditions.
How to use the COUNTIF Function in Excel : Count values with conditions using this amazing function. You don’t need to filter your data to count specific values. Countif function is essential to prepare your dashboard.
by Allen Wyatt
(last updated March 22, 2021)
David wonders how he can change the default font for Excel when he opens a new workbook. Setting the default font that you want Excel to use is actually quite easy. All you need to do is follow these steps:
- Display the Excel Options dialog box. (In Excel 2007 click the Office button and then click Excel Options. In Excel 2010 and later versions display the File tab of the ribbon and then click Options.)
- Make sure Popular (Excel 2007) or General (Excel 2010 and later versions) is clicked at the left side of the screen. (See Figure 1.)
Figure 1. The General options of the Excel Options dialog box.
Now every time you create a new workbook, Excel will use these settings as the default. The only times it won’t is if you base a new workbook on a template or store a template named Book.xltx or Book.xltm in the XLStart folder. (In this second case, you’ve overridden how Excel formats a new workbook by whatever is set within the Book.xltx or Book.xltm template file.)
Also keep in mind that these steps won’t change the font in any previously created workbooks; those stay as they were when you saved them.
ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (12618) applies to Microsoft Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, and 2016. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Excel here: Changing the Default Font.
Author Bio
With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. Learn more about Allen.
Does the font style that is used when you create new workbooks in Excel seem unappealing or tough to read? If you as the creator of that spreadsheet are having difficulty reading the information, then it’s likely that your audience will, too. While you can change the font of existing text in a spreadsheet, it might be easier to change the default font in Excel instead so that it uses another font automatically when you create a new file.
The Excel default font has changed a couple of times over the course of its existence and, in most new versions, the Excel default font is called Calibri.
While many people won’t take issue with this font, you might prefer to use something other than Microsoft’s choice when you are creating new workbooks.
Luckily you have the ability to customize many features of the program in the Excel Options menu, including things like the default font and font size.
Our guide below is going to show you where to find this setting in Excel for Office 365 so that you can select a new default font for the Excel workbooks you create in the future.
Excel – Change Default Font
- Open Excel.
- Click File.
- Choose Options.
- Select the General tab.
- Click Use this as the default font and choose a font.
- Click OK.
Our article continues below with additional information on changing default font in Excel, including pictures of these steps.
How to Change Default Font in Excel for Office 365 – Guide with Pictures
The steps in this article will work in most versions of Microsoft Excel, including Excel 2010, Excel 2013, Excel 2016, Excel 2019, and more. The Calibri font is the default in most newer versions of Excel, but it may be different in older versions, or if this setting has previously been changed.
Excel is going to need to restart after you choose a new default font style, so it’s best to save your file before completing these steps.
Step 1: Open Microsoft Excel.
Step 2: Select the File tab (next to the Home tab) at the top-left corner of the window.
Step 3: Click the Options button at the bottom-left corner of the window.
Step 4: Choose the General tab at the left side of the Excel Options window.
Step 5: Click the drop-down list to the right if Use this as the default font, then choose an option.
Step 6: Click the OK button at the bottom of the window when you’re done.
Note that Excel will need to restart to apply the new font setting.
Can I Change the Default Font from the Ribbon?
The steps in the section above require you to go to the Excel Options dialog box, which is accessed through the File tab.
This menu provides you with the ability to make a number of changes to the way that your Microsoft Excel installation behaves on your computer. You can not only change the default font, but you can also change the default file type for new files, change when workbook calculations occur, and much more.
Since changing the default font requires a few more steps than a lot of the other formatting changes you might make to your new workbook, you may be wondering if there is another way to apply the font you want to future new workbooks.
Unfortunately, the only way to change the default font setting in Excel is by going through the Excel Options window. You aren’t able to make this adjustment for future files through the navigation ribbon.
Excel Default Font Additional Information
- The Excel default font in most newer versions of Excel, including Excel 2016, Excel 2019, and Excel for Office 365, is called Calibri.
- You can change the default font in Excel to any other font that is currently installed on your computer.
- You can install a new font by downloading it, then right-clicking on the font file and choosing the Install option. Note that if your font file came in a zip file that you will need to unzip it first.
- The default font settings only apply to new workbooks that you create. The font will not change for existing workbooks on your computer.
- While you have the menu above in the Excel Options dialog box you can also change the default font size as well.
- Note that changing the default font in Excel won’t affect the default font in other Microsoft Office applications like Microsoft Word or Microsoft Powerpoint. Those applications have their own default font settings that you can adjust in a similar manner.
You can apply a new font to existing cells in a spreadsheet by selecting the cells that you would like to modify, then clicking the Font drop down menu and choosing a new font. The Font dropdown is found on the Home tab in Excel. You can also change the font size or apply some additional font formatting using the additional buttons and settings in the Font section of the ribbon.
As mentioned above you will need to restart Excel for the new font setting to take effect.
One of the other default options you can modify is the number of sheets that are in each new workbook. If you find that you are usually deleting a worksheet or two whenever you create a new file, then electing to start with a lower number of sheets may be a good decision.
Find out how to remove gridlines in Microsoft Excel if you either don’t want to see them on your screen, or you don’t want to see them when you are printing.
Additional Sources
Matthew Burleigh has been writing tech tutorials since 2008. His writing has appeared on dozens of different websites and been read over 50 million times.
After receiving his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science he spent several years working in IT management for small businesses. However, he now works full time writing content online and creating websites.
His main writing topics include iPhones, Microsoft Office, Google Apps, Android, and Photoshop, but he has also written about many other tech topics as well.
To change the default font, follow these steps:
1. On the File tab, click the Options button:
2. In the General category, under When creating new workbooks, choose the font in the Use this as the default font list, and specify the font size in the Font size box:
Note: To begin using the new default font and font size, you must restart Excel. The new default font and font size are used only in new workbooks that you create after you restart Excel; existing workbooks are not affected.
