How To Adjust Font Size In Outlook

Struggling to read your emails or want to change how your messages look to others? This guide provides clear, step-by-step instructions on how to adjust the font size in the Microsoft Outlook desktop application. Whether you need to permanently increase the text size for composing emails, temporarily zoom in on a message you're reading, or make your inbox list easier to see, we cover all the essential settings. Following these steps will help you customize Outlook for better readability and a more comfortable user experience.

Fast Answer

For New Emails: Go to File > Options > Mail > Stationery and Fonts to set your default font size.
For Reading Emails: Use the Zoom slider at the bottom right of the Reading Pane to temporarily enlarge text.

5-10 minutes Time needed

Beginner Difficulty

Settings apply to specific views only Watch out for

Before You Start

A computer with the Microsoft Outlook desktop application installed. This guide is for the full desktop program (part of Microsoft 365, or versions like Outlook 2021, 2019), not the simplified Outlook web version or mobile apps.
Basic familiarity with navigating menus in a software program.
Decide on your goal: Are you changing the font for your own reading comfort or for the emails you send to others? The steps are different for each.

Check first: Be careful when changing the default font for emails you send. A very large or unusual font can look unprofessional to the recipient. For business communication, it's best to stick with standard fonts like Calibri or Arial at a size of 11pt or 12pt.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Change the Default Font for New Emails You Send

This is the most common adjustment people want to make. This setting controls the default font, size, and color for every new email you compose. It ensures your messages always look the way you want them to.

Open Outlook and click on the File tab in the top-left corner.
Select Options from the menu on the left (it's usually at the bottom).
In the Outlook Options window, click on the Mail category.
Look for the "Compose messages" section and click the Stationery and Fonts... button.
A new "Signatures and Stationery" window will open. Under the "Personal Stationery" tab, find the section for New mail messages and click the Font... button.
In the Font window that appears, you can choose your desired Font, Font style (like Bold or Italic), and most importantly, the Size. Select a size like 11 or 12 for good readability.
Click OK on the Font window, then OK on the Signatures and Stationery window, and finally OK on the Outlook Options window to save all your changes.

Tip: While you're in the Font window, you can also set a default font color. However, sticking with "Automatic" (which is usually black) is recommended for professional emails.

Adjust the Font for Replying and Forwarding Messages

By default, when you reply to an email, Outlook often tries to use the font of the original message. If you want your replies and forwards to have your own consistent font size, you need to set that separately.

Follow the first four steps from the previous section to get back to the Signatures and Stationery window (File > Options > Mail > Stationery and Fonts...).
In this window, look for the section labeled Replying or forwarding messages.
Click the Font... button in this section.
Just as you did for new messages, select your preferred Font, Font style, and Size for all your replies and forwards.
Click OK on all open windows to confirm and apply the settings. Now your replies will have the same consistent formatting as your new emails.

Increase the Font Size for Reading Emails (Using Zoom)

If you find incoming emails hard to read but don't want to change any permanent settings, the Zoom feature is your best friend. This changes the font size only for your view and does not affect the actual email or how anyone else sees it.

Click on an email in your inbox to open it in the Reading Pane.
Look to the bottom-right corner of the Outlook window. You will see a Zoom slider with a percentage next to it (e.g., 100%).
Click and drag the slider to the right to increase the text size, or to the left to decrease it.
Alternatively, you can place your cursor over the Reading Pane, hold down the Ctrl key on your keyboard, and scroll your mouse wheel up to zoom in or down to zoom out.

Tip: The zoom level may sometimes reset for the next message. In newer versions of Outlook, the zoom percentage you set is often remembered across different messages until you restart the application.

Change the Font Size of Your Inbox Message List

Is the list of your emails (showing the sender, subject, and date) too small? You can change the font size for this view to make it easier to scan your inbox.

Click on the View tab in the main Outlook ribbon at the top.
Click on View Settings. A window called "Advanced View Settings" will pop up.
In this window, click the Other Settings... button.
Here you'll find options for Column Font (the headers like "From", "Subject") and Row Font (the actual email list). Click the Font... button next to "Row Font".
Choose a larger size from the Font dialog box and click OK.
Click OK on the "Other Settings" window and again on the "Advanced View Settings" window to apply the change. Your inbox list will now appear larger.

Temporarily Change Font Size While Composing One Email

Sometimes you don't want to change your default settings, but you need to make the font larger for a single, specific email. You can easily do this from the message composition window.

Click New Email to open a blank message window.
Click into the body of the email and type your message.
Highlight the text you want to resize.
On the Message tab in the ribbon, look for the Basic Text section.
Here you will find standard font controls. You can select a font from the dropdown menu and pick a new size from the number dropdown next to it. The changes will apply only to the text you selected in this one email.

Adjust the Font for Plain Text Messages

Some emails are sent or received in "Plain Text" format, which strips out all formatting. You can still set a default font size for how these messages appear on your screen and for the plain text emails you compose.

Navigate back to the Signatures and Stationery window (File > Options > Mail > Stationery and Fonts...).
Find the section at the bottom labeled Composing and reading plain text messages.
Click the Font... button.
Choose your preferred font and size for viewing and composing plain text emails. This will not add formatting to the sent email, but it will make it easier for you to read and write them within Outlook.
Click OK on all windows to save the setting.

