In a move reversing a 2023 policy, the U.S. State Department has officially returned to using Times New Roman font for its communications, ending the brief tenure of Calibri. Why choose one font over another? Times New Roman vs Calibri – the pros and cons of each font.
The US State Department is switching fonts from Calibri to Times New Roman after a new directive from the Secretary of State, Marco Rubio. Times New Roman had been the departmental standard for many years until it was replaced with Calibri in 2023.
Office Watch is about Microsoft Office, not politics. We’re not going to comment on the stated reasoning behind the change as given in Secretary Rubio’s “Return to Tradition” directive.
The news gives us a chance to look at the simple question – why choose one font over another? What are the pros and cons of Times New Roman and Calibri for Microsoft Office users.
Here’s a comparison of Times New Roman vs Calibri, especially in a Microsoft Office context.
Times New Roman
The classic, serif typeface with a traditional, formal feel, designed for dense, highly readable print text. It was designed for The Times of London newspaper and first appeared in 1932. It’s available in both Windows and Mac.
Pros
Highly traditional and formal
Conveys a classic, “serious” tone. Often associated with books, newspapers, legal, academic, and official documents.
Excellent for dense print text
Designed for newspapers: works well at smaller sizes in print, with clear differentiation between letters.
Space-efficient
Narrower letterforms mean more words per line/page. Useful when page count is constrained (reports, contracts, printed manuals).
Very widely available
Installed on virtually all major platforms and older systems; reliable for document fidelity when sharing.
Good at small sizes
Remains legible down to around 9–10pt in print, which can help fit content without feeling too cramped (within reason).
Cons
Dated / “default essay” feel
Can look old-fashioned or unimaginative, especially in modern, screen-heavy contexts.
Less optimal for screen reading
Designed for print, not high-resolution displays. At common on-screen sizes, Calibri and other modern fonts often feel cleaner.
Crowded appearance in long digital documents
Tight spacing and narrow characters can make large blocks of on-screen text feel dense or tiring to read.
Weaker for slides and UI-like layouts
Serif details can look fussy in PowerPoint or “dashboard-style” documents compared to a clean sans-serif.
Calibri
A modern, sans-serif typeface with a clean, friendly look, optimized for comfortable on-screen reading in everyday business documents. Released as the default font in Office 2007. Available in Windows. Installed on Mac computers with Office for Mac.
Aptos fonts have replaced Calibri as the default Office/Microsoft 365 font.
Pros
Modern, clean look
Soft, rounded sans-serif design gives a contemporary, friendly tone suited to most business documents and emails.
Optimized for on-screen reading
Clear at common sizes (11pt, 12pt) on monitors and laptops. Anti-aliased very well; less visual noise than Times.
Excellent for general Office use
Works well in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook; consistent style across body text, tables, and UI-style elements.
Good legibility at small sizes
10–11pt on screen is usually very comfortable, making it useful for tables, footnotes, and dense spreadsheets.
Neutral tone
Rarely “wrong” for business communications, feels professional without being overly formal or stiff.
Cons
Less formal / authoritative
For legal, academic, or very traditional contexts, Calibri may feel too casual compared with a serif like Times New Roman.
Uses more horizontal space
Slightly wider shapes and spacing mean fewer words per line than Times New Roman at the same point size.
Very ubiquitous and “default”-looking
Many documents use Calibri; if you want a distinctive brand feel, it can look generic.
Not ideal for long printed books
It works, but serif faces like Times New Roman, Garamond, etc. are still preferred for novels and long-form print.
Which to choose – Calibri or Times New Roman?
There’s no simple ‘one size fits all’ answer.
Choose Times New Roman
- You need a traditional, formal, or academic look.
- The document is primarily printed, especially dense text.
- You want to fit more text per page while keeping readability.
- You are matching an existing house style or institutional requirement that specifies TNR.
Choose Calibri
- The document will be read mainly on screen (reports, internal docs, emails, help guides).
- You want a clean, modern, neutral appearance.
- You are working heavily with tables, lists, and PowerPoint slides.
- You need a simple, professional “default” that works in most business situations.
New default font, Aptos, in Microsoft 365 and Word