If you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to ask OfficeToolTips team.
Change the default font for text boxes in Excel
Change the default font and style for shapes in Excel
How to change default chart
- Privacy
- Terms
- Contact
We use cookies to personalise content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyse our traffic. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners who may combine it with other information you’ve provided to them or they’ve collected from your use of their services.
To change the default font, follow these steps:
1. Select Tools -> Options. .
2. In the Options dialog box, on the General tab, in the Standard font area:
- Use the drop-down list to select a new font
- Use the Size drop-down list to select a new default font size.
3. When you click the OK button, Excel makes your preference the default font and size.
If you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to ask OfficeToolTips team.
How to create non-resizable font in charts
How to change the number of sheets for new workbooks
How to change the default colors that Excel uses for chart series
- Privacy
- Terms
- Contact
We use cookies to personalise content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyse our traffic. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners who may combine it with other information you’ve provided to them or they’ve collected from your use of their services.
You have finished working on your Excel file and it basically looks fine. Most of the texts and numbers are in Calibri Font. But what, if you want (or need to…) change it? In the whole workbook? Here are some tips and tricks of how to change the fonts in the entire Excel file.
Method 1: Select all worksheets and set the font
This is one of the fastest method: Change the style in all cells – no matter if they have values or not – simultaneously.
- Select all worksheets by clicking on the leftmost tab, holding down the Shift key and clicking on the rightmost tab.
- On any of the worksheets, select all cells:
- Either press Ctrl + A on the keyboard (maybe you have to do it twice if not all is selected),
- or click on the small arrow on the top-left corner of all cells.
- Change the font. Excel applies the changes now to all sheets.
One word of caution: This method might increase the file size because it formats all cells on all worksheets. I have listed this method because it’s very fast any easy, but please consider using one of the following methods instead.
Method 2: Change the font within the Excel theme settings
This might be worth a try: Change the font style in the Office / Excel theme settings.
- Go to the Page Layout ribbon.
- Click on “Fonts” in the Themes section (on the left).
- Select your desired Font.
Please note: This only works if you have not manually changed Fonts before.
Method 3: Use the cell styles
First: This only works if your Excel file is consequently formatted using the built-in cell styles. From my own experience: Usually, it’s not…
Anyway, here is how it works:
- Select a cell with content. Here: A cell with the style “Normal” is selected.
- Right-click on the style on the Home ribbon. Then, click on “Modify”.
- In the style window, click on the “Change” button.
- Go to the Font tab and select a new style.
- Click on OK.
If necessary, you have to repeat it with other cell styles (for example headings).
Method 4: VBA Macro to change the font style
Our next method involves a short VBA macro. Copy and paste the following code into a new VBA module and click on Start. Click here to learn the steps to insert a new module and paste code in a short, dedicated article.
Here is the code:
Replace “Arial” with your desired style name (make sure, you spell it correctly…).
Method 5: Professor Excel Tools
To keep it as simple and convenient as possible, we have included a Font feature in our Excel add-in “Professor Excel Tools“. The add-in extends Excel with powerful functions without cluttering your Excel.
Here is, how it works:
- Click on “Font” on the Professor Excel ribbon.
- Select the style and the scope (in this case, the entire workbook).
Change the font comfortably with Professor Excel Tools.
This function is included in our Excel Add-In ‘Professor Excel Tools’
(No sign-up, download starts directly)
More than 35,000 users can’t be wrong.
Additional tip: Change the default font before you start working in Excel
Besides changing a style after your file is set up, you can also set a default font. That way, all new files use this standard text type. It’s quite simple:
- In Excel, go to “File” and click on “Options” (in the left bottom corner of the screen).
- On the General tab, set your default style at “Use this as the default font”.
Also interesting:
Henrik Schiffner is a freelance business consultant and software developer. He lives and works in Hamburg, Germany. Besides being an Excel enthusiast he loves photography and sports.
Leave a comment Cancel reply
Top Posts & Pages
- Merge Excel Files: How to Combine Workbooks into One File
- Return Blank Cells Instead of Zeroes in Excel Formulas: Easy!
- How to Unhide All Rows or Columns in Excel at Once
- Thousands or Millions in Excel: How to Change the Number Unit
- Can’t Scroll in Excel? Here Are Reasons and Easy Fixes!
- INDIRECT: How to Use Text as a Cell Reference in Excel
- Buttons For Inserting Images Or Charts In Excel Greyed Out?
- Professor Excel Tools – Excel Add-In
- Excel Not Grouping Dates in Filters? How to Fix It!
- Insert Sheet Name In Cell: Easy! 3 Methods to Return the Worksheet Name
Don’t miss our essentials
‘Professor Excel Tools’: Add more than 120 amazing features to Excel!
Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Click here to go to read our Privacy Policy.
Share This Post
You may have already noticed that the default font in Microsoft Excel is Calibri, font size 11.
A lot of people like this font because of its warmth and rounded lines, but it doesn’t mean you’re supposed to use it all the time.
When you have to change the font only once to achieve a specific goal, you can easily do it using the tools in the Font group.
But what if you need to use a different font in all of the spreadsheets you create? The good news is that there’s a quick-and-dirty way to do that.
In this tutorial, you will learn how to change the default font in Excel.
Why Would I Ever Need To Change My Default Font?
Changing your default font can save you a great deal of time and help avoid the situation when you have different formatting across the same workbook.
Additionally, there are more possible reasons why you may want to do that:
- your organization (be it your school, university, or company) may have specific font requirements;
- there is a need to use a specific font that will make it easier to visualize certain information;
- you want to add a personal touch to your data;
- you’re just sick and tired of Calibri.
Without beating around the bush, let’s get started.
How to Set a Default Font (Windows)
For Windows users, changing a default font is as easy as shelling peas.1. Click the File tab.
