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How to Fix Excel Changing Calibri to Aptos Narrow for One User
Question details
An Excel workbook attachment designed with the Calibri font unexpectedly opens and displays in Aptos Narrow for a single recipient, while remaining unchanged for others.
- Product
- Microsoft Excel
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Opening an Excel attachment or copying text between workbooks.
- Observed behavior
- The default font automatically changes from Calibri to Aptos Narrow, which affects readability and can cause formatting or PDF export errors.
Ensure that the Calibri font is properly installed on the affected computer and verify if the user recently received a Microsoft Office update, as Aptos is the new default Office font.
Verify and Restore the Excel Default Font and Theme
Manually setting the default font and overriding the current document theme can stop Excel from substituting Calibri with Aptos Narrow.
Microsoft is gradually rolling out Aptos as the new default font for Office. If one user's application has updated while others have not, theme mismatches can cause fonts to change unexpectedly.
Open Excel, go to File > Options > General. Under the 'When creating new workbooks' section, select 'Calibri' in the 'Use this as the default font' dropdown, then click OK.
Navigate to the Page Layout tab on the ribbon. Click on 'Fonts' (in the Themes group) and select the 'Office 2013-2022' theme, which uses Calibri instead of Aptos.
To prevent future issues, click 'Themes' in the Page Layout tab and select 'Save Current Theme'. Use this theme for future workbooks.
Repair Microsoft Office Installation
If forcing the font settings does not resolve the issue, a glitch in the Office update or font registry might be forcing the substitution.
Avoid Unexpected Font Changes with WPS Office
Microsoft's recent updates changing the default font to Aptos can cause frustrating formatting inconsistencies across different computers. WPS Office provides a stable, highly compatible, and lightweight alternative that strictly respects your original document formatting.
- 1. Download WPS Office: Visit the official WPS website and download the free version of WPS Office.
- 2. Open Your Excel File: Launch WPS Spreadsheet and open your existing .xlsx workbook.
- 3. Edit with Confidence: Edit your document knowing that your original fonts, including Calibri, will remain exactly as you set them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Microsoft Excel suddenly change my default font to Aptos?
Microsoft has updated its default Office theme, replacing the longstanding Calibri font with Aptos. Because this update is rolling out gradually to different users, some computers will default to Aptos while others still use Calibri, causing discrepancies.
How do I stop copied text from changing to Aptos Narrow?
When pasting text into a new workbook, use the 'Keep Source Formatting' paste option. You can do this by pressing Ctrl+V, then clicking the small Paste Options icon that appears and selecting 'Keep Source Formatting' (or pressing K). Ensure the destination workbook's font theme is also set to Calibri.
Can the Aptos Narrow font cause issues when exporting Excel to PDF?
Yes, some users have reported rendering issues and errors when exporting spreadsheets containing Aptos Narrow to PDF, particularly when using third-party tools like Adobe Distiller. Changing the document theme back to an older font like Calibri or Arial usually resolves these export issues.
