Microsoft is finally updating the default font in Office applications, such as Word, Excel, and Outlook, after fifteen years, in a move that hopes to upgrade and improve the Office software experience.
The company's designers announced in 2021 that they are looking for a new font that will eventually replace Calibri, which has been in use since 2007.
Now, the company has confirmed that the new font, Aptos, will take over from Calibri, but you may have to wait several months before you notice the changes.
Goodbye Calibri, welcome Aptos!
Of the five new fonts that were selected and then added to the collapsible font selection – Bierstadt, Grandview, Seaford, Skeena, and Tenorite – it was decided that Bierstadt would become the new default font.
Designer Steve Matteson later renamed the typeface “Aptos” after a town in Santa Cruz, California—an area known for its diverse landscapes, including fog, beaches, redwoods, and mountains. Matteson says that Aptos’ versatility reflects this diversity of terrain.
Aptos is a sans serif family known for its simple letters, smooth lines, and readability, and it's hoped it will make Microsoft's services more accessible. New themes, colors, and backgrounds are also coming, as the company also seeks to improve inclusivity.
Word , Outlook , PowerPoint , and Excel users are all set to get access to the new default font, but Microsoft says this will be a gradual process that will take months. The design team is also keen to stress that, like Calibri, Times New Roman, and Arial, Aptos will not be mandatory, and users will still have the option to choose from dozens of other fonts, including the runners-up mentioned above.
Information source: techradar.com