2. Click “More…”
3. Select “Options” from the sidebar on the left.
4. Once there, the Excel Options dialog box should pop up where you need to navigate to the General tab.
5. Select “Times New Roman” from the drop-down menu next to “Use this as the default font” to set it as your new default font.
6. Once you have finished, click “OK” to apply the changes.
7. When you close the dialog box, you will be asked to restart Excel. Click “OK”.
8. Make sure you’ve saved everything you need and restart the application. The new font will be automatically applied to all of the new workbooks you’re going to create.
How to Set a Default Font (Mac)
If you’re using a Mac, follow the steps outlined below to change the default font in Excel.
1. Click the Excel menu and choose “Preferences.”
2. In the Excel Preferences dialog box that appears, under “Authoring,” select “General.”
3. Open the drop-down menu next to “Default font” and pick your new default font.
4. Once you’re done, you will be asked to restart Excel. Click “OK”.
5. If you have no unsaved changes, restart the application. When you create a new workbook, it will use the new default font.
Congratulations! Now you are one step closer to taming Excel.
By default in Excel, the text is on the left side, and the numbers – on the right one. The change in these positions is sometimes justified, but often makes it difficult to distinguish a number from a text.
Treat to the text formatting with moderation. Do not forget, that a stylishly designed document should not contain more than 2 – 3 types of font. There should be no more than 2 – 3 colors, but more shades are allowed.
The changing of the default font in Excel
How in Excel to set the default font? For this you need to change 2 parameters in the settings:
- Go to the settings «FILE» – «Options» – «General».
- In the «When creating new workbooks» section, select the required «Font» from the drop-down list.
- Below specify its size and click OK.
The expanding of selected items
To show how to change the default font in Excel, we will format the text in the cells of the data table. The headings of the columns will be highlighted in bold and increase the size of the characters. The text data will be done in italic italics.
The solution of this task is no different from using the tools that Word has. The sequence of actions is as follows:
- Select the range with the column headings of the table.
- On the «HOME» tool tab, press the «B» (bold) button or the CTRL + B key combination.
- In the font size field, we click the mouse and enter our value – is 12, then click «Etner» (you can also specify the font size from the drop-down list of the field). On the same tab, click the «Align Center» button or the hotkey combination: CTRL + E.
- Now select the text data of table A2:B4 and click on the button «Italic» (CTRL + I).
This task can be solved in another way, using the «Format Cells» dialog box. It has more possibilities for formatting text in Excel.
- Again select the range A1 : D1.
- Call the «Format Cells» dialog box using the corner button on the «HOME» tab in the «Align» tool section or press the CTRL + 1 (or CTRL + SHIFT + P) combination. We are interested in the «Font» tab:
- Here we can customize the text in the «Font» tab. In the «Inscription» field, select «Bold Italic». In the Size field, select or set the size to 14.
- Go to the «Alignment» tab.
- In the drop-down list «horizontally», set the value «centered». In the «vertical» list, specify «at the top».
Increase the height of line 1 approximately 2 times. Now you can see that the text of the table headings is centered and is adjacent to the upper edge of the cells.
The formatting the values of the cells helps us to make the data readable and presentable, that are easier to perceive and assimilate. For example, the number 12 can be formatted as 12 $ or 12% or 12 pcs.
In addition, the standard format «General» looks gray and not presentable, but it’s also not too much to overdo it.
In the next lessons of this section, we’ll take a closer look at the possibilities of formatting in Excel.
Karen has a Bachelors in Communications. She has 25 years of experience in Information Systems, Adult Learning and Virtual Training.
Fonts in Excel
The font is the style and/or size of your text and characters. Changing the font of your numbers and text in an Excel worksheet can help your document to look more appealing and, at times, make it easier for the reader to digest the information. And, if you find yourself using the same fonts and font sizes again and again, you can change Excel’s default font that is applied to all new workbooks.
This lesson will guide you through the steps to changing the default font for new workbooks. We will also look at changing the font type and font size of your numbers and text in a worksheet.
An error occurred trying to load this video.
Try refreshing the page, or contact customer support.
You must c C reate an account to continue watching
Register to view this lesson
As a member, you’ll also get unlimited access to over 84,000 lessons in math, English, science, history, and more. Plus, get practice tests, quizzes, and personalized coaching to help you succeed.
Get unlimited access to over 84,000 lessons.
Already registered? Log in here for access
Resources created by teachers for teachers
I would definitely recommend Study.com to my colleagues. It’s like a teacher waved a magic wand and did the work for me. I feel like it’s a lifeline.
You’re on a roll. Keep up the good work!
Just checking in. Are you still watching?
- 0:03 Fonts in Excel
- 0:42 Changing Font Type or Size
- 3:19 Changing Default Font
- 4:39 Lesson Summary
Want to watch this again later?
Log in or sign up to add this lesson to a Custom Course.
- Video
- Quiz
- Course
14K views
Changing the Font Type or Size
Excel’s primary purpose is for creating spreadsheets using numerical data and formulas. You do not normally think about font type, or even the size, until you try to display it up on a screen or attempt to print your spreadsheet for an upcoming team meeting.
Changing to a smaller font size in order to fit the content to one page or changing the font type so that it can be clearly read are very common practices. You can change the font and font size for a selected cell or for a range of cells in a worksheet.
In the lesson video, I have an example worksheet that details the various costs for the delivery of a corporate project (please see the video at 01:22). There are several different fonts and font sizes being used and as a result, the document is difficult to read and even has an unprofessional look. Before we ‘go to print’ we really should consider making the font of the numbers and text a bit more consistent and uniform. Let’s take a look at the steps:
- Go to the Home menu in the ribbon.
- Select the cells by clicking on the first cell in the range, then dragging to the last cell. In our example, we will click and hold on cell A1 and move our mouse to G8, and then release.
