How to change the default font in InDesign so existing documents are changed??

[kellyb6367822]

I am trying to change the default font in InDesign from Minion Pro to Calibri. I was able to successfully change the default font so that when I start a NEW InDesign document, the font is automatically set to Calibri. However, I am trying to find a way to set Calibri as the default font on documents I created BEFORE making the default change. Is it possible to apply the new default font to all of my existing InDesign files? So when I open previously-generated InDesign files, and create a new text box within my existing file, my text default is already Calibri? Thank you for any suggestions you may have!

[BobLevine · Accepted solution]

Can’t be done that way. You’ll have to change things when you open the file.

[JonathanArias]

you could,  with no document open,  create styles in the panels. and these i believe will become default styles that will be there going forward on every new document you create.

[BobLevine]

Right, but the OP wants to change the default on existing documents.

[JonathanArias]

maybe load styles ( created as default as i said) and do global find and replace from the font dialog after the styles are created?

[Manan Joshi · Accepted solution]

You would have to explicitly change it once for each existing document, open the document with nothing selected change the font to the one you want to make default, then save the file. The next time you open it the default should have changed to the one you selected.

-Manan

[gaiagraphics1]

This works! Thanks so much, Manan.

[Laubender]

Hi kellyb6367822 ,

for several reasons it's not a good idea to change the default font with the basic paragraph style.

Especially it will become a problem if you collaborate with other users.

Better do custom paragraph styles with Calibri not based on the basic style, but based on No Paragraph Style and use that custom one throughout your documents.

See this discussion:

Why (or why not) use Basic Paragraph style?

See especially Rob Days' reply here:

Re: Why (or why not) use Basic Paragraph style?

Also the fact that all InDesign documents include a [Basic Paragraph] style that can be edited but not renamed is the root of the problem—every InDesign document has a potential style conflict that has to be resolved because a style named [Basic Paragraph] is always included.

…

Regards,
Uwe