How to use custom fonts in PowerPoint?

Microsoft PowerPoint allows you to use custom fonts to enhance the visual appeal of your presentations. Have you ever noticed a strange font in a presentation that you haven't seen previously? This might be because some organizations have their own branded fonts which they import to PowerPoint. For example, some consulting firms create their own customized branded fonts to maintain a consistent and distinctive visual identity. Here are a few examples of consulting firms that have their own custom fonts:

1. BCG Henderson Institute: Boston Consulting Group's (BCG) Henderson Institute introduced the "Henderson" font. This custom typeface was developed to reflect BCG's commitment to ideas and research. The font is unique to BCG and is used in various materials, including presentations and publications.
2. McKinsey & Company - Bower: McKinsey & Company introduced a custom typeface called "Bower" in collaboration with the type foundry Commercial Type. Bower was designed to balance professionalism with a touch of informality. It's used across McKinsey's branding materials and presentations.
3. Accenture - Circular: Accenture introduced the "Accenture Circular" font. This font emphasizes connectivity and flexibility, in line with Accenture's focus on technology and innovation.
4. Deloitte - Deloitte Alpha: Deloitte developed its own custom font called "Deloitte Alpha." This typeface was designed to be modern, versatile, and align with Deloitte's brand identity.
5. PwC - PwCNext: PwC introduced the "PwCNext" font, which is part of their effort to modernize their branding. The font reflects PwC's approach to innovation and collaboration.
6. EY (Ernst & Young) - EY Sans: Ernst & Young (EY) launched the "EY Sans" font to be used across its branding and communications. It's a part of EY's visual identity system.
7. KPMG - KPMG Display: KPMG has used a custom font named "KPMG Display" in their branding materials. It's designed to convey a sense of clarity and modernity.

How can I import and use custom PowerPoint fonts?

If your organization has its own custom font, here's a step-by-step guide on how to import and use custom fonts in PowerPoint:

1. Obtain the Custom Font Files: First, you need to have the actual font files you want to use in your PowerPoint presentation. Font files typically come in the form of TrueType Font (.ttf) or OpenType Font (.otf) files. You would likely have acquired these fonts from a font website or from a designer. If you've downloaded them from the web, you might find the font file in a Zip folder in your Downloads.
2. Install the Custom Fonts on Your Computer: Before you can use the custom fonts in PowerPoint, you need to install them on your computer. To do this, follow these steps:
   • Windows:
     1. Double-click the font file to open it in the Font Previewer. Click Install at the top left
   • Mac:
     1. Double-click on each font file. This will open Font Book, which is the default font management tool on macOS.
     2. Click the "Install Font" button for each font you want to add.
3. Restart PowerPoint: After installing the fonts on your computer, close and restart Microsoft PowerPoint to ensure that the new fonts are recognized.
4. Open Your Presentation: Open the PowerPoint presentation in which you want to use the custom fonts.
5. Access the Font Options: Navigate to the PowerPoint slide where you want to apply the custom font. Select the text box or text you want to format with the custom font.
6. Change the Font: In the PowerPoint ribbon at the top of the screen, you'll find the "Home" tab. In the "Font" section, you'll see a drop-down menu showing the current font. Click on this drop-down menu to see a list of available fonts.
7. Select the Custom Font: Scroll through the list of fonts until you see the custom font you installed. Click on the custom font's name to apply it to the selected text.
8. Adjust Font Size and Formatting (if necessary): After applying the custom font, you can adjust the font size, color, boldness, italics, and other formatting options using the "Font" section in the "Home" tab.
9. Repeat for Other Text Boxes: If you have multiple text boxes or slides where you want to use the custom font, repeat the process for each of them.
10. Save Your Presentation: Once you're done making changes, be sure to save your PowerPoint presentation to retain the custom font settings.

Remember that when sharing your PowerPoint presentation with others, they will also need to have the custom font installed on their computers or you need to embed the font in the presentation in order for them to see the presentation exactly as you intended (unless you are sharing a .pdf version). If other viewers of your presentation don't have the font, PowerPoint will substitute it with a default font. To learn how to share a presentation with custom fonts see our article How can I share a PowerPoint presentation with custom fonts?

How do I make a custom font my default font?

If you intend to use the custom font in all of your PowerPoint presentations, creating or updating your PowerPoint Template theme font will save you time going forward. Learn how to change the theme font of a PowerPoint document in our article How to change theme fonts in PowerPoint?

Once you've set the theme font of your presentation you'll need to save the document as a Template file or .potx in order to use it as the template for future presentations. To save a PowerPoint presentation as a .potx file;

1. From File at the top left hand side of the PowerPoint ribbon, select 'Save As'
2. Select the location to save the file, enter the File name then select PowerPoint Template(*.potx) from the drop down menu

3. Once you choose PowerPoint Template(*.potx) PowerPoint will automatically change the file location to the default Custom Office Templates folder on your computer. You can navigate to another location, or leave as is
4. You can now close your document.
5. To use your new template, go to File > New and select the Custom Office Template folder

6. Click on the Template with the custom font that you have created, then click Create
7. A new PowerPoint presentation file (.ppt) will open based on the template you have created. Now you can get to work on creating your slides with your custom fonts already set as default.

Learn more about how to create Templates in PowerPoint in our article How to create a PowerPoint template?

How do I set a PowerPoint Template as my default Template?

Setting a PowerPoint Template as your default Template will increase your efficiency in PowerPoint even more. Once a Template is set as your default, this is the Template that will open each time you open PowerPoint or when you select to open a new document in PowerPoint.

You can easily set a PowerPoint template as your default, using the PPT Productivity Template Manager.

1. Click on the Template Manager icon on the PPT Productivity Ribbon

2. In the PPT Productivity Template Manager select the Template you want to set as your default PowerPoint document the check the box 'Set as default'

Once your default template has been set, each time you open PowerPoint or open a new document (Ctrl+N) a document based on this template will open.

Here's a video showing how easy it is to set a PowerPoint Template as the default presentation.

To learn more about the PPT Productivity Template Manager for PowerPoint visit our Manage Templates Feature Page

Setting a default template in native PowerPoint without PPT Productivity add-in is a little more complicated, so here are the steps;

1. To set your custom theme as the default, open PowerPoint, select “New” in the left pane, and then click the “Custom” tab.
2. select the “Custom Office Templates” option
3. Your custom templates will appear. Select the one you want to make the default template.
4. A new window will appear, giving you a preview of the template. Click “Create"
5. A new document will open based on your selected template. Go to the “Design” tab and select the “More” arrow in the “Themes” group.

6. A list of themes will appear. Right-click your custom theme and then select “Set as Default Theme” from the drop-down menu.

7. Now, the next time you open PowerPoint, it will automatically begin with this theme.