- Look in the Font grouping of commands.
- In the Font option box, click on the More icon (it’s the up-side down triangle); this will expand your font choices.
- Select your desired font.
As with all office products by Microsoft, you can hover your mouse over the different font type options and get a preview of how it will display. Remember, this is just a preview – you need to click on the font choice to apply it to the selected cells.
Changing the font size is very similar. The difference is that you would click on the More icon for the Font Size option box. Just like the font type, you can preview the size of the font by rolling your mouse over the numbers.
And, let me give you a tip: If you look next to the Font Size option box, you will see two short-cut commands or buttons; each time you click on a particular command (either to increase or decrease), the font size will change by one point. It’s a great short-cut when you need to change the size of a font.
Changing the Default Font
Now, let’s take a look at changing the default font. I find it frustrating sometimes when I need to make the same font changes over and over again. You may find a font type and size that you prefer to use all of the time. But every time you start a new workbook, the font goes back to Excel’s default font, and you have to start all over again.
You can change the default font, which means that each time you open a new workbook your preferred font is already in place and ready to use. In our example, we will open a blank workbook and then select our default font type and size:
- Open your new workbook and go to the File menu in the ribbon.
- Click on Options (it’s in the bottom, left-hand corner).
- Select the General option tab on the left.
- In the Creating New Workbooks section, select the font type and size for your default.
- Click OK.
That’s it! Now, next time (and every time, until you change it) your new workbooks will start with your selected font. It’s easier and definitely more efficient than re-formatting every time you begin a new worksheet!
Lesson Summary
This lesson covered two basic formatting options in Microsoft Excel. The first was how to change your font type and font size. Remember the tip I gave you? Use the short-cut commands (or buttons) to change your font size easily and quickly. These commands are time-savers when it comes to changing the size of the font.
We also reviewed the steps to changing the default font type and size. This feature will help you avoid the need to re-format your spreadsheet to your preferred font each time you open a new worksheet, which, if you’re like me, that’s too frustrating. Use your font type and font size options to help make your next worksheet easier to read and look more professional.
Learning Outcomes
Upon completing this lesson, you should be able to:
- Define font
- Explain the importance of font type and size when using Excel
- Describe the steps to change the font type and size
- Identify short-cut commands for changing font size
- List and detail the steps for changing the default font type and size
There are many fonts available in Excel. The default font for every new workbook in Windows-based Excel 2019 is “Body Font”, with font size 11. Body Font with font size 11 is displayed in Excel worksheet as Calibri font, with font size 11.
Below image shows default font and its size in Excel 2019.
Sometimes according to the requirement of a particular project, you may need to change the default font and its size, because every time it is difficult to change the font and its size.
If you want to change the default font in Excel and its size, follow these steps.
Step 1 – Open Excel Options Dialog Box window by clicking “File” on Excel Ribbon and then selecting “Options” from menu from Excel Backstage View.
Step 2 – Select the new default font from “Use this as the default font” and size from “Font size” Drop-down lists. In this example, “Segoe UI” font and font size 12 is selected, as shown below.
After changing the font and font size, click “OK” button in Excel Options Dialog Box window. Excel will display a dialog box for program restart for font change to take effect, as shown below.
Step 3 – Once Excel is restarted, you can see that the default font is changed to “Segoe UI” font and font size 12 for a new Excel workbook, as shown in below image. Please note that the font and its size in existing Excel workbooks will not change. The default font and its size is changed only for new blank worksheets or new workbooks.
How to change default font in Excel?
As all of us know, the default font in Excel is Calibri font, and even though we change the font or font size from the Font group under Home tab, when you go to the other cells, the font changes back to Calibri font. Now I will tell you a way to change the default font in Excel.
- Reuse Anything: Add the most used or complex formulas, charts and anything else to your favorites, and quickly reuse them in the future.
- More than 20 text features: Extract Number from Text String; Extract or Remove Part of Texts; Convert Numbers and Currencies to English Words.
- Merge Tools : Multiple Workbooks and Sheets into One; Merge Multiple Cells/Rows/Columns Without Losing Data; Merge Duplicate Rows and Sum.
- Split Tools : Split Data into Multiple Sheets Based on Value; One Workbook to Multiple Excel, PDF or CSV Files; One Column to Multiple Columns.
- Paste Skipping Hidden/Filtered Rows; Count And Sum by Background Color ; Send Personalized Emails to Multiple Recipients in Bulk.
- Super Filter: Create advanced filter schemes and apply to any sheets; Sort by week, day, frequency and more; Filter by bold, formulas, comment.
- More than 300 powerful features; Works with Office 2007-2019 and 365; Supports all languages; Easy deploying in your enterprise or organization.
Change default font in Excel
Amazing! Using Efficient Tabs in Excel Like Chrome, Firefox and Safari!
Save 50% of your time, and reduce thousands of mouse clicks for you every day!
For changing the default font in Excel, you need to go to Excel Option to specify the setting.
In Excel 2007/2010/2013
1. Enable Excel, and click Office button or File tab > Options. See screenshot:
2. In the popping Excel Options dialog, find the When creating new workbooks section in the right part, and now you can specify the font and font size in the Use this font box and the Font size box. See screenshot:
3. Then click OK to close the dialog, now a dialog pops up to tell you that you need to restart the Excel. See screenshot:
4. Click OK and restart the Excel, now you can see the default font showed in the Ribbon is changed.
In Excel 2003
1. Launch the Excel, and click Tools tab > Options to open Options dialog.
2. In the Options dialog, click General tab, and specify the font and font size in Standard font section. See screenshot:
3. Click OK > OK to close the dialogs, and then restart the Excel. The default font in Excel is changed.
Table of Contents
How do I set a default font in Excel?
To change the default font used in new workbooks in Excel, follow these steps:
- Click on the File tab.
