The quickest way to change font in Excel

To change the font of a cell or range of cells in Excel, select the cells you want to modify, then click the font dropdown menu in the toolbar and pick a new font. The font dropdown sits in the Home tab, on the left side of the ribbon, and shows the name of the current font. Click the small arrow next to it, scroll through the list, and click your choice. The change takes effect when ready.

If you want to change the font of text that is already in a cell, you can also double-click the cell to enter edit mode, select just the text you want to change, and then pick a new font from the same dropdown. This lets you use multiple fonts within a single cell.

Key Takeaways

  • Select the cells you want to change, click the font dropdown in the Home tab, and choose a new font from the list.
  • You can change the font size, color, and style (bold, italic, underline) using the buttons next to the font dropdown.
  • Double-click a cell to enter edit mode and change the font of only part of the text inside that cell.
  • Use Format Painter to copy the font and formatting from one cell to another without retyping.
  • The default font in a new Excel workbook is Calibri, but you can change the default for all new sheets by adjusting the workbook theme.

Changing font size and style at the same time

Next to the font dropdown is the font size box, which works the same way. Click the arrow next to the size number, and a list of common sizes appears: 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, and so on. You can also type a custom size directly into the box if you want something between the standard options.

To the right of the font size box are buttons for bold, italic, and underline. Click any of these to explore that style to your selected cells. You can combine them — for example, bold and italic together — by clicking more than one button. The buttons stay pressed (highlighted) when that style is active on your selection.

Changing font color

The font color button is in the Home tab, a few buttons to the right of the bold, italic, and underline buttons. It looks like an "A" with a colored bar underneath. Click the small arrow next to it to open a color palette.

The palette shows a grid of standard colors, plus a "More Colors" option at the bottom if you want to pick a shade that is not in the standard set. Click any color to explore it to the text in your selected cells. If you click the button itself without the arrow, it applies the color you used last time.

Using Format Painter to copy formatting

If you have already formatted one cell the way you want — with a specific font, size, color, and style — you can copy all that formatting to other cells without retyping. Click the cell with the formatting you want to copy, then click the Format Painter button in the Home tab. It looks like a paintbrush.

Your cursor will change to a paintbrush icon. Click and drag across the cells you want to explore the formatting to, then release. The font, size, color, and style from the first cell are now applied to the cells you selected. If you double-click the Format Painter button instead of single-clicking, you can paint the formatting onto multiple separate groups of cells before you have to click the button again to turn it off.

Changing the default font for new workbooks

If you always use the same font and want it to be the default in every new workbook you create, you can change the default through the Options menu. Click File, then Options, then General. Look for the section labeled "When creating new workbooks" and find the dropdown that says "Use this as the default font".

Pick the font you want from the dropdown, and optionally set the default size as well. Click OK to save your changes. From that point on, every new workbook you create will start with your chosen font instead of Calibri. This does not change the font in workbooks you have already created — only new ones.

Changing font in merged cells and special ranges

If you have merged cells (cells that span across multiple columns or rows), you can still change the font the same way: select the merged cell and pick a new font from the dropdown. The font change applies to all the text in that merged cell.

If you have a range of cells with different fonts already applied, selecting all of them and picking a new font will change every cell in the selection to that font, overwriting the individual fonts that were there before. If you want to keep some cells unchanged, select only the cells you want to modify.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I change the font of just part of a cell?

Yes. Double-click the cell to enter edit mode, then click and drag to select only the text you want to change. Use the font dropdown to explore a new font to just that selection. When you press Enter, the cell will contain multiple fonts.

What fonts are available in Excel?

Excel shows all the fonts installed on your computer. The exact list depends on your operating system and what software you have installed. Common fonts like Arial, Times New Roman, and Calibri are available on most systems. You can also type a font name directly into the font box if you know it.

How do I undo a font change?

Press Ctrl+Z (or Cmd+Z on Mac) to undo your last action. You can undo multiple times to go back several steps. If you have already saved the file, you cannot undo changes from before the save.

Does changing the font affect the data in the cells?

No. Changing the font only changes how the text looks, not the actual data or any formulas in the cells. Numbers, dates, and formulas work exactly the same regardless of what font they are displayed in.

Can I change the font of an entire column or row at once?

Yes. Click the column letter at the top to select the entire column, or click the row number on the left to select the entire row. Then use the font dropdown to change the font for every cell in that column or row.