Quick Reference

Situation	Use this	Why
Reading incoming emails is difficult	Zoom slider or Ctrl + mouse wheel	It's a quick, temporary fix that only affects your view without changing the email itself.
All my sent emails need a larger font	File > Options > Stationery and Fonts	This sets the permanent default font size for all new, replied, and forwarded messages you send.
My inbox list of emails is hard to read	View > View Settings > Other Settings	This specifically changes the font size of the message list pane, not the content of the emails.
Just one email I'm writing needs a special font	Font controls in the new message ribbon	This allows you to override your default settings for a single message without affecting any others.

Common Problems When You Adjust Font Size In Outlook

Even with the right steps, you might run into a few common issues. Here’s how to troubleshoot them.

My Font Changes Don't Seem to Stick

If you change the font size but it reverts back, there could be a few reasons. First, remember that the Zoom feature is often temporary and may not persist after you restart Outlook. For default sending fonts, make sure you click OK on all three windows (Font, Signatures and Stationery, and Outlook Options) to ensure the setting is saved properly. In a corporate environment, your IT department might have policies that override personal settings, so check with them if changes consistently fail to save.

The Recipient Says My Font Is Huge or Tiny

This happens when there's a disconnect between what you see and what they see. This reinforces the importance of using web-safe fonts (like Arial, Verdana, Georgia) and standard sizes (11-12pt). If you use a special font installed on your computer, the recipient's email program will substitute it with a default font, which can cause size and spacing issues. Always send a test email to a different account of your own (like a Gmail or Yahoo account) to see how it looks to others.

I Changed the Font, but It Only Works for New Emails, Not Replies

This is a very common oversight. Outlook has two separate settings for new messages and for replies/forwards. You need to set them both. Go back to File > Options > Mail > Stationery and Fonts and ensure you have clicked the Font... button and set your preference for both "New mail messages" AND "Replying or forwarding messages".

Advanced Tips for Adjusting Font Size In Outlook

Once you've mastered the basics, you can use these advanced features to further customize your Outlook experience.

Use Conditional Formatting to Highlight Important Emails

You can make specific emails automatically stand out in your inbox by changing their font size, style, or color based on rules. For instance, you can make all emails from your manager appear in a larger, bold font.

To do this, go to View > View Settings > Conditional Formatting. You can add a new rule, give it a name (e.g., "Manager Emails"), set the font you want, and then set the condition (e.g., "From..." is your manager's email address).

Create Quick Styles for Frequent Formatting Needs

If you often switch between different font styles for different purposes (e.g., a formal font for clients and a casual one for colleagues), you can save them as Quick Styles. In a new email window, click the Format Text tab. You'll see a gallery of styles. You can right-click a style, choose Modify, and set up your desired font size and style. You can also create new styles. This allows you to apply complex formatting with a single click.

Leverage System-Wide Accessibility Features

If changing settings within Outlook isn't enough, remember that Windows has its own accessibility tools. You can increase the text size across all applications, including Outlook's menus and interface elements. Go to Windows Settings > Accessibility > Text size. You can also use the Windows Magnifier tool to zoom in on any part of the screen.

How To Adjust Font Size In Outlook FAQ

How do I change the font size on the Outlook mobile app (iOS or Android)?

The Outlook mobile app does not have its own internal settings for changing font size. Instead, it respects the system-wide font size settings of your phone. To change it, go to your phone's main settings menu: on iOS, go to Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size > Larger Text. On Android, go to Settings > Display > Font size and style (the exact path may vary by manufacturer).

Can I change the font size for the entire Outlook application, like the menus and ribbon?

No, you cannot change the font size of Outlook's user interface (the ribbon, folder list, menus) from within the application's settings. This interface font size is controlled by your Windows display settings. To change it, you can adjust the display scaling. Right-click your desktop, choose Display settings, and use the "Scale" dropdown to make all text and apps appear larger (e.g., change from 100% to 125%).

Why do my font settings look different to the person I sent the email to?

This usually happens for two reasons. First, if you use a decorative or custom font that is installed on your computer but not on the recipient's, their email client will substitute it with a default font like Times New Roman or Arial. Second, different email clients (e.g., Gmail, Apple Mail, Outlook) can render the same email slightly differently. To ensure consistency, stick to universally supported "web-safe" fonts.

How can I reset all my Outlook font settings back to the default?

To reset your composing fonts, go to File > Options > Mail > Stationery and Fonts. In the "Personal Stationery" tab, you can re-select the default theme, which is often "(no theme)". Then, manually set the fonts for New and Reply/forward messages back to the default, which is typically Calibri, 11pt. To reset your inbox view, go to the View tab and click the Reset View button.

Final Checklist for Adjusting Font Size In Outlook

Identify your goal: Did you decide if you're changing the font for your own reading comfort or for the emails you send?
Set composing defaults: For sent emails, did you update the font settings for both "New mail messages" and "Replying or forwarding messages"?
Try zoom first: For better readability of incoming mail, have you tried the simple Zoom slider or Ctrl + mouse wheel shortcut before changing permanent settings?
Adjust the message list: If your inbox list is too small, did you use the options under View > View Settings to change the row font?
Be professional: For business emails, have you chosen a standard, universally supported font (like Arial, Calibri, or Verdana) and a reasonable size (11pt or 12pt)?
Run a test: Have you sent a test email to another email account to verify how your font choices look to a recipient?