- Select Options at the bottom left.
- Under General options there is a section for “When creating new workbooks.”
- Here you can select the option to change the font and font size for all new workbooks.
- Click OK.
What is the default font used in Excel?
Calibri font 11
What is the default font in Excel 2016?
How do you set a default font?
Change the default font in Word
- Go to Home, and then select the Font Dialog Box Launcher .
- Select the font and size you want to use.
- Select Set As Default.
- Select one of the following: This document only. All documents based on the Normal template.
- Select OK twice.
How do I change the default font in Excel 365?
Step 1: Open Microsoft Excel. Step 2: Select the File tab at the top-left of the window. Step 3: Choose the Options button at the bottom-left corner of the window. Step 4: Click the dropdown menu to the right of Use this as the default font, then choose the desired font from the list.
What will be the default font style and size in Excel 2007?
How do I make Excel 2007 default?
Open Control Panel > Default Programs > Set Default Programs, select Excel 2007 and Set this program as default, click OK. Additionally, click Associate a file type or protocol with a specific program in Default Programs to associate excel file.
How do I make Excel 2007 default to 2016?
Now all my excel documents open in 2016 and not in 2007….To set default programs, you can follow the steps below:
- Right click Click the Start Menu and select Control Panel.
- Click Programs -> Default Programs -> Set your default programs.
- Select Excel 2007 in the Programs list.
- Set this program as default.
How do I convert Excel 2007 to 2016?
Upgrade to Office 2016 for Free with Your Office 365 Subscription
- Sign into your Microsoft account from the My Account page.
- Click on Install and then Install again on the next screen.
- Click on the setup file to run it and the installer will upgrade your version of Office to Office 2016.
How do I reset the toolbar in Excel 2010?
Press the ribbon shortcut Ctrl + F1. Double-click on any ribbon tab to make the entire ribbon visible again. Right-click any ribbon tab and clear the check mark next to Collapse the Ribbon in Excel 2019 – 2013 or Minimize the Ribbon in Excel 2010 and 2007.
How do I get my Excel toolbar back?
Click the Ribbon Display Options icon on the top-right corner of your document. It is to the left of the Minimize icon. In the menu that opens, click Show Tabs and Commands to show the Ribbon with all tabs and full commands.
Microsoft Office, a few years back changed the font size and style to Calibri. While it was a good decision, there are always some users who do not like the defaults and need a change. They like to choose a font that works best for them. If you are one of those users, who desire to change the default font and select a one that better suits your needs, then this post will interest you.
Change default font in Microsoft Office applications
In this tutorial, we’ll show you to change the default font in-
- Microsoft Office Word
- Microsoft Office Excel
- Microsoft Office PowerPoint
If the preset default font in Microsoft Office applications bothers you, scroll down to read about things to try.
1] Change default font in Word
Launch Microsoft Word application click ‘Home’ tab, and then click the Dialog Box Launcher arrow in the Font group.
Here, click the font you want to use then, under ‘Size’, click the size you want to use for body text.
Later, hit the ‘Set As Default’ button.
Now, from the dialog box that appears next, click ‘All documents based on the Normal template’ and hit the ‘OK’ button twice.
2] Change default font in Excel
If you would like to change the default font for Excel Cells, open Excel sheet, switch to ‘Home’ tab and select Dialog Box Launcher arrow in the Font group.
After that, switch to ‘Font’ tab, select Font, Font Style, Font Size, and hit the ‘Ok button.
3] Change default font in PowerPoint
The procedure for changing the default font in Microsoft Office PowerPoint remains the same as seen in Microsoft Word.
Launch PowerPoint application choose ‘Home’ tab and select the Dialog Box Launcher arrow in the Font group.
Next, select the desired font, its size, style, and hit the ‘Ok’ button.
That’s it! This is how in few simple steps you change the default font in Microsoft Office applications.
Date: June 9, 2020 Tags: Fonts
Related Posts
How to convert WOFF font format to TTF on Windows 11/10
How to download and install Fonts from Microsoft Store in Windows 11/10
How to allow or block Windows from downloading Fonts Catalog
[email protected]
A post-graduate in Biotechnology, Hemant switched gears to writing about Microsoft technologies and has been a contributor to TheWindowsClub since then. When he is not working, you can usually find him out traveling to different places or indulging himself in binge-watching.
Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook have default font settings, like font size and font type, that take effect when using the programs. Users can change these font settings on the fly through the program menus.
When the program is closed and opened again at a later time, any font setting changes revert to their defaults.
The default font settings can be changed so that a preferred font type or font size are set and used each time the program is opened. Select a Microsoft Office program from the list below and follow the instructions to change the default font settings for that program.
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Outlook
Microsoft Word
- Open Microsoft Word and create a new blank document. See: How to create a document.
- On the Hometab, click the small icon in the bottom-right corner of the Font section. The icon has an arrow pointing down and to the right.
- In the Font window, select the Font, Font style, Size, or any other font settings that you want set as default.
- Click the Set As Default button at the bottom of the Font window, then click the OK button to save the new default settings.
Microsoft Excel
- Open Microsoft Excel. See: How to create a new blank workbook.
- Click the Filetab near the upper-left corner of the program window.
- In the left navigation pane, click Options.
- In the Excel Options window, make sure the General option is selected in the left navigation pane.
- Under the When creating new workbooks section, set the default font or Font size to your desired options, then click the OK button to save the changes.
Microsoft PowerPoint
For Microsoft PowerPoint, changing the default font settings requires you to go through two processes. First, you must change the font settings for a currently open presentation and slide deck, and second, you must create a slide template with the font setting changes in effect. Then, you can use that slide template to create all future slides, utilizing the default font settings you selected.
Change font settings
- Open Microsoft PowerPoint. See: How to create or add a slide in Microsoft PowerPoint.
