Set a Default Font in Google Slides (An Easy Workaround!)

This is one VERY requested tutorial! If you’ve visited the site before, you may have learned how to set a default font in Google Docs (such an amazing timesaver!).

Which always leads to the question of how to set a default font in Google Slides.

There IS a way…but it is not as easy as in Google Docs, unfortunately.

The recommended format for changing a font in Google Slides involves editing the theme slides:

Which doesn’t sound too bad…until you realize how many parts need to be edited:

It starts to become a little overwhelming…and definitely not time-saving.

And since it is my ultimate goal to help streamline your workflow, I would rather try a different way to set a default font in Google Slides.

So I wanted to share a simple workaround instead. This will be a MUCH easier way to set a default font.

Today we will create a template that will have your favorite font all ready to go…so you can just type right into your Slide and print. I’ll also share shortcuts all along the way…

Ready to start saving tons of time?

How to Set a Default Font in Google Slides

First, open a new Google Slide.

Press Command + A to select all the textboxes and delete them:

Go to File, Page Setup, and choose Custom:

Set the size you would like…you can use 8.5 by 11 for the standard paper size, or 7.5 x 10 to ensure nothing gets cuts off when printing:

Ok, time to set that favorite font!

Go to Insert and choose Text Box:

You may have noticed that the font color is set to a dark gray…which is not ideal for printing text!

Set the font color to black:

Now you can choose your favorite font!

Looking for some new font ideas? I have a quick tutorial on finding new Google Fonts quickly.

I also have a free list of 55 Favorite Teacher Fonts…just copy and paste any fonts you like right into a Slide!

My current favorite font is Lexend, which is a clean, student-friendly Google Font:

Set your font size:

And position your text box:

To save lots of time in the future, you can set up several text boxes or lines of text.

For example, you can create a basic template for a worksheet:

If you are in a hurry right now, you can just leave one text box set with your favorite font…this will still save you formatting time in the future:

Ok, now that you have a template created, we will need to follow two more important steps to make it easy to access (and use!) in the future.

Create a Forced Copy Link

To use our new template effectively, we will create a forced copy link.

What does this mean?

Once you create this special link, you will be able to click and create a new copy of your template…instantly!

To create this link, head to the URL of your template. Highlight the ending of your URL (from the word edit and on):

Type the word copy over this text:

This link will now create a forced copy every time you click it!

Which means you can reuse your template again and again, with just a click:

Store Your Template Link

The last step is to find a place to store your template link.

This will be especially ideal if you set up several different Google Slide templates.

If you have your forced copy links stored in one easy place, you will be able to save so much time.

I like to use Google Keep for my links:

Are you new to Google Keep? Start here for a quick overview: Easy Google Keep Organization for Teachers.

But even if you aren’t currently using Keep, you can use this idea right now…I can help!

Open Google Keep.

Go to Edit Labels and create a label named Templates:

Create a new note at the top of the page. Paste in your forced copy link.

Now you can just click this link and create a new copy every time you make a new Google Slide!

This is really just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Google Keep…there is SO much you can do to save time with this free app!

I feel so strongly about Google Keep organization I even created a course on setting up an entire management system:

Make & Take Tech: Google Keep

I hope these ideas to set a default font in Google Slides are of help! I know this will save you so much time in your teaching every day!

Have you tried this before? Or will you be starting now?

Let me know how it goes! And if you have any questions, I am here for you!