You can make a difference in the Apple Support Community!

When you sign up with your Apple Account, you can provide valuable feedback to other community members by upvoting helpful replies and User Tips.

Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

Set font weight in Apple Mail

Hello, I'm trying to set the default font in Apple Mail to Helvetica Light 13pt. This seems to happen successfully in the Preferences -> Fonts and Colours tab, but then when I actually compose a message or reply to a message, the default font will always be Helvetica 13pt. It's as if the weight specification went completely lost. I tried setting this many times over now, so it's not a procedural mistake on my part, I think. Any ideas?

Posted on Nov 1, 2021 7:11 AM

Reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Nov 1, 2021 7:28 AM

alessandro.noiato wrote:

Hello, I'm trying to set the default font in Apple Mail to Helvetica Light 13pt. This seems to happen successfully in the Preferences -> Fonts and Colours tab, but then when I actually compose a message or reply to a message, the default font will always be Helvetica 13pt. It's as if the weight specification went completely lost. I tried setting this many times over now, so it's not a procedural mistake on my part, I think. Any ideas?



Change Fonts & Colors preferences in Mail on Mac - Apple ...



If you still have an issue, you can file a bug report using the same link: http://www.apple.com/feedback

9 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Nov 1, 2021 7:28 AM in response to alessandro.noiato

alessandro.noiato wrote:

Hello, I'm trying to set the default font in Apple Mail to Helvetica Light 13pt. This seems to happen successfully in the Preferences -> Fonts and Colours tab, but then when I actually compose a message or reply to a message, the default font will always be Helvetica 13pt. It's as if the weight specification went completely lost. I tried setting this many times over now, so it's not a procedural mistake on my part, I think. Any ideas?



Change Fonts & Colors preferences in Mail on Mac - Apple ...



If you still have an issue, you can file a bug report using the same link: http://www.apple.com/feedback

Nov 1, 2021 8:03 AM in response to alessandro.noiato

alessandro.noiato wrote:

Hello, I'm trying to set the default font in Apple Mail to Helvetica Light 13pt. This seems to happen successfully in the Preferences -> Fonts and Colours tab, but then when I actually compose a message or reply to a message, the default font will always be Helvetica 13pt.

If you are talking about the font which will be seen by your recipients, Apple Mail does not have the ability to set this by default. You have to set it for each outgoing individually in the New Message pane. Mail's Fonts and Colors preferences only affect what is seen locally.


Mail has always behaved this way. Users who need to set a default font to be seen by recipients often switch to Outlook, which has that capability.

Nov 1, 2021 8:07 AM in response to Tom Gewecke

I don't need the recipient to see the font I specify. what I was trying to set was the font that I see as I compose a message, and of course as it should appear in my sent messages box. Do you confirm that you also cannot set that? What doesn't add up is that I can indeed set it to Helvetica 13, or any other font. It's just the weight that seems to be forgotten.

Nov 1, 2021 8:20 AM in response to alessandro.noiato

alessandro.noiato wrote:

What doesn't add up is that I can indeed set it to Helvetica 13, or any other font. It's just the weight that seems to be forgotten.

I am currently on Catalina, and Mail even there does not honor light, bold, or oblique varieties of Helvetica for composing. I have a feeling Mail may have never done that. Were you able to do it in the past?

Set font weight in Apple Mail

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple Account.