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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.

  1. Click File > Options.

    (In Excel 2007, click Microsoft Office Button > Excel Options.)

  2. In the dialog box, click General.

    (In Excel 2007, click Popular.)

  3. Under When creating new workbooks, in the Font Size box, enter the font size you want.

    Options in the General dialog box

    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.

  1. On the View tab, click Slide Master.

    Slide Master and two layouts

    In Slide Master View, the slide master is at the top of the thumbnail pane with the related layouts beneath it.

  2. 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.

  3. On the slide master or layout, select the level of placeholder text for which you want to change the font size.

    Slide master layout with second level text selected

  4. On the Home tab, click the font size you want in the Font Size box.

    Font size box on the Home tab

    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.

  1. Open a new blank document.

  2. On the Home tab, in the Styles group, click the dialog box launcher Dialog Box Launcher button on the ribbon..

    Or press Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S.

  3. Click the Manage Styles button (third from left at the bottom).

    Manage Styles button on the Styles Pane

  4. Click the Set Defaults tab and pick the size you want in the Size box.

    Set Default tab in the Manage Styles dialog box

    You can also type in any size you want, between 1 and 1638, in multiples of .5, such as 10.5 or 105.5.

  5. Click the New documents based on this template option.

  6. Close and reopen Word. If you're prompted to save the Normal template, say Yes.

    Tip: You can also change the default font or font color on the Set Defaults tab.

When you set a default font, every new document you open will use the font settings you selected and set as the default. The default font applies to new documents that are based on the active template, usually Normal.dotm. You can create different templates to use different default font settings.

Change the size of selected text

To change the font size of selected text in desktop Excel, PowerPoint, or Word:

  1. Select the text or cells with text you want to change. To select all text in a Word document, press Ctrl + A.

  2. On the Home tab, click the font size in the Font Size box.

    Font size box on the Home tab

    You can also type in any size you want, within the following limits:

    • Excel: between 1 and 409, between 1 and 409, in multiples of .5 (such as 10.5 or 105.5)

    • PowerPoint: between 1 and 3600, in multiples of .1 (such as 10.3 or 105.7)

    • Word: between 1 and 1638, in multiples of .5 (such as 10.5 or 105.5)

Tips:

  • When you select text, a mini toolbar appears near your cursor. You can also change the text size in this toolbar.
    Mini Toolbar with selected text

  • You can also click the Increase Font Size or Decrease Font Size (Grow Font and Shrink Font in some earlier versions of Office programs) icons until the size you want is displayed in the Font Size box.
    Increase and Decrease Font size box on the Home tab

See Also

Change or set the default font in Word

Change the fonts in a footer on a slide

Change a theme (Excel and Word)

Format text in cells (Excel)

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