- Click the Viewtab.
- In the Master Views section, click the Slide Master option.
- On the Slide Master tab, in the Background section, click the Fonts option and select a font in the drop-down menu to set as default.
- Click the Close Master View option on the far right of the Slide Master tab.
A font type is the only font setting you can set as default. A default font size cannot be set.
Create a new slide template
- After following the steps above to select a default font, click the File tab near the top-right corner of the program window.
- Click the Save As option in the left navigation pane.
- Click the Browse option.
- In the Save As window, navigate to the following folder.
- In the File name field, enter a name for the template file.
- In the Save as type drop-down list, select PowerPoint Template (*.potx) entry.
- Click the Save button to save the template file.
Select slide template for a new presentation
When you create a new presentation in Microsoft PowerPoint, you can use the new template, with the selected font type, you created with the steps above.
- Open Microsoft PowerPoint and click the New option on the left side of the program window.
- Below the Blank Presentation option, click the Custom or Personal tab, depending on your version of PowerPoint.
- Click the template you created.
- If a mostly blank, white window opens, click the Create button to create a presentation and slide.
Microsoft Outlook
- Open Microsoft Outlook and click the New Email option on the Hometab.
- In the new e-mail message, click the File tab.
- In the left navigation pane, click Options.
- In the Outlook Options window, click the Mail option in the left navigation pane, if not already selected.
- Click the Stationery and Fonts button.
- In the Signatures and Stationery window, on the Personal Stationery tab, click the Font button under the New mail messages section.
- In the Font window, select the Font, Font style, Size, or any other font settings that you want set as default.
- Click the Set As Default button if available, then click the OK button. If the Set As Default button is grayed out, click the OK button.
- Back in the Signatures and Stationery window, on the Personal Stationery tab, click the Font button under the Replying and forwarding messages section.
- Repeat steps 7 and 8 above to select the desired font settings.
- Click OK on the Signatures and Stationery window, and on the Outlook Options window.
- Close the new e-mail message window without saving it.
The selected font settings are now set as default for new e-mail messages, and e-mails you reply to or forward to other people.
WPF | Help Topics
Topic Overview
Purpose
This topic describes how to change the default font of a worksheet when exporting to Microsoft Excel®.
In this topic
This topic contains the following sections:
Introduction
There is a special type of style in Infragistics Excel workbook named Normal style, which can be accessed by Workbook.Styles NormalStyle property. This style contains the default properties for all cells in the workbook, unless otherwise specified on a row, column, or cell. Changing properties of the Normal style will change the default cell format properties in the workbook.
Code Example: Change Default Font
Description
You can change the default font by setting the Workbook.Styles.NormalStyles.StyleFormat Font property or some of its properties to the desired values.
The code example below creates a new Workbook and adds one sheet to the workbook. It creates a new Font, which will be the default style for the workbook. Font family is changed to Times New Roman and font size is changed to 16 pt. Finally, the workbook is saved.
Preview
The following screenshot is a preview of the final result.
As you can see, the default Font family is Times New Roman and the default Font size is 16 pt.
You can change the default font in Excel to any other font currently installed on your computer!
The default Excel font has changed a few times in the course of its existence, and in most new versions the default font is “Calibri” . While many people have no problem with this font, they may prefer to use a different font than the one Microsoft chose, for example, when you’re creating a new workbook, you’ll have it in their favorite font right away.
Changing the default font in Excel to MS Office 365!
1. Start MS Office Excel
2. Via “File”
3. Open the “Options”
4. Then click on “General”
5. And set the standard font for Microsoft Excel
| (Image-1) Change the default Excel font in Excel for Office 365! |
The default font settings only apply to new workbooks that you create. The font is not changed for existing workbooks on your computer. While you have the menu at the top of the Excel Options dialog box, you can also change the default font size. Note that changing the default font in Excel does not affect the default font in other Microsoft Office applications such as Microsoft Word or Microsoft Powerpoint. These applications have their own default font settings that you can customize in a similar way.
Excel uses the very nice Calibri font by default in Windows, but if you’d like to use a different font or change the default size, you can easily adjust the setting in the Excel options screen.
Start by clicking the “File” tab.
On the backstage screen, click “Options” in the list of items on the left.
Make sure the General screen is active. Then, select the font you want as the default from the “Use this as the default font” drop-down list.
To select a different font size as the default size, select a size from the “Font size” drop-down list.
Click “OK” to accept the changes and close the Excel Options dialog box.
You must exit Excel and restart it for the changes to take effect. Click “OK” on the following dialog box that displays and then close and reopen Excel.
Now, you’ll see your chosen font and size as the defaults for all cells on all worksheets in any new workbooks you create in Excel.
You can always change the font using the Home tab on the ribbon as well, but it’s only for the selected cells on the current worksheet.
More stories
How to Find and Remove Duplicate Files on Linux
Whether you’re using Linux on your desktop or a server, there are good tools that will scan your system for duplicate files and help you remove them to free up space. Solid graphical and command-line interfaces are both available.
10+ Useful System Tools Hidden in Windows
Whether you’re using Windows 7, Windows 8, or an older version of Windows, Windows contains a variety of system utilities that are well-hidden. Some are buried deep in the Start menu, while others can only be accessed via a command.
Five Ways to Customize Android that iOS Still Can’t Match
Android is very customizable–many of its features are just defaults, and can be swapped out for third-party alternatives without any rooting required. When it comes to iOS, well…not so much.
How to Supercharge Your Halloween Like a Pro with a Digital Projector
Halloween is one of those holidays that really brings out the tinkerer in a lot of geeks. There’s a veritable laundry list of things to deploy, modify, and enhance all in search of becoming the spookiest house on the block and throwing the best party. Read on as we highlight how easily you can turn
The Biggest Design Mistakes Apple Has Made in the Past Two Years
Apple has lost its mojo. Their obsessive attention to detail seems to have slipped away.
