# How to set a default font in Pages on Mac: step by step for Basic templates

> Find out how to set a default font in Pages on Mac for new Basic documents, plus the steps for other templates and how to revert.

URL: https://www.lazur.app/how-to/set-a-default-font-in-pages
Updated: 2026-11-08

To set a default font in Pages on Mac, open Pages > Settings > General, then tick Set font and size for new Basic documents. Pick a font and size, click OK, and the change applies to new Basic-category documents only.

## Quick answer

- Open Pages > Settings > General, then tick Set font and size for new Basic documents.
- The default covers new documents made from Basic-category templates. Existing documents keep their fonts.
- For other templates, change the paragraph style that holds body text, click Update, then save the file as a template.
- To undo the default, untick the same box in Pages > Settings > General.

Applies to: Pages on Mac, Mac app, new documents from Basic-category templates. Time: 5 min. Difficulty: Easy.

## What you need

- Pages installed on your Mac, using the Mac app
- A Basic template for new documents, or any template if you want to change its paragraph styles
- Permission to change settings in Pages on your Mac

## How to Set a default font in Pages on Mac in Pages on a Mac

1. **Open Pages on your Mac.** (Pages) Open Pages from the Dock or your Applications folder. Use the Mac app. Apple's guide for this setting covers the Mac app, not Pages for iCloud in a browser. Tip: If you only use Pages in a browser, this setting may not exist there. Apple's iCloud guide does not mention it.
2. **Open Settings from the Pages menu.** (Pages > Settings) Shortcut: ⌘,. Click Pages in the menu bar, then choose Settings. A 2020 Macworld guide calls this item Preferences and gives Command comma as the shortcut, so the shortcut may still work. Tip: If your menu says Preferences instead of Settings, the path is the same. Older guides use that name.
3. **Click General.** (Settings > General) In the Settings window, click General. The default font options are on this pane.
4. **Tick the Basic documents checkbox.** (General) Select the checkbox labeled Set font and size for new Basic documents. Apple's guide words this checkbox a little differently in another section, so match the meaning, not the exact wording.
5. **Choose the font.** (Font pop-up menu) Open the Font pop-up menu and choose the font you want new Basic documents to use. Body text in those documents takes this font. Tip: Pick a font you will still like in a month. Every new Basic document starts with it.
6. **Set the size.** (Settings > General) Use the arrows beside the size box, or click in the box and type a number. New Basic documents use this size for body text. Tip: Typing is faster than clicking the arrows when the size is far from the one you want.
7. **Click OK to save the default.** (OK) Click OK. The setting covers new documents only, so the text already in your files does not change.
8. **Check with a new document.** (File > New) Create a new document from a Basic template. Type a line of body text and check the font and size before you rely on the default. Tip: If the font looks wrong, reopen Settings, check the box is still ticked, and try again.
9. **Open a document from the other template.** (File > New) Open or create a document from the template you want to change. Click a paragraph in the body text, or select the text.
10. **Open the Format sidebar and click Style.** (Format > Style) Open the Format sidebar, then click Style. The font and size controls for the selected text appear there.
11. **Set the font and size.** (Style > Font pop-up menu) Choose a font from the Font pop-up menu. Use the arrows beside the font size to set the size.
12. **Update the paragraph style.** (Paragraph Styles pop-up menu) Find the style name in the Paragraph Styles pop-up menu. If you see an asterisk, click Update to change all text that uses that style.
13. **Redefine the style if only an asterisk shows.** (Style arrow menu > Redefine from Selection) If there is an asterisk but no Update button, open the style's arrow menu and choose Redefine from Selection.
14. **Save the file as a template.** (File > Save As Template) Choose File > Save As Template, then choose Add to Template Chooser. Apple's guide says new documents from it appear under My Templates. Tip: Keep the original template too, so you can compare the two if something goes wrong.

## Which templates the default font covers

The default font setting in Pages on Mac is narrow on purpose. It covers new documents built from Basic-category templates and nothing else. When you start typing in one of those documents, the text uses the Body paragraph style. That style is what the default changes. Apple's guide says the change does not touch existing documents, so your current files keep their fonts.

![Writer at a Mac who wants to set a default font in Pages on Mac](https://images.lazur.app/content-images/howto/set-a-default-font-in-pages/how-to-set-a-default-font-in-1-8c1f42.jpg)

| Template or file | What changes | Where you set it |
| --- | --- | --- |
| New Basic document | Body paragraph style font and size | Pages > Settings > General |
| New document from another template | Only the paragraph styles you update and save | Format sidebar, Style section, then File > Save As Template |
| Existing document | Nothing changes automatically | Select the text and change it, or use Format > Font > Replace Fonts |

_Where a font change applies in Pages on Mac_

> **Check your version first:** Pages 15.1 launched January 28, 2026 as a new Apple Creator Studio app. The existing Mac app was updated to 14.5, which stopped receiving new features. Apple's guide does not name a version, so check yours before you assume the menus match.

