How to Change the Default Font on Windows Notepad

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Last Updated: December 6, 2024

Want to infuse a little more personality into your text files? Change the font in Windows Notepad for a more personalized feel.

Things You Should Know

You can easily change the font size, face, and weight in Notepad on any version of Windows.
In Notepad for Windows 10 and earlier, click the "Format" menu and select "Font" to find your font options.
For Windows 11, click the "Edit" menu and select "Font."

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Windows 11

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Click on the Start button to access the Start menu, and type "Notepad" to search for and open the program.
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This will change the font of the entire file. So any bolding or italicizing will be applied to the entire document. Notepad does not have the option of changing fonts of specific sections of text.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Windows 10 and Earlier

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1
Open Notepad. There will be different ways to find and launch Notepad depending on which Windows version you have.
- Windows 10: Click the "Start" button in the bottom left-hand corner on your task bar. In the search box, type "Notepad", and in the list of results, click "Notepad".
- Windows 8: Go to your Start Screen and simply start typing "Notepad". A pop-up should appear on the left-hand side of the screen. Click "Notepad" to open it.
- Windows 7: Click the "Start" button in the bottom left-hand corner on your task bar. In the search box, type "Notepad", and in the list of results, click "Notepad".^{[1]
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- Windows XP and Vista: Click the "Start" buttons in the bottom left-hand corner on your task bar. Mouseover "Programs", then "Accessories", and click "Notepad" to open.
This is located on the menu bar and displays a drop down menu with two options.
This will open a separate window that displays font options, font styles, and size.
This will change the font of the entire file. So any bolding or italicizing will be applied to the entire document. Notepad does not have the option of changing fonts of specific sections of text.
Now, when you type in Notepad, you will be using your chosen font.

Community Q&A

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Question

How do I change the font size on Notepad?

Community Answer

Open a new notepad and click "Format" on the top left. In the drop down menu, click "Fonts." You can choose your font size there.

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Question

Can I change the color of the font?

Danoyachtcapt

Top Answerer

Notepad only allows you to change font, font style, and font size. You could use Wordpad for color.

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Question

Can I change the font of a single word in notepad?

Community Answer

Yes, all you have to do is highlight the word and then select the font you'd like.

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Tips

The default Notepad font is Lucida Console, Regular, 10.

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You can set only one default font, which Notepad will use every time that it opens a file. You cannot set one paragraph in Arial, and another in Times New Roman because the settings are not saved within the text file, but rather in the Windows Notepad program itself.

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If you want to use more than one font, you should use a more complex word processor such as Wordpad or Microsoft Word.

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