What’s New in Windows 10’s Creators Update, Arriving Spring 2017
The Windows 10 Creators Update–also known as Redstone 2–is due to hit PCs in Spring 2017. Like other updates to Windows 10, it’s free, and includes a host of new features.
Can You Wear Glasses With an Oculus Rift or HTC Vive Headset?
The Oculus Rift and HTC ViveВ virtual realityВ headsets sit over your eyes, and glasses can get in the way. You can use some pairs of glasses with the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive, but you may want to measure your glasses before you buy a headset.
How to Remove Multiple Subdirectories with One Linux Command
If you want to remove several subdirectories within another directory using the command line in Linux, generally you have to use the rm command several times. However, there is a faster way to do this.
How to Change the Primary Email Address for Your Microsoft Account
The primary email address for your Microsoft account is what you use to sign into Windows and other Microsoft services. If you’d prefer to use a different address than the one you signed up with–even a non-Microsoft address–it’s an easy change to make.
Take Control of Your Smartphone’s Automatic Photo Uploads
Modern smartphones and cloud photo services want to automatically upload every single photo you take to the cloud. This ensures all those photos you take are safely backed up somewhere, but it isn’t ideal for every single photo. Unfortunately, companies like Apple and Google haven’t gotten that
You may want to set the default font and size once for all, because it can help to make your workbooks more readable when they are printed. If you are one of those users, who desire to change the default font and size , and select one that better suits your needs, then this post will interest you.
1. Go to File tab and click it in the Ribbon.
2. Next click Options in the left pane.
3. The Excel Options dialog box will display, now go to General tab.
4. When creating new workbooks – hit the arrow of Use this as the default font and select one of the options you prefer in the drop-down list.
5. After the previous step, set the Font size in the same way.
6. Click OK twice, then close and restart the current Excel, so that the font and size changes can take effect. Next time you open up a new workbook in Excel , the default font and size will be automatically displayed.
New Member
Excel Facts
Michael M
Well-known Member
- Aug 13, 2014
New Member
- Aug 13, 2014
Michael M
Well-known Member
- Aug 13, 2014
Ok, you either use the Default font as applied by windows ( Excel)
OR
Have a look here at a previous thread
Momentman
Well-known Member
- Aug 13, 2014
I dont know if this is an overkill
But what of this in the “thisworkbook” module
The code runs everytime a new sheet is created. Just an idea
Michael M
Well-known Member
- Aug 13, 2014
New Member
- Aug 14, 2014
750 lines of code so a few more aren’t a big deal.
However, I’m still left with the question where in the Excel Object Model the information is located about the default font used when Inserting Worksheet is performed. I know it is contained in the file somewhere as I have different Workbooks created with different default fonts (in File>>Options>>General) defined at the time the Workbook was created. When Insert Worksheet is used in any of these Workbooks, the original default font in place when that particular Workbook was created is used…..so it has to remember this somewhere.
Customize Office fonts to match your preference and personality
- Tweet
- Share
The Microsoft Office productivity suite supports several types of font-default switching so that your Office documents present with your preferred look and feel without having to manually configure styles every time you create a new file.
Instructions in this article apply to the desktop versions of Microsoft 365, Office 2019, and Office 2016.
Microsoft Word
To adjust the default styles used in a Word document, either create a new template or adjust your current default template.
Adjust the Template
Go to the Home tab, and right-click any style in the Styles group.
In the pop-up menu, select Modify.
In the Modify Style dialog box, make whatever adjustments you prefer.
At the bottom of the dialog box, select New documents based on this template to ensure that your style changes persist when you create new documents.
Select OK to save the changes.
Save the Template
For major changes to the defaults, open a blank document, and adjust the styles to meet your needs. When you save the document, you may (or may not, depending on how your copy of Word is configured) receive a request to update or overwrite the normal.dotx template. To save your changes as the new normal, proceed with the save. Otherwise, to create a separate template file for yourself:
Go to the File tab, then select Export.
Select Change File Type.
In the Change File Type list, select Template (*.dotx), then select Save As.
In the Save As dialog box, enter a filename, choose the folder where you want to store the template, then select Save.
In the future, open the normal.dotx template or the custom template you created to see your customized font and layout choices. When you save new documents made with the template, by default, the Save As dialog box appears. You won’t overwrite the new template unless you specifically export it to a new DOTX file.
To establish a default font for viewing documents in Draft and Outline views, select File > Options > Advanced. Scroll to the section labeled Show document content and select Use draft font in Draft and Outline views. Then, choose the font and size you prefer.
Microsoft Excel
Go the File tab, then select Options to open the Excel Options dialog box. From the General tab, go to the When creating new workbooks section and choose the font and size for your new default.
Microsoft OneNote
To change the OneNote default font, go to the File and select Options. Select the General tab and go to the Default font section to reset the font, size, and color.
Microsoft Publisher
From any blank Publisher document, go to the Home tab, then select Styles. A pop-up menu displays options to import or create a new style.
- To import, open a document that has styles associated — another Publisher file, or a Word document.
- To create a new style, give it a name, then change its parameters. Specify the font, text effects, character spacing, paragraph breaking, bullet and numbering formats, horizontal rule lines, and tab placement.
Additional styles may be new or based on one that you defined.
Microsoft PowerPoint
PowerPoint does not identify default fonts. Instead, fonts are associated with templates. Base your design off a template that meets your visual design needs. From the Design tab, select the Variants drop-down arrow to display customization options to the active presentation theme.
Microsoft Outlook
You must be configured to send email in HTML format to use the themes. Otherwise, your message will be written and received as plain text.
To set the Outlook defaults:
Go to the File tab, then select Options.
Select the Mail section header.
In the Compose messages box, select Stationery and Fonts.
