The US State Department Ditches Times New Roman for Calibri
When Fonts Make News: The State Department Switches from Times New Roman to Calibri
On February 6, 2023, the U.S. State Department officially directed its workforce — including domestic offices, foreign embassies, and overseas posts — to adopt Calibri, size 14-point, as the default font in all requested papers and high-level internal documents, replacing the long-standing use of Times New Roman.
The change might seem superficial at first glance — a simple swap of fonts — but it reflects deeper shifts in technology, accessibility, design culture, and institutional communication. Let’s unpack what led to it, what people are saying, and why it matters more than you might think.
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Background: Fonts, Standards, and the Old Default
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Times New Roman has been the standard serif font used by the State Department since 2004. Prior to that, Courier New was among prior defaults.
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Times New Roman is a serif typeface, meaning its letters have small projecting features (“serifs”) at the ends of strokes. It’s long been considered formal, traditional, and especially suited to print. However, its origins pre-date modern screen usage by many decades.
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Meanwhile, Calibri is a sans-serif typeface (no serifs), designed by Lucas de Groot, released around the mid-2000s, and has been Microsoft Office’s default font since 2007. It was built with screen legibility in mind.
Why the Change Now?
Several reasons are cited for why the Department made this shift:
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Accessibility
The memo from Secretary of State Antony Blinken (via the Office of Diversity & Inclusion, the Executive Secretariat, and the Bureau of Global Talent Management) stated that serif fonts like Times New Roman can cause problems for people using assistive technologies, such as screen readers or optical character recognition (OCR) tools. Also, serif fonts may contribute to visual recognition issues for people with learning disabilities (e.g., dyslexia). The change to Calibri is intended to reduce those barriers. -
Readability, especially on screens
Because so much communication is now digital — memos, cables, documents viewed on monitors or small screens — fonts that are cleaner and simpler tend to perform better in terms of visual clarity. Sans-serif fonts like Calibri tend to scale better on screens, where serifs can blur or clutter in certain resolutions. -
Standardization and Modernization
Moving to a more modern default reflects changing norms: what typographic design favors now vs. what was optimal decades ago. The State Department is joining several other institutions that have rethought design and font standards in light of digital work, inclusive design, and global communication. -
Font Size Matters
Alongside the font change, the order specifies 14-point Calibri. The larger size helps with legibility, especially for those with visual impairments. Smaller font in serif style can be harder to distinguish and may strain eyes more.
Reactions: Cheers, Grumbles, and Design Debates
Naturally, not everyone is thrilled. Any change, even something as seemingly mundane as a font, can provoke strong opinion. Here are the main lines of reaction:
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Some welcomed the move, seeing it as a step toward inclusivity and modern practice. Improved readability, especially for people with disabilities, is widely viewed as a legitimate goal.
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Others viewed it as a loss of tradition. Times New Roman, among many, is associated with gravitas, formality, and the expected formal style of government and diplomacy. For some, Calibri feels more “generic” or “less serious.”
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Design experts pointed out that while sans-serif fonts often help on screen, other factors matter a lot too: line spacing, contrast, alignment, overall layout, whether documents are printed or viewed digitally. One expert cautioned that no single font will serve everyone best.
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There were mild protests internally — some staffers reportedly called it “sacrilege.” On the other hand, many said it didn’t bother them much or that they preferred Calibri anyway.
Implications: What This Move Suggests
This isn't just about fonts; it's about how institutions adjust to changing norms in accessibility, design, and communications. Some of the broader implications:
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Accessibility is increasingly front and center in bureaucratic and institutional policy. Recognizing that how text is presented — font, size, style — can create inclusion or exclusion is part of a larger trend.
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Digital vs. print duality: The world is less dominated by printed memos and more by digital documents. Things that worked in print don't always translate well on screens (especially smaller ones, varying resolutions, mobile devices).
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Global consistency & localization: The State Department operates worldwide; documents have to be read across many devices, many cultures, many lighting environments. A more “safe” font choice helps reduce variability in how readable documents will be globally.
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Design literacy & internal culture: Tiny typographic choices can signal that design, presentation, and user experience are valued. Even among government agencies, decisions like font defaults come under scrutiny and reflect deeper values (tradition vs innovation; formality vs clarity).
Potential Criticisms / Limitations
It’s not a perfect solution, and there are trade-offs. Some of the concerns include:
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Not every person with dyslexia or visual impairment prefers sans-serif; for some, serif fonts may help with letter distinction, depending on the typeface specifics and the context.
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Print documents might degrade in perceived quality; serifs sometimes help readability in printed matter (especially small print).
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Aesthetics & perception: For diplomatic communications and formal documents, tradition and perceived gravitas are important. A font change can affect the “feel” of documents, which in some environments counts a lot.
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Implementation challenges: Ensuring every overseas post, every document, template, etc., are updated; ensuring compliance; ensuring software compatibility (fonts must be installed / embedded etc).
Fonts in Perspective: What Else is Changing?
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Microsoft itself has been planning to replace Calibri as its default font in Microsoft 365 with a new custom font. So even Calibri may eventually become “old default.”
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Other institutions (universities, government bodies, large organizations) have been revising their font, template, and document standards in response to digital accessibility guidelines. This fits into a larger movement (WCAG standards, inclusive design) that has implications far beyond typography.
What This Means Going Forward
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Documents—internal communications, memos, cables—will look slightly different. Clean-cut, sans serif, somewhat more modern.
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Staff will have to adjust (templates, habits, systems). There will be transition costs (retraining, updating templates and documents).
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Design culture inside the State Department may evolve — more attention to readability, perhaps more feedback from users with disabilities in drafting documents.
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It may influence other agencies or governments to make similar changes. Given the visibility of the State Department, this move might catalyze further conversations elsewhere.
Final Thoughts
On its face, switching from Times New Roman to Calibri might seem trivial — a superficial or cosmetic change. But when you look under the surface, the decision is part of a ripple of evolving norms around how we communicate, how we present information, and how we ensure access for all. It’s about clarity, inclusivity, and adapting to modern mediums.
Ultimately, what a font says about an institution is more than its visual style: it reflects what that institution thinks is important. In this case, the State Department appears to be saying that readability and accessibility are priorities — and that traditions, while valuable, should be reconsidered if they hinder those priorities.
