Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, and 2016. If you are using an earlier version (Word 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Word, click here: Changing the Default Font for Envelopes.

Changing the Default Font for Envelopes

by Allen Wyatt
(last updated October 1, 2021)

Word includes an Envelopes feature that makes it pretty easy to create your own professional-looking envelopes. The feature makes certain assumptions about how different parts of the envelope should be printed. This includes the font that Word uses to print the envelope's information.

When creating an envelope, Word depends on predefined styles. The style used for the main address on the envelope is, appropriately enough, Envelope Address. Likewise, the style used for the return address is named Envelope Return. When you instruct Word to create the envelope, these styles are grabbed and used for formatting the addresses on the envelope.

If you want to change the font used by Word in creating envelopes, you need to change the style used for this purpose by Word. To do this, follow these steps:

Create a new, blank document. Unless you specify a different template, Word creates a new document based on either the Normal.dotx or Normal.dotm template, depending on your system. (If you want to fix this problem in other templates, you should open the template directly or create a blank document based on that template.)
Display the Home tab of the ribbon.
Click the small icon at the bottom-right of the Styles group. Word displays the Styles pane.
Click Options at the bottom of the Styles pane. Word displays the Style Pane Options dialog box. (See Figure 1.)

Figure 1. The Style Pane Options dialog box.

Using the Select Styles to Show drop-down list, choose All Styles.
Click OK to close the Style Pane Options dialog box.
In the Styles pane, scroll through the list of styles until you see the Envelope Address style.
Hover the mouse pointer over the Envelope Address style name. Notice that a downward-pointing arrow appears at the right side of the style name.
Click on the downward-pointing arrow and choose the Modify option from the resulting menu. Word displays the Modify Style dialog box. (See Figure 2.)

Figure 2. The Modify Style dialog box.

Click on the Format button, then choose the Font option. Word displays the Font dialog box. (See Figure 3.)

Figure 3. The Font dialog box.

Change the font information, as desired.
Click on OK to close the Font dialog box.
Make sure the New Documents Based On this Template radio button is selected.
Click on OK.
Close the Styles pane, if desired.

When done, you should repeat these steps if you want to change the font used for the return address. The only difference, of course, is that in steps 7 and 8 you should select the Envelope Return style.

When you save your document or close Word, you are asked if you want to save your changes to the template. Make sure you do this. Your envelopes, when created in a document that uses this template, should now use the font you specified.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (6111) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, and 2016. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Changing the Default Font for Envelopes.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. Learn more about Allen...

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What is 1 + 3?

2021-10-02 22:44:35

John B. Gage

Thank you, thank you, thank you! I have tried this 100 times, but it never worked until you lead me through it step by step! My font was fine, but somehow the envelope address style was set to double-space. Why would Word's creators even incorporate that option? I am relatively sure the USPS will not even accept a letter with a double-spaced address because it could not be read by its computerized routing system? If for some other country, why sell it to me or anyone else in the United States?

2021-10-01 17:28:12

Kiwerry

Thank you for yet another good tip, Allen. It worked for me in Office 365.
Step 13 above is important - if it didn't work for you on new documents, try again and make sure you follow step 13!

2020-04-30 14:30:33

Fran

Thank you!!

2020-01-26 11:48:22

Brent

A much trickier question....................

I have MANY envelope addresses saved to print addressed envelopes from, each in a separate Word 2000 file.
These were all formatted with the Arial font in Word 2000.
However when I open them in Word 2010, they come up with Times New Roman
I don't know why they would come up in Times New Roman when they were originally saved as Arial.

How can I convert them to come up in Arial (default font on Word 2010) without retyping and saving each address document?

2019-06-26 12:38:39

Melanie W.

Thank you for the step-by-step explanation... your directions worked perfectly! Word in Office 365 ProPlus did not ask me if I wanted to save changes to the template when I closed the program, but it apparently did save the changes, because the change is still in place after reopening Word. Thanks again!

2019-01-21 16:54:21

CHARLES G STEVENS

Thanks for the explanation. Checking apply to new documents was the essential element to solving my problem.

2018-02-14 14:16:39

Virginia H.

Worked exactly as needed! Thanks so much!

2017-08-24 14:03:56

Kerry E.

I followed the directions but when I closed the blank document, it did NOT ask me if I wanted to save changes to the template. Then I opened the Word document I had saved, which was a letter, and I clicked on Mailings - Envelopes, and it was back to defaulting to +Headings font instead of the Times New Roman that I want.
If the key is making sure my changes to the Normal template get saved, but I am not getting the prompt that ensures that this happens, how can I force it to give me a chance to save my changes to the template?

2017-04-04 13:34:24

Ron

Perfect, Thanks

2017-01-25 13:56:46

Jill H.

Thank you!

2017-01-18 18:18:28

Kathy Bastian

I figured it out ! Yay! Thank you!!

2017-01-18 18:12:33

Kathy Bastian

This procedure does not work for my version which is Professional 2013 When I click on the Styles box there is a list of items, but Envelope address is not one of them. I am simply trying to change the font when creating envelopes. Was really hopeful when I found these instructions. ;- (

2016-11-16 14:42:40

JudyJ

For some reason - it is not working for me - Can you provide additional help?

2016-09-02 13:49:28

Denise Norris

Thank you so much for this information. I have been struggling with this forever and I followed your instructions and everything is back to normal.

One less thing to deal with - much appreciated!

2016-08-23 22:59:34

Chiknstik

Whew! What a complex process! Thank you for the ONLY place on-line (including MS) where I found the solution to my issue. (Locking the default address font in new Word 2007 documents.)

2016-08-03 17:29:13

Ron

didn't work

2016-05-16 11:41:29

HUTCH CALVERT

THIS WAS A GODSEND. I'D BEEN WRESTLING WITH THIS PROBLEM FOR A FEW WEEKS. THANK YOU.

2016-03-21 09:50:28

Linda Dellinger

HALLELUJAH!!! Envelope and cut and paste fonts have been driving me to the brink. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

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