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Choosing your Writing Font (Scrivener with No Style) | ScrivenerVirgin

It’s simple if you know how

When you start a new Scrivener project for your latest novel, how long is it before you want to change the font?
How frustrated do you get when Scrivener wants to work in a different one from the font you prefer?
Problem solved!
When you open a new project, for the Novel template, in the Binder, there are two items set up for the Manuscript: a folder called Chapter and a text document called Scene.

Raring to go, you start typing in the Scene and find the text appears in Palatino.

Palatino | Scrivener with No Style: Choosing your writing font

What’s your preferred font?
Mine is Helvetica …
Helvetica | Scrivener with No Style: Choosing your writing font
There are hundreds to choose from, so … having chosen the one you like best … the next time you create a new document for a new scene, you’ll be frustrated to find Scrivener has reverted to Palatino.
Palatino again | Scrivener with No Style: Choosing your writing font
How can you stick to the font you prefer?
The solution is to set up whatever you want for this project and then to make your choice (clear to Scrivener!) within Project / Project Settings.
Project Settings | Scrivener with No Style: Choosing your writing font
Select the Formatting tab.
Formatting tab | Scrivener with No Style: Choosing your writing font
Check the box ‘Use different font …’, click on ‘Use Current’ and then OK.
Next time you add a new document for this project, it’ll be using the one you want.
New document | Scrivener with No Style: Choosing your writing font
What if you are half way through writing?
What about the documents still in the default font: Palatino?
  • Click on your Chapter folder in the Binder.
  • Select Scrivenings.

You’ll then see all your text in the Editing pane.

Mess of fonts | Scrivener with No Style: Choosing your writing font

Some text in Palatino; some is in Helvetica. What a mess?

  • Select All.
  • Change the font to Helvetica (or your choice).

Done … for your current project.

What if you want all your projects to have this as your default font?

I wouldn’t want to have a universal font for all my projects, because I use Scrivener for so many different types of material (novels, short stories, blog posts, marketing material) but if you do …

You can set up your preferences for all Scrivener projects, by going through a similar process as described above, via Scrivener / Preferences / Appearance.

Note: if  you are using a Scriptwriting template, font control of the various formats (Scene heading etc) is controlled through Format / Scriptwriting / Script Settings.

Questions about Scrivener? Need a helping hand? Want a demo?

To watch me go through the setting up my preferred style-with-No-Style for a new NaNo novel or to ask any questions, book a Simply Scrivener Special.

To help me to prepare, you could also complete this short questionnaire.

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14 Comments
  • Michael Paul

    19 March 2021 at 12:37

    In the drop down list I see five fonts at the top, the a break with ‘Show Fonts’ then a full list of all fonts. How do I edit the top five fonts please? I only want to alternate between two for this project.

      • Michael Paul

        22 March 2021 at 08:29

        Thank you very much. You are very good and a great help.

  • Kath Jardim

    16 December 2020 at 01:35

    Thank you. Your post is just amazing and has helped me immensely. I was battling with the font issue but now it’s sorted.

  • Jake Weldon

    5 June 2020 at 10:38

    The instructions for “What if you are half way through writing?” are missing something. I need to change the font across my entire document without going to each and every chapter and selecting the text. How do I do this?

    • Jayde Phillips

      25 November 2020 at 03:09

      Instead of just doing it chapter by chapter click manuscript and change the font there in Scrivenings mode. Hope this helps.

  • Willis von Werner

    11 August 2019 at 13:48

    Why does none of this work on a PC?
    Moving margins, ever changing font … this program is becoming a regret.

  • Tony Tkach

    20 February 2019 at 13:14

    This is only for the Mac version?

  • Dan Vance

    14 January 2019 at 13:12

    I love this!

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