Calibri will no longer be the default font used across all Microsoft Office products, ending a 14 year streak, while asking users to vote for the new replacement.
As we give a solemn farewell to what has been a constant staple of every junior high PowerPoint presentation and homework assignment, let us glance at the past before we look to the future. Fonts like Calibri may suffer from an excessive lack of personality (they are the default option, after all), that very shortcoming has led to its credibility in certain circles. Whether it be humorous ribbing across the internet, or being the subject of endless memes, Calibri's a font that certainly has recognition. And, as with all things considered "nostalgic" online, its absence will be deeply felt by the millions of netizens that have come to rely on it. Well, humor aside, what do we have to look forward to?
Microsoft's official statement has reveled that while the company is looking towards the future in terms of establishing a new default font, it isn't stargazing alone. In fact, the tech giant has come up with not one, not even two, but five different fonts that may usurp the crown. Not only that, Microsoft is actively inviting its userbase to be a part of the process by voting on the font they find best. The victor will be throned as the new default font across all Office products, those being Word, PowerPoint, Excel, OneNote, Outlook, Business, and Teams.
Now, while any process allowing the Internet to collectively vote on an option is almost immediately fraught with danger (refer to McDonalds' burger designing fiasco), limiting the audience to 5 options is the safe route to go. After all, with suggestions such as Times New Roman and comic sans flooding Twitter, which is amusing, there's no knowing what users will come up with. With that being said, our 5 new options are named Tenorite, Bierstadt, Skeena, Seaford, and Grandview. An official post on the Microsoft website details all of the 5 fonts, highlighting the input that went into their design and their originating designers. Grandview by Aaron Bell, for example, is noted to be legible from far distances and is thus derived from German railway signs. Interesting stuff.
With all of this hubbub surrounding the newer fonts, some people might be wondering what's going to happen to Calibri? Well, it will still exist as part of Office's font repertoire, and can thus be used. Who knows? Maybe a decade or so into the future, the new default font will have gained such a semblance of normalcy that Calibri will start looking fresh and original!
Read next: The Microsoft Windows 10 installed base has set a new record by reaching 1.3 billion active users
As we give a solemn farewell to what has been a constant staple of every junior high PowerPoint presentation and homework assignment, let us glance at the past before we look to the future. Fonts like Calibri may suffer from an excessive lack of personality (they are the default option, after all), that very shortcoming has led to its credibility in certain circles. Whether it be humorous ribbing across the internet, or being the subject of endless memes, Calibri's a font that certainly has recognition. And, as with all things considered "nostalgic" online, its absence will be deeply felt by the millions of netizens that have come to rely on it. Well, humor aside, what do we have to look forward to?
Microsoft's official statement has reveled that while the company is looking towards the future in terms of establishing a new default font, it isn't stargazing alone. In fact, the tech giant has come up with not one, not even two, but five different fonts that may usurp the crown. Not only that, Microsoft is actively inviting its userbase to be a part of the process by voting on the font they find best. The victor will be throned as the new default font across all Office products, those being Word, PowerPoint, Excel, OneNote, Outlook, Business, and Teams.
Now, while any process allowing the Internet to collectively vote on an option is almost immediately fraught with danger (refer to McDonalds' burger designing fiasco), limiting the audience to 5 options is the safe route to go. After all, with suggestions such as Times New Roman and comic sans flooding Twitter, which is amusing, there's no knowing what users will come up with. With that being said, our 5 new options are named Tenorite, Bierstadt, Skeena, Seaford, and Grandview. An official post on the Microsoft website details all of the 5 fonts, highlighting the input that went into their design and their originating designers. Grandview by Aaron Bell, for example, is noted to be legible from far distances and is thus derived from German railway signs. Interesting stuff.
With all of this hubbub surrounding the newer fonts, some people might be wondering what's going to happen to Calibri? Well, it will still exist as part of Office's font repertoire, and can thus be used. Who knows? Maybe a decade or so into the future, the new default font will have gained such a semblance of normalcy that Calibri will start looking fresh and original!
Read next: The Microsoft Windows 10 installed base has set a new record by reaching 1.3 billion active users
