How to Embed Fonts in PowerPoint: Windows and Mac Steps, Greyed-Out Fixes and Fonts That Survive

Disclosure: NOXI publishes this guide and is one of the tools it mentions; the method works in any presentation software. Every fact about PowerPoint, Keynote, Google Slides, Google Fonts, Acrobat and WCAG was read on Microsoft's, Apple's, Google's, Adobe's and the W3C's own pages on 20 October 2026. Kite & Key Studio and its client in the worked example are fictional.

A deck that looked right on your laptop and wrong on the client's screen rarely has a broken file. PowerPoint simply could not find your font on their computer, so it used another one, and the new letters were wider, taller or missing characters. This guide explains the four reasons fonts change, gives the embedding steps for Windows, Mac and the web from Microsoft's own pages, decodes the licence levels that make the option fail, covers the Aptos change, Google Fonts, Google Slides, Keynote and PDF, and ends with a pre-send checklist and a worked audit of a 24-slide client deck.

Key numbers

Why PowerPoint fonts change on another computer

PowerPoint fonts change on another computer when the font is not installed there and not embedded in the file, so PowerPoint draws the text in a substitute font. Microsoft's own page says text in a font that is not installed displays in Times New Roman or the default font [5]. Four other causes produce the same symptom, and each has its own fix.

The flow below turns the table into three questions to ask before every send; if any answer fails, PowerPoint or the other app falls back to a font it has.

Why does my PowerPoint look different on another computer?

A PowerPoint usually looks different on another computer because of fonts: a missing font is replaced by one with different widths, so lines wrap, boxes overflow and slides shift. Check fonts first, then three non-font causes that look similar.

• Cloud fonts offline. Cloud fonts need an internet connection and a Microsoft 365 subscription; on Windows they also need Optional connected experiences turned on under File > Account > Manage Settings [4].
• An older Office version. Microsoft suggests embedding when you share with people on older versions of Office, because they may not have the fonts your version has [4].
• A different app. Keynote shows a missing-font notice when a presentation uses fonts that are not installed, and offers replacements under Format > Font > Replace Fonts [17]. Google Slides converts the file to its own format, and embedded charts and videos become images [14]. Decks exported from Canva are a common case; our guide to converting Canva to PowerPoint scores five routes and their font clean-up.

How to embed fonts in PowerPoint on Windows

To embed fonts in PowerPoint on Windows, open File > Options > Save, tick Embed fonts in the file under Preserve fidelity when sharing this presentation, choose Embed all characters, click OK and save the file. Microsoft lists this for PowerPoint for Microsoft 365, 2024, 2021, 2019 and 2016 [1].

1. Open the presentation and select File, then Options (near the bottom left).
2. In the left column, select Save.
3. At the bottom, under Preserve fidelity when sharing this presentation, tick Embed fonts in the file.
4. Choose Embed all characters (best for editing by other people) if anyone else will edit the deck; choose Embed only the characters used in the presentation only for a file nobody will change [1].
5. Select OK, then save the presentation. The setting belongs to this file, so repeat it in each deck you send.

If PowerPoint shows "Some of your fonts can't be saved with the presentation" when you save, one font in the deck is blocked by its licence or file type; the section on greyed-out embedding shows how to find it [2].

Embed only the characters used or all characters?

Embed all characters whenever someone else might edit the deck. Microsoft advises against Embed only the characters used: it makes the file smaller, but anyone who types a letter you did not use gets a substitute font for that letter [1].

Save PowerPoint with fonts: how to check it worked

A saved PowerPoint carries its fonts when the file opens with your typography on a computer that does not have them. Test it in four minutes before an important send.

1. Save the deck with embedding on and note the file size; Microsoft says the size increases somewhat when fonts are embedded [2].
2. Open the file on a second computer, or on yours after temporarily removing the custom font, and look for wrapped titles and overflowing boxes.
3. Type a new word in the embedded font to confirm the recipient can edit it.
4. If it fails, return to File > Options > Save; if PowerPoint warned about fonts when saving, go to the licence levels.

How to embed fonts in PowerPoint on Mac

You can embed fonts in PowerPoint on a Mac in PowerPoint for Microsoft 365 for Mac, PowerPoint 2024 for Mac and PowerPoint 2021 for Mac: open the PowerPoint menu > Preferences > Save, and tick Embed fonts in the file under Font Embedding [1][2]. Older answers that say Mac cannot embed fonts describe earlier Mac versions.

1. With the presentation open, select the PowerPoint menu at the top of the screen, then Preferences.
2. Under Output and Sharing, select Save [2].
3. Under Font Embedding, tick Embed fonts in the file. If the choice between all characters and only the characters used is offered, choose all characters for any file someone will edit [1].
4. Close the dialog and save the presentation.

On a Mac, install the font through Font Book first: double-click the .ttf or .otf file and select Install [5]. To check whether a font may be embedded, open Font Book, select the font and open its information panel; Microsoft notes that many fonts, but not all, show their embedding information there [1].

Microsoft's applies-to list for saving embedded fonts names the three Mac versions above and no older Mac version [1]. On a Mac running an older version, ask a colleague on Windows or a newer Mac to save the embedded copy, or replace the font with a cloud font.

Embed fonts in PowerPoint online, on iPad and on phones

Embedding fonts is a desktop setting: Microsoft's embedding page lists PowerPoint for Windows and Mac versions and no web or mobile version, so switch embedding on in desktop PowerPoint before the file goes online [1]. For decks edited in the browser or on phones, cloud fonts are the dependable choice.

• Cloud fonts work there. Microsoft's availability table marks cloud fonts as available in PowerPoint on Windows, macOS, the web, Android and iOS (with minimum build numbers for Windows, Mac and mobile) [4].
• Some desktop tools are missing on the web. Changing fonts throughout a presentation in Slide Master view is not available in PowerPoint for the web [6]; use the desktop app for a whole-deck font change.
• Test, then decide. If a deck with embedded custom fonts will be opened in the browser or on a phone, open it there yourself before you send. If the fonts do not hold, send a PDF for viewing and keep the .pptx for desktop editing.

Embed fonts greyed out or "can't be saved": the font embeddability levels

When PowerPoint will not embed a font, Microsoft gives two reasons: the font is an unsupported type, such as Adobe PostScript Type 1 or Apple Advanced Typography (AAT), or its creator did not grant permission to embed it, which cannot be changed for that font [2]. The permission is a setting inside the font file called its embeddability level.

Two further flags in the same field can block embedding: "No subsetting", which forbids embedding only the characters used, and "Bitmap embedding only", which makes a font with no bitmaps unembeddable [3]. Microsoft's own list on its embedding page uses the words Non-embeddable, Preview/Print, Editable and Installable for the same four levels [1].

How to check a font's embeddability on Windows and Mac

On Windows, search the taskbar for fonts, open the Fonts control panel, select the font and read Font embeddability in the details at the bottom; maximise the window if the detail is hidden [2]. On a Mac, open Font Book, select the font and open its information panel, where many fonts list whether they can be embedded [1]. Office cloud fonts do not appear in the Windows list, and they rarely need embedding because they download automatically [1].

What to do when the font will not embed

• Licence set to Restricted. Replace the font with Replace Fonts (next section). For a licensed brand font, ask the font's vendor whether a version or licence with embedding rights exists; the permission is the vendor's to grant [3].
• Wrong file type. Install the OpenType or TrueType version of the same family and remove the PostScript one; Microsoft recommends .otf or .ttf and advises avoiding .pfb and .pfm files [1].
• Preview/Print fonts. The deck will open, but recipients without the font cannot edit it [2]. Keep it only for decks that are presented or printed, never for a file a client must change.
• The warning persists after replacing. PowerPoint can keep reporting a font that is no longer used, especially one that supports a complex script such as Hebrew or Chinese; Microsoft's advice is to choose Save and continue [2].

PowerPoint Replace Fonts: swap a font across the whole deck

To replace a font throughout a PowerPoint on Windows, go to Home > Replace (in the Editing group) > Replace Fonts, pick the font to replace and the font to use instead, then select Replace and Close [6]. It changes every instance at once, including text you formatted by hand.

1. On the Home tab, in the Editing group, select Replace, then Replace Fonts.
2. In Replace, choose the font that will not embed or does not belong; the list shows every font the deck uses.
3. In With, choose an Editable, Installable or cloud font, select Replace, repeat for other fonts, then Close [6].
4. Fix the source too: open View > Slide Master, select the master, choose Fonts on the Slide Master tab and set the heading and body fonts, so new slides do not bring the old font back [6][8].

If the deck has several slide masters, which happens when slides come from more than one template, change the font on each master [6]; our guide to combining PowerPoint presentations covers cleaning up merged masters. In Keynote, the same job sits under Format > Font > Replace Fonts [17].

Replace Fonts not working? Check two things. A second slide master that still uses the old font brings it back on new slides, so look for extra masters in View > Slide Master [6]. And text that is part of a picture or a pasted object, such as a screenshot of a table, is not slide text at all; retype it or recreate the object.

How to use Google Fonts in PowerPoint, and fonts in Google Slides

To use a Google Font in PowerPoint, download the family from fonts.google.com, install it (double-click the .ttf or .otf file, then Install on Windows or in Font Book on a Mac), restart PowerPoint and embed all characters before you send [5][1]. Google says all Google Fonts are open source and free, including for commercial use [16].

• Licence. Most Google Fonts use the SIL Open Font License, some the Apache or Ubuntu Font licences, and Google Fonts adds new families only under the Open Font License [16]. Since November 2025, Google Sans and Google Sans Flex are also available under the Open Font License [16].
• Install the desktop file, not the web link. PowerPoint uses fonts installed in the operating system, not fonts linked on a website [5].
• Embed. A Google Font is not an Office cloud font, so a recipient who has not installed it sees a substitute unless you embed it [5][1].
• Google Fonts not showing in PowerPoint? Close and reopen PowerPoint after installing. If letters still look wrong, Google's FAQ describes stale font caches: remove all files of that family, reboot, then install the latest files [16].

Can you embed fonts in Google Slides?

Google's help pages document no font-embedding setting in Google Slides. Slides uses the fonts in its own font menu, and you add more Google Fonts by opening the Font menu, choosing More fonts and selecting families, which then appear under My fonts [15].

That has two consequences for PowerPoint files. When you open a .pptx in Google Slides, it is converted (up to 100 MB per presentation) and the text is drawn in fonts Slides has [13][14], so a custom font a designer embedded in PowerPoint is not something to rely on there. And when a deck must look the same in Slides and PowerPoint, choose a family both offer, for example one available in Google Fonts that you also install on the PowerPoint computers. Our comparison of Google Slides and PowerPoint covers the other differences.

Aptos vs Calibri: what changed in Office's default theme

Aptos replaced Calibri as the default font in Office; Microsoft's New Office theme page states that Aptos is the default font across all of Office, and renames the previous theme "Office Theme 2013–2022" [9]. Calibri had been Microsoft's default for 15 years when the change began in July 2023 [10].

Why your deck changed look. A template built on the default theme fonts shows Aptos in new decks, because the theme fonts changed, not your file. A deck you formatted with Calibri by name keeps Calibri.

How to keep the Calibri look. Either apply the "Office Theme 2013–2022" from the theme gallery [9], or open View > Slide Master, choose Fonts, then Customize Fonts, set Calibri Light and Calibri as heading and body fonts and save the pair under a name [7][8]. Save the result as a template if every new deck should start that way [8].

Does Aptos need embedding? Not for recipients on Microsoft 365 who are online, because Aptos is a cloud font [4]. For recipients on older versions of Office or offline, Microsoft's general advice applies: embed fonts to preserve the layout [4]. The New Office theme page also links to a download of the Aptos font [9].

Fonts that survive: cloud fonts, system fonts and best fonts for presentations

The best fonts for presentations that travel are the ones the recipient already has: Microsoft's cloud fonts for Microsoft 365 users, fonts installed with the operating system, or an open-licence family you embed with all characters. Taste matters second; survival matters first.

For readability, Microsoft's accessibility guidance recommends sans serif fonts and names familiar ones such as Arial or Calibri to reduce the reading load [11]. For choosing a typeface pair and sizes that look professional, see our professional presentation design rules; this guide only covers which fonts make it to the other screen.