In the Signatures and Stationery dialog box, either select a defined theme or manually configure the font — including size and color — for new messages, replies, forwards, and plain-text composition.
Select OK when you’re finished.
The Microsoft Office User Interface
By default, Windows 10 does not offer functionality to change the user-interface elements of Microsoft Office products. Thus, Office apps use the same fonts for menus, buttons, and dialog boxes unless you install a third-party theming application.
LinkBack
- LinkBack URL
- About LinkBacks
Thread Tools
- Show Printable Version
- Subscribe to this Thread…
Rate This Thread
Display
- Linear Mode
- Switch to Hybrid Mode
- Switch to Threaded Mode
Changing default font in existing workbook
How do I change the default font in an existing workbook?? Must be so simple I am stupid.
Re: Changing default font in existing workbook
Change the font for style Normal.
Re: Changing default font in existing workbook
I have tried that but every worksheet I creates go back to the silly font I created it with.
Re: Changing default font in existing workbook
Once you change some aspect of the formatting of a cell, changes to the underlying style won’t be reflected. Select all the cells and change to style Normal, then go from there.
If the undesired fonts appear in new workbooks then,
Excel Options > Popular, When creating new workbooks — change the font face and size.
If you have Book.xltx and Sheet.xltx in your XLSTART folder, change the font of style Normal in those.
Last edited by shg; 11-18-2013 at 11:40 AM .
We have Excel 2013-2016 Add-in in C#. We use following method to get worksheet font:
Everything worked until user changed font of some particular cell. For example user changed cell A1 and set font “Arial”. By default we have font “Calibri”. Thereafter when we try to get default font by Worksheet.Cells.Font we get nothing – just empty object. I assume that because of ambiguity: A1 has font “Arial”, other cells – default font “Calibri”. My goal to get default font, i.e. “Calibri”. So far I re-write my code and now I check Styles too:
This workaround returns exactly what I need – my “Calibri” font. But then I found , that’s because this font is default for all new worksheets/workbooks (it can be setup in Options of Excel). It doesn’t work if user selected all cells in worksheet and changed default font to “Times New Roman”, then I would get “Calibri” – because this is default font will be used once new worksheet/workbook created. Again I faced issue when I can’t get real default font for current worksheet. My next thought was to get font of some particular cell at the edge of worksheet that is not much usable for user like:
It looks pretty weird, but it works. My assumption that user doesn’t use the last cell on a worksheet. (The 1048576 and 16384 are max size of worksheet ). I don’t know implications of these method, so I’m wondering does it exist some “legal” way to get default font of worksheet , without such crutch ?
1 Answer 1
You were on the right path when using:
The Normal style is the default font for a sheet, but the sheet might not actually have any instances of the default font (or the Normal style), or, all cells decorated with the Normal style may have had the font overridden on each cell format.
If a user applies their own fonts to various ranges, then the sheet will potentially have numerous fonts, and none of them are guaranteed to be the same as the font in the Normal style. The Font.Name might differ across a sheet, in which case Font.Name returns null , even though the Font.Size might be consistent (or if it isn’t, then it too returns null ).
When a user applies a custom font to a range that already has the Normal style, then the Style remains associated with the range, and the font overrides any font defined in the style.
Furthermore, it is common practice to select all the cells on the sheet when changing the font of the UsedRange (so that the row heights adjust proportionally), even if the UsedRange is only a small portion of all Cells .
So, you have to choose a font that is representative of the fonts that are used in the sheet, or apply fonts to new ranges as if they were Normal . That choice should be informed by what you know about the sheet, and what you intend to do with the font:
If you’re inserting a column or row, then I’d suggest that you mimic Excel behavior and use the adjacent formats.
If you’re adding a new range that is not adjacent to the UsedRange , then you will probably want to default to the Normal style.
If you’re looking for a representative font of the UsedRange , you might want to avoid the first few rows and columns, as these tend to be headers, and the last rows can sometimes be totals. You’ll need to loop over the cells in the range to find an appropriate cell format.
If you’re reproducing the sheet content in some other format, then you’ll need to inspect the font of each cell and every cell in the UsedRange .
The bottom-right-most cell is not necessarily any more or less similar to Normal or the fonts used in the UsedRange , so I’d advise against using it.
Is it possible to change or declare a default font with Excel::Writer::XLSX? I can set it for charts and cells every time I create or add them. But I think there should be a more simple way.
1 Answer 1
Maybe.
Disclaimer: the author of Excel::Writer::XLSX explains this is not a good idea and is not guaranteed to work here and here.
You can set the property xf_index to 0 when creating a Format object. That will set that Format as the default one.
This is not described in the docs, but reading the code explains it.
It works even if you add more formats later. You do not need to keep the Format object of that initial call. It will be used throughout the workbook (probably also on different sheets, but I didn’t test that).
I suggest explaining what you’re doing in a code comment because it’s really not very obvious.
After a bit of additional research I found it explained in the PDF document OpenOffice.org’s Documentation of the Microsoft Excel File Format, in chapter 4.6.2 at the bottom of page 89 (emphasis mine).
The default cell format is always present in an Excel file, described by the XF record with the fixed index 15 (0-based). By default, it uses the worksheet/workbook default cell style, described by the very first XF record (index 0).
So now we also know why it’s xf_index => 0 .
Old answer with general advice:
In general that’s not supported. You need to work with formats. The docs say that there is a default format with Calibri in size 11.
The default format is Calibri 11 with all other properties off.
You need to create a format object for a specific combination of formatting, font family, font size and so on and then you can reuse that throughout the document in each cell or chart. If one of the options differs in a specific cell, you need to make an additional Format object for that.
If you need a lot of different formatting, but always want to use the same font, it might be useful to set the font string as a format hash and use that.
Maybe even make a sub that helps to create the Format objects and already knows about the default font.
That would also allow throw-away formats like this: