The best system fonts and alternatives to Arial for PowerPoint

What is a system policy?

A system font is a font that is pre-installed on your operating system, which means that you can natively read a document that used that font without having to install it or ask to install it on PowerPoint for example.

Why use a system font for your PowerPoint presentations?

There are several situations where we need to use system fonts for our PowerPoint presentations:

• Wish to share a presentation without having to ask to install fonts
• Company or brand selected fonts cannot be incorporated into the presentation
• The users are on Mac and PC and we need to find a common font for both systems
• You want to deploy a PowerPoint template to a large number of users
• Simply for simplicity and to have a light and compatible presentation to the greatest number

Despite a wide choice of fonts installed by default on operating systems, it can be difficult to choose the right font. Design evolves, needs evolve and unfortunately system fonts change very little over time.

Worse, the default font proposed by the tool (Calibri) is not very well adapted to the professional world and has rarely been approved by the design community, nor by our presentation design agency

Finally, Arial, designed as a copy of Helvetica (the latter being much better done), conveys an impression of neutrality and déjà-vu that would in no way highlight your brand or your project.

Discover our selection of the best system fonts to use for your presentations, based on these selection criteria:

• Rendering the policy in a professional context
• Accessibility and the right reading level
• The balance of typography and our personal taste
• Good rendering on screens rather than in print

Our best system fonts for your PowerPoint presentations

Segoe UI is a font designed by Microsoft, it is mainly used for Windows operating systems and Office applications. It is considered a modern and elegant font, ideal for titles and subtitles.

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Franklin Gothic is a classic font created in 1902 by Morris Fuller Benton. It is often used for titles and headings, as it is very legible and clear. It is also used in press publications and advertising posters.

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Century Gothic is a modern font created in 1991 by Monotype Imaging. It is often used for headlines and subheads, as it is elegant and easy to read. It is also used in graphic designs and websites.

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Book Antiqua is a classic typeface inspired by the typefaces used for hand-printed books in the Middle Ages. It is often used for titles and subtitles of important documents, such as books, reports and theses.

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Century School is a typeface created in 1894 by Morris Fuller Benton. It is often used for titles and subtitles of important documents such as books, reports and theses. It is also used for graphic design and websites.

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Bell MT is a classic typeface created in 1917 by John Howard Benson. It is often used for titles and subtitles of important documents such as books, reports and theses. It is also used for graphic design and websites.

These fonts are available on Windows, if you are on a Mac we recommend Helvetica. If you are looking for a common font for Mac and Windows, the choice is limited and we recommend Verdana, or even Arial which is the only choice available for your presentation.

Fonts we do not recommend for your presentations

• Calibri: Calibri is very commonly used in Microsoft Office documents and may therefore be considered too common for some business uses.
• Tahoma: Tahoma is similar to Arial in style, it may be considered too common for some professional uses.
• Trebuchet MS: Trebuchet MS is similar to Arial in terms of style, it may be considered too common for some professional uses.
• Cambria: Cambria is similar to Calibri in style, it may be considered too common for some professional uses.
• Arial: Arial is considered a "generic" font and may be considered too common for some professional uses. It is often used for basic documents and PowerPoint presentations, which can make it less effective for important documents or graphic designs.
• Comic Sans: Comic Sans is considered unprofessional and unserious. It is often associated with documents created for children or humorous presentations, which can make it inappropriate for professional documents or serious graphic designs.

It is important to note that the selection of the appropriate font depends on the intended use and the target audience. It is recommended to choose a legible and professional font that suits the content of your document and is close to your visual identity. It will always be more beneficial to go for premium fonts and use those provided by your brand rather than adopting pre-installed fonts.

What is the difference between a system font and an installed font?

You may be wondering what the difference is between a system font and an installed font? Both are options when it comes to choosing a font for your PowerPoint presentations. The main difference between a system font and an installed font is that the former comes with your operating system and is only available on that operating system, while the latter can be installed on multiple operating systems. System fonts are generally best suited for your PowerPoint presentations and their advantage is that all users can see and use them.

In summary:

A system font comes with your operating system and is available only on that operating system, while an installed font can be installed on multiple operating systems. System fonts are generally the most convenient for your PowerPoint presentations, but the least aesthetic.

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If you are looking to install custom fonts, find our article on How to install a font on PowerPoint.