## Why your default font did not change

The most common cause is a document you already had open. The default applies to new documents only, so text in an older file keeps its font. People change the font, look at the file they are in, see no change, and assume the setting failed. Make a fresh document from a Basic template and test there.

- You tested in an existing document, which keeps its fonts.
- The document came from a template outside the Basic category.
- The Set font and size for new Basic documents box was not ticked when you clicked OK.
- You changed the font on selected text, which overrides the paragraph style.

## Default font for templates outside the Basic category

Templates outside the Basic category do not use that checkbox. Apple's guide handles them through paragraph styles instead. A paragraph style is a saved set of formatting, so changing the style changes every paragraph that uses it. That is why the fix works for a whole template and not just one line.

Say you write reports from a template whose body text uses a font you dislike. You open one report, select one body paragraph, and change its font in the Style section. The style name then shows an asterisk. Click Update, and every body paragraph in that style changes. Then save the file as a template, so the next report starts the same way.

![Desk with a laptop and notebook, the usual setup for editing a document in Pages on Mac](https://images.lazur.app/content-images/howto/set-a-default-font-in-pages/how-to-set-a-default-font-in-2-48fe0f.jpg)

Use Update only when you want the whole style to change. If you changed one paragraph by accident, undo that change instead. Apple's guide says the Update button appears next to the style name, but sometimes only an asterisk shows. In that case choose Redefine from Selection from the style's arrow menu. If the Style section confuses you, ask Lazur to walk you through it one click at a time.

### Save the change as a template

A saved template is what carries the change into future documents. Give it a clear name, such as Report with new body font, so you can tell it from the original. Keep the original template too. If something looks wrong later, you can compare the two.

## Fix formatting that keeps changing

Some people set a font, then see a paragraph drift back to the old look. Apple's guide on formatting that keeps changing describes copying formatting from a paragraph that looks right. Use Format > Copy Style from the Format menu, not the toolbar, because Apple's guide says so. Select the text you want to fix, then choose Format > Paste Style.

> **Replace Fonts touches the whole file:** Format > Font > Replace Fonts changes a font everywhere in the document, not only in one paragraph. Run it on a copy first, so you can check the result against your original.

## What the default font does not cover

The default changes the Body paragraph style only. Headings and other styles keep their own fonts unless you edit them. Text you paste from a web page can also bring its own formatting into the document. Check pasted text before you assume the default applies to it.

## Pages for iCloud and the web

Apple's Pages for iCloud guide on changing font, size, style, or color covers selected text in the Format sidebar. It does not mention a default font for new documents. Treat the Mac app steps on this page as the confirmed route. If you work mostly in a browser, check the Pages for iCloud help before you assume the setting exists there.

## Undo the default font in Pages

Undoing the default takes one trip to Settings. Open Pages > Settings > General and untick Set font and size for new Basic documents. New Basic documents stop using the font you picked. The change only affects new documents, so unticking it does not rewrite the files you already made.

![Person typing on a laptop in a cafe while formatting a document in Pages on Mac](https://images.lazur.app/content-images/howto/set-a-default-font-in-pages/how-to-set-a-default-font-in-3-86e9ae.jpg)

## Which Pages version and plan you need

Apple's guide does not name a version, so check yours before you start. Pages 15.1 launched on January 28, 2026 as a new Apple Creator Studio app. The existing Mac app was updated to 14.5, and that update said it would receive no new features. TidBITS advised readers in February 2026 to download 14.5 while it was still in the App Store, because the switch to 15.1 was confusing.

Apple's newsroom says Pages stays free for all users to create, edit, and collaborate. Apple Creator Studio costs $12.99 per month or $129 per year in U.S. pricing, according to MacRumors. The subscription adds subscriber-only features, such as exclusive templates.

## Common mistakes to avoid

- Setting the font in one document, then expecting every new file to match.
- Picking a font but skipping the size, so new text comes out at a size you did not choose.
- Clicking Update when you only meant to change one paragraph.
- Ignoring the asterisk next to a style name, which shows an override.
- Skipping the test document, so you find the wrong font after writing a long report.

## Next steps after you set the default

Once the font is right, the next step is usually a template. Read [how to create a template in Pages on Mac](https://www.lazur.app/how-to/create-a-template-in-pages) for the full workflow. If you also need page numbers, [how to add page numbers in Pages on Mac](https://www.lazur.app/how-to/add-page-numbers-in-pages) covers that next.

