Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Word in Microsoft 365. 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: Default Font for Page Numbers.
Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated November 9, 2024)
This tip applies to Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Word in Microsoft 365
Pat wants to know how he can change the default font for inserting page numbers into a header. The answer depends on how you are inserting page numbers in your headers and footers.
If you insert your page numbers by using the Field dialog box, then the PAGE field assumes the style used by the text wherever the field is inserted. In this case, you need to go in and make a change directly to the formatting of the field itself (using either the various formatting options or by using the charformat switch in the field).
A lot of people, however, rely on the use of the Page Number tool on the Insert tab of the ribbon. This tool allows you to add all sorts of fancy looking page numbers to your document. Each choice made available by the Page Number tool results in some rather extensive formatting being applied to the page number.
There is no way to change the default formatting applied by the Page Number tool. Instead, you need to pick the format that is the closest to what you want and then change the formatting directly so that it reflects what you really want. You can do this either through explicit formatting or by defining styles and then applying the styles to the page number.
WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (11241) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Word in Microsoft 365. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Default Font for Page Numbers.
Create Custom Apps with VBA! Discover how to extend the capabilities of Office 365 applications with VBA programming. Written in clear terms and understandable language, the book includes systematic tutorials and contains both intermediate and advanced content for experienced VB developers. Designed to be comprehensive, the book addresses not just one Office application, but the entire Office suite. Check out Mastering VBA for Microsoft Office 365 today!
Word allows you to insert dynamic page numbers within your document. With some page number formatting, though, it is ...
Discover MoreWhile Word has a default format for page numbers, you can design and specify how you want them to appear in your ...
Discover MoreWhen you create a document, you need to be concerned about the final size of the page you will be creating. Word supports ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)
Got a version of Word that uses the ribbon interface (Word 2007 or later)? This site is for you! If you use an earlier version of Word, visit our WordTips site focusing on the menu interface.
Visit the WordTips channel on YouTube
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2026 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Please Note:
This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Word in Microsoft 365. 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:
Comments