How to Standardize Font Style for All Microsoft 365 Products

Learn how to use the Admin Portal and the GPO method to enforce and standardize font style for all Microsoft 365 products across your organization.

Microsoft 365 is a suite of cloud-based productivity apps that includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, and more. Microsoft 365 allows you to customize the font style for each app according to your preferences. However, if you want to ensure consistency and professionalism across your organization, you may want to standardize the font style for all Microsoft 365 products. In this article, you will learn how to use the Admin Portal and the GPO method to enforce and standardize font style for all Microsoft 365 products.

Solution 1: Use the Admin Portal to Standardize Font Style for All Microsoft 365 Products

One way to standardize font style for all Microsoft 365 products is to use the Admin Portal to create and apply a custom theme for your organization. A custom theme consists of a logo, a background image, and a set of colors that are applied to the sign-in page and the app launcher of Microsoft 365. You can also specify the default font style for the Office apps in the custom theme. Here are the steps to create and apply a custom theme using the Admin Portal:

1. Sign in to the Admin Portal with your Microsoft 365 administrator account.
2. In the left navigation pane, click Settings and then click Org settings.
3. In the Organization profile tab, click Manage custom themes for your organization.
4. In the Custom themes page, click Edit.
5. In the Customize your theme page, you can upload your logo, background image, and select your colors. To specify the default font style for the Office apps, click Show advanced settings and then select the font name, size, and color from the drop-down menus.
6. Click Save to apply the custom theme to your organization.

Solution 2: Use the GPO Method to Standardize Font Style for All Microsoft 365 Products

Another way to standardize font style for all Microsoft 365 products is to use the GPO method to create and apply a registry-based policy for the Office apps. A registry-based policy is a type of GPO that modifies the Windows registry settings for the Office apps. You can use the registry-based policy to specify the default font name, size, and color for the Office apps. Here are the steps to create and apply a registry-based policy using the GPO method:

1. On a Windows PC that has the Office apps installed, open the Registry Editor by pressing Windows + R and typing regedit.
2. Navigate to the following registry key: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Common\FontManagement
3. Right-click on the FontManagement key and select Export. Save the registry file to a location of your choice.
4. Open the registry file with a text editor and modify the values for the following entries: ThemeFontScheme, ThemeFontSchemeName, ThemeFontSchemeMajorFontName, ThemeFontSchemeMinorFontName, ThemeFontSchemeMajorFontSize, ThemeFontSchemeMinorFontSize, and ThemeFontSchemeColor. You can use the values from the Office Theme Font & Color Scheme XML Reference to customize the font style for the Office apps.
5. Save and close the registry file.
6. On a domain controller that has the Group Policy Management Console (GPMC) installed, open the GPMC by pressing Windows + R and typing gpmc.msc.
7. In the left navigation pane, expand your domain and right-click on the OU or security group that contains the Windows PCs or users that you want to apply the policy to. Select Create a GPO in this domain, and Link it here.
8. In the New GPO dialog box, enter a name for the GPO and click OK.
9. Right-click on the newly created GPO and select Edit.
10. In the Group Policy Management Editor window, expand User Configuration, Preferences, and Windows Settings. Right-click on Registry and select New and then Registry Item.
11. In the New Registry Item dialog box, select Replace as the Action, HKEY_CURRENT_USER as the Hive, and Software\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Common\FontManagement as the Key Path. Click on the … button next to the Source file(s) field and browse to the location of the registry file that you modified earlier. Click OK to create the registry item.
12. Close the Group Policy Management Editor window and the GPMC.
13. To apply the policy immediately, run the gpupdate /force command on the Windows PCs that are affected by the policy. Alternatively, you can wait for the policy to be applied automatically during the next Group Policy refresh cycle.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Question: Does the Admin Portal method apply to both Mac OS and Windows users?

Answer: Yes, the Admin Portal method applies to both Mac OS and Windows users. However, the Admin Portal method only affects the sign-in page and the app launcher of Microsoft 365. It does not affect the font style within the Office apps.

Question: Does the GPO method apply to both Mac OS and Windows users?

Answer: No, the GPO method only applies to Windows PCs. Mac OS users do not have the Windows registry or the Group Policy settings.

Question: How can I check the current font style for the Office apps?

Answer: You can check the current font style for the Office apps by opening any Office app and clicking on the Home tab. You will see the font name, size, and color in the Font group.

Question: How can I change the font style for the Office apps manually?

Answer: You can change the font style for the Office apps manually by opening any Office app and clicking on the Home tab. You can select the font name, size, and color from the drop-down menus in the Font group. You can also click on the Font Dialog Box Launcher button in the bottom-right corner of the Font group to access more font options.

Question: How can I reset the font style for the Office apps to the default settings?

A: You can reset the font style for the Office apps to the default settings by opening any Office app and clicking on the File tab. Then, click on Options and then on General. In the Personalize your copy of Microsoft Office section, click on the Reset button next to the Office Theme field. Click OK to save the changes.

Summary

In this article, you learned how to use the Admin Portal and the GPO method to enforce and standardize font style for all Microsoft 365 products across your organization. You also learned how to check, change, and reset the font style for the Office apps manually. By standardizing font style for all Microsoft 365 products, you can ensure consistency and professionalism across your organization.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. The author and the publisher are not liable for any damages or losses that may result from the use of the information or procedures in this article. The user is responsible for verifying the accuracy and applicability of the information and procedures in this article before applying them to their own situation. The user is also responsible for complying with any applicable laws, regulations, policies, and terms of service when using Microsoft 365 products.