For everyday sheets, keep the default font (Aptos Narrow in Microsoft 365, Calibri in older versions) or switch to Segoe UI or Arial. All of them stay clear at 10–11 pt and are already on every Windows PC.
Verdana is very readable but wide, so columns need more width and #### appears sooner. For codes, IDs and fixed-width layouts, a monospaced font such as Consolas, which ships with Windows, keeps every character the same width.
To change the font for the whole workbook, go to Page Layout → Fonts → Customize Fonts and set the body font. To use it in every new workbook, set it under File → Options → General → Use this as the default font and restart Excel.
Fonts don’t travel with the file. A downloaded font such as Fira Code or Source Code Pro shows up as a substitute on any PC that doesn’t have it installed, which can shift column widths and break the layout. For shared files, stick to fonts that come with Windows and Office.
In Excel, when you are working with data, it’s important to use a font to present that data in an understandable to the user. The default font in Excel is Calibri with a font size of 11, but you can use any of the fonts you want.
In this tutorial, I’ll share five different fonts that I have found to be good replacements for the default font.
1. Segoe UI
I have found Segoe UI to be a perfect replacement for Calibri. This font is already installed in Windows. You can just need to change it from the Home Tab ⇢ Font.
2. Fira Code
Fira Code is a google font that you can download and install on your system. I have found this good to use when I need to present numbers. It’s a little sleek and makes it easy to read it.
3. Verdana
Verdana is a pre-installed font in Windows and one of the most used fonts in the world. I use this font when I am working on large data sets. As it has been used worldwide, its readability is amazing, and you can use it in reports also.
4. Helvetica
Helvetica is also a pre-installed font in Windows, and you can use it in Excel too. This font works perfectly with large data sets and especially with column headings.
5. Source Code Pro
Source Code Pro is also a google font that you need to download and install in the system. It’s a sleek font that can be used in dashboards and reports, especially when you need to use a large font size.
In this list, I have only recommended sans-serif fonts. Excel is a spreadsheet application and when you are working with data, a font style needs to be easily understandable for the user.