## Shortcuts

- Open Pages Settings, named Preferences in the 2020 Macworld guide: ⌘,

## If it does not work

- **The font did not change in my current document.** This is expected. The default only applies to new documents made from Basic templates. For an existing document, select the text and change its font in the Format sidebar's Style section, or use Format > Font > Replace Fonts to swap a font across the whole file.
- **I cannot find the checkbox in Settings.** Look under General for Set font and size for new Basic documents. Apple's guide words this checkbox slightly differently in different places, so match the meaning. If Settings is missing, check that you are in the Mac app.
- **A document from another template still uses the old font.** The Basic default does not reach other templates. Set the paragraph style for that template, update it, then save the file as a template again.
- **Text keeps reverting to the old formatting.** Copy formatting from a paragraph that looks right with Format > Copy Style, using the Format menu and not the toolbar. Select the wrong text and choose Format > Paste Style.
- **A style shows an asterisk but no Update button.** Choose Redefine from Selection from the style's arrow menu. Apple's guide says this is the route when only an asterisk shows.
- **The Pages menu says Preferences, not Settings.** Older guides, including Macworld's 2020 article, use the name Preferences. Choose that item. The same article lists Command comma as its shortcut.

## With Lazur

Lazur is a voice assistant for the Mac that lives in the notch. Hold ⌥ ⌘ and ask; it sees your screen, answers out loud, points at buttons and walks you through apps. Hold fn to dictate. Free for 3 days, then $18/month: https://www.lazur.app/download

- “Where's Settings in the Pages menu?”: Lazur draws a circle and a label around Settings in the Pages menu. You still click it yourself. (Points at it)

## FAQ

### Does changing the default font in Pages change my existing documents?

No. Apple's guide says the default applies only to new documents made from Basic-category templates. Existing documents keep their current fonts. To change one of them, select the text and use the Font pop-up menu in the Format sidebar's Style section.

### Which paragraph style does the default font change?

It changes the Body paragraph style. Other paragraph styles keep their own fonts. To change a heading, edit that style in the Format sidebar.

### Can I set a default font in Pages for iCloud in a browser?

Apple's Pages for iCloud guide covers changing fonts on selected text. It does not mention a default font setting for new documents. Treat the Mac app steps here as the confirmed route, and check the Pages for iCloud help before you assume a browser setting exists.

### Do I have to pay for Pages to set a default font?

Apple's newsroom says Pages stays free for all users to create, edit, and collaborate. Apple Creator Studio costs $12.99 per month or $129 per year in U.S. pricing and adds subscriber-only features, such as exclusive templates.

### Which Pages version do I need for these steps?

Apple's guide does not name a version. Pages 15.1 launched January 28, 2026 as a new Apple Creator Studio app, and the 14.x app stopped getting new features. Check which app you run, because the menus may not match.

### How do I turn the default font off again?

Open Pages > Settings > General and untick Set font and size for new Basic documents. New Basic documents stop using the font you chose. Your existing documents are not affected by either change.

### Why does a paragraph keep reverting to the old font?

Check for a paragraph style override. An asterisk next to the style name means the text differs from its style. Use Format > Copy Style on a paragraph that looks right, select the bad text, then choose Format > Paste Style.

## Sources

1. [Set a default font in Pages on Mac - Apple Support](https://support.apple.com/guide/pages/set-a-default-font-tanf709cafed/mac), Apple, checked 2026-11-08
2. [Update or revert a paragraph style in Pages on Mac - Apple Support](https://support.apple.com/guide/pages/update-or-revert-a-paragraph-style-tan42d243e76/mac), Apple, checked 2026-11-08
3. [Change the font or font size in Pages on Mac - Apple Support](https://support.apple.com/guide/pages/change-the-font-or-font-size-tane4dc5cd05/mac), Apple, checked 2026-11-08
4. [If page formatting keeps changing on Mac - Apple Support](https://support.apple.com/guide/pages/if-page-formatting-keeps-changing-tan2912b4b86/mac), Apple, checked 2026-11-08
5. [Change the font, size, style, or color of text in Pages for iCloud - Apple Support](https://support.apple.com/guide/pages-icloud/change-the-font-size-style-or-color-of-text-gil381abafa5/icloud), Apple, checked 2026-11-08
6. [Apple Updates Keynote, Numbers, and Pages Apps With New Free and Paid Features - MacRumors](https://www.macrumors.com/2026/01/28/apple-updates-keynote-numbers-pages/), MacRumors, checked 2026-11-08
7. [Introducing Apple Creator Studio - Apple Newsroom](https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2026/01/introducing-apple-creator-studio-an-inspiring-collection-of-creative-apps/), Apple Newsroom, checked 2026-11-08
8. [Pages, Keynote, and Numbers 15 Go Freemium - TidBITS](https://tidbits.com/2026/02/06/pages-keynote-and-numbers-15-go-freemium/), TidBITS, checked 2026-11-08
9. [How to change the default font in Pages for Mac and iOS - Macworld](https://www.macworld.com/article/233788/how-to-change-the-default-font-in-pages-for-mac-and-ios.html), Macworld, checked 2026-11-08