How to Change Default Font, Size, and Spacing in Google Docs

Last week I ditched Microsoft Word’s word processing software and switched to Google Docs. While the overall transition went smoothly and without a hitch, one thing immediately caught my eye. The default Google Docs Title, Heading, and Text Size vary from what I prefer and use in Word. The spacing is set at 1.15 which is a bit higher than my taste. Fortunately, changing the default font and size is fairly easy in Google Docs.

You can still use the menu bar to change the font size, type, and spacing of paragraphs. The problem is, when you try to create a new document from scratch, Google Docs reverts to the default settings. This can be quite frustrating when working on new documents or assignments.

In such cases, you need to change the default font settings for the title, header, and regular text. Unfortunately, it’s not as easy as some other rivals. You can’t just go to Google Docs settings and change the default font type and size.

In this article, we’ll walk you through the trick of changing the default font size for header, title, and text. We’ll also mention a way to revert to the default Google Docs settings, if you change your mind. Let’s start.

Change the default title font type and size in Google Docs

The default title type and size in Google Docs is set to Arial, 26. Although I agree with the title type font, but the font size 26 looks rather large and sticky. Follow the steps to make changes.

Step 1: Open Google Docs, open a document, or create a new one.

2nd step: Write the title and change the font size to your preference.

Step 3: Select the title and highlight the text.

Step 4: Click the Format tab located in the toolbar.

Step 5: Go to Paragraph Styles> Heading> select Update Heading to Match.

Step 6: Access the menu bar. Open Format> Paragraph Styles> Options> Save As Default Style.

That’s all. From now on, Google Docs will use the selected title font type and size by default.

Change the default header font type and size in Google Docs

During my writing, I mainly use Title 2 for the subtitle. By default, the Heading 2 font is set to 16, which is too small for my liking. If you want to change the title fonts, follow the steps below.

Step 1: Open Google Docs, compose a new document, and select Heading 2 from the menu bar.

2nd step: Start typing a few words in Title and select them.

Step 3: Click the Format tab located in the toolbar.

Step 4: Go to Paragraph Styles> Heading 2> select Update “Heading 2” to match.

Step 5: Access the menu bar. Open Format> Paragraph Styles> Options> Save As Default Style.

Using the same trick above, you can change the default font type and size for Title 1/2/3/4/5/6 in Google Docs.

How to change the default text font type, size, and spacing in Google Docs

This was my biggest problem with Google Docs. The default text is too small for my preference and the 1.15 spacing is a bit wider for me. I prefer normal text size to 16 and paragraph spacing to 1. Follow the step by step instructions to make changes.

Step 1: Open Google Docs, create a new document, and start typing a few sentences with regular text.

2nd step: Select the entire paragraph from start to finish, then change the toolbar font type and size.

Step 3: Press the space menu and select Single instead of 1.15.

Step 4: Click the Format tab located in the toolbar.

Step 5: Go to Paragraph Styles> Plain Text> select Update “ Plain Text ” to match.

Step 6: Access the menu bar. Open Format> Paragraph Styles> Options> Save As Default Style.

From now on, whenever you compose a document in Google Docs, the system will use the Title, Title, and Plain Text font type and size set in the app. It will also solve the gap issue for you.

Reset Google Docs style settings to default

Right now, you’ve made the title, title, and default regular text changes on Google Docs. You have also changed the spacing to suit your preferences. If you don’t like the new change by any chance, you can easily go back to Google Docs in the software.

By following the steps below, you can easily go back to the default Google Docs style settings.

Step 1: Open Google Docs and open a new document.

2nd step: Now the default font style and size are set to your preference.

Step 3: Click Format on the menu bar.

Step 4: Go to Paragraph Styles> Options> Reset Styles.

Now Google Docs will use Title, Title, and Regular Text as the default font type and size. The spacing will also return to 1.15.

Personalize Google Docs

Using the tips above, you can easily change the default font type and size in Google Docs. You can also change the colors of the titles / headers and use the highlighter according to your preference. What type and size of font do you use in Google Docs? Share your preference in the comments section below.