Best sans serif fonts for presentations that travel

A sans serif family with regular, semibold and bold weights, a clear distinction between capital I, lowercase l and the number 1, and a version in Microsoft's cloud list or on Google Fonts covers most decks. Aptos, Segoe UI, Verdana and Arial are in the cloud list [4]; Inter, Open Sans, Source Sans 3 and Noto Sans are open-licence families on Google Fonts. Test any choice at 18 pt on the projector before you commit.

Font size for presentations: titles, body text and the minimum

Keep presentation text at 18 pt or larger, which is Microsoft's accessibility recommendation for PowerPoint [11], and give normal text a contrast of at least 4.5:1 against its background, the WCAG 2.2 minimum [12]. Titles and body text sit well above that floor; the table gives working sizes for a 16:9 slide.

The sizes above 18 pt in the table are our working rules, not a standard. WCAG sets no minimum font size; its 18 pt and 14 pt bold values only decide which text counts as "large" for contrast, and the W3C gives about 24 px and 18.5 px as their web equivalents [12]. For the full accessibility pass, including reading order and alt text, see our presentation accessibility checklist.

Font size for a projector. Projectors wash out thin strokes and light greys first. Use regular or semibold weights rather than light ones for body text, keep body text at 24 pt or above, and check contrast with a contrast checker rather than by eye: the light grey #999999 on white is 2.85:1, below even the 3:1 for large text, while #595959 on white is 7.0:1 [12].

Fonts in PDF exports: why a PDF can still swap fonts

A PDF keeps your fonts only when they are embedded in the PDF, and a font can be embedded only if its vendor's setting permits it; otherwise the reader's software substitutes a font, which cannot always match the original shapes [18]. A PDF is the safest file for viewing, but it inherits the licence problem.

• Before exporting. Replace any Restricted font in PowerPoint first; a font the licence blocks will not appear in the PDF either [18][2].
• Online conversion. Microsoft notes that embedding custom fonts in the presentation helps its online conversion to PDF use those fonts and avoid substitution, as long as the fonts can be saved with the presentation [1].
• Check the PDF. In Acrobat, open Document Properties (Menu on Windows, File on macOS) and select the Fonts tab to see which fonts the PDF contains [18].
• Subsets are normal. A PDF may embed the whole font or a subset with only the characters used [18]; a subset is fine for a file that will not be edited.

Adobe's page on font embedding in PDFs was last updated on 23 September 2025 and also notes that embedding slightly increases file size [18].

Arabic fonts for PowerPoint: which to use and how to embed them

For Arabic in PowerPoint, use an Arabic font that is either a Microsoft cloud font, such as Dubai, Sakkal Majalla, Simplified Arabic, Traditional Arabic, Arabic Typesetting or Aldhabi [4], or an open-licence family such as Noto Sans Arabic, IBM Plex Sans Arabic, Cairo or Tajawal, installed and embedded with all characters [16][1].

• Embed all characters. Arabic letters change shape by position in a word, so a subset of "characters used" is a poor bet for a deck someone will edit [1].
• Check the Latin side. In a mixed Arabic–English deck, make sure the Arabic font's Latin letters and digits suit your English text, or pair it with a Latin family deliberately.
• Coverage. Google's Noto collection covers more than 1,000 languages and over 150 writing systems, which helps when a deck mixes scripts [16].
• Lingering warnings. PowerPoint can keep reporting a complex-script font after you replace it; Microsoft says to choose Save and continue [2].

Direction, numerals and mirrored layouts matter as much as the font in a two-language deck; our guide to bilingual Arabic–English presentations covers them, and our comparison of ways to translate a PowerPoint covers turning an English deck into Arabic.

Before you send: the seven-point font checklist

Run seven checks before a deck leaves your computer: list the fonts, sort them into cloud, embeddable and blocked, replace the blocked ones, embed all characters, check sizes and contrast, test on a second device, and decide which file the recipient gets. Each check has a pass rule.

Worked example: a font audit of a 24-slide client deck

The worked example takes a fictional studio's 24-slide client deck through the seven checks: five font families become four, two are embedded, the file grows by 1.9 MB (15.8%), and eleven captions move from 12 pt to 18 pt. Every number is calculