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Participant
Mar 4, 2014 7:42 PM UTC
Answered

Set Default Font Formatting for "Add Text" Content Editing Tool (Adobe Acrobat Standard XI)

We recently upgraded to Adobe Acrobat Standard XI.

Our users take system generated PDFs and customize them by adding additional text and images. They generally always use specific font formatting options when adding their text.

Unfortunately, we haven't been able to figure out a way to set the default font formatting options when using the "Add Text" Content Editing Tool. You are always stuck with the Minion Pro font at 12 point.

Therefore, each time the user adds new text, they must select the text that they just added, and then change the font formatting options from within the Content Editing tools pane. It would be really useful to be able to set the default font formatting options once and all new text added would use those settings.

BaniVerma
BaniVermaCorrect answer
Community Manager
Oct 15, 2026 10:40 PM UTC

Hi everyone,

For guidance on setting the default font and font size for Add Text in Adobe Acrobat, including how this differs from formatting text box comments, see the consolidated annotation and commenting guide below. It also covers comment properties, highlighting, drawing tools, and related annotation workflows.

Delete All Comments on a PDF at Once in Adobe Acrobat | Annotation and Commenting Guide

Thanks,
^BV

38 replies

Participant
Jan 18, 2016 3:11 AM UTC

The guess is usually wrong and I've found that it does not remember. While your feature is fine, that's no reason for me to not be able to set what I want as a default.

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Oct 7, 2015 6:34 PM UTC

I can assure you that Minion Pro 12 hasn't been the nearest neighboring font in the hundred or so documents that I've edited since Adobe Acrobat Pro DC was installed on my computer. What this tells me is that Minion Pro 12 is a default when Acrobat can't figure out the neighboring font. This is why we need the ability to set our own default. Please add this function.

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LacyinTX
Participating Frequently
Oct 7, 2015 9:46 PM UTC

Try this:

Right click on the toolbar and choose "Customize Quick Tools". A list will appear.

Click on "Comment". This will open up another list of the tools associated with "Comment" options for adding comments to the pdf.

Click to highlight the plain "T". This is the "add text comment" tool.

Click the plus sign to the right of the list. This adds the quicktool to the toolbar so that it is always accessible.

Click save and the tool will now be permanently on your toolbar at the top of the page.

It is important to use the "Add Text Comment" tool that is found under Comments (Not the Add Text tool under Edit PDF... that is confusing, but it is what it is). The "Add Text Comments" tool will retain your formatting once you set it.

Thanks to try67 for pointing this tool out to me. It has been a life saver!

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Participant
Mar 26, 2020 12:41 PM UTC

Thank you! I have always used the Add Text option and it drove me crazy that I had to change the formatting AFTER   adding it and that it would default back after every box. This solves a major first-world problem for me after suddenly having to work from home and not able to process my AP invoices in the usual way. Major time and headache saver!

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Adobe Employee
Dec 10, 2014 10:14 AM UTC

Hi,

Unfortunately, it is not possible to change the default font option. I would suggest you to fill our feature request form, which will be sent directly to our development team:-

https://www.adobe.com/cfusion/mmform/index.cfm?name=wishform&loc=en

Regards,

Nakul

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AnkitBal
Adobe Employee
Adobe Employee
Jun 25, 2015 7:11 AM UTC

Hi,

Have you tried Acrobat DC? Changes have been made to the "Add Text" behavior where it remembers the changes to the font and its properties, in the context of the document.

Please try it out and let us know of your feedback.

Regards,

-Ankit Bal

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Participating Frequently
Jun 29, 2015 5:59 PM UTC

AnkitBal — The Acrobat DC behavior is very strange. It does not seem to remember when I set the font, and in fact, when I add text near other text, it seems to want to use the nearest font. For example, I opened a pdf with a title in Chiller, and when I went to add text, it automatically set the font to Chiller. We are looking for a way to set a default across every document and regardless of other fonts in the document.

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Participant
Sep 19, 2014 3:55 AM UTC

I have noticed the same impediment.  However, Adobe InDesign CC has a method for changing default font for "character".  Open an empty screen, select a font.  Close InDesign.  The next time InDesign is opened, the new selected font appears.  So, Adobe does have an InDesign method.  Perhaps in the next edition Acrobat XII will have this InDesign method.

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Participant
Sep 8, 2014 5:45 AM UTC

Does anyone has an answer to this?

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Participant
Apr 4, 2014 11:08 PM UTC

This is absolutely a necessary feature.  Has anyone found a work around?

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Participant
May 13, 2014 2:42 PM UTC

Ditto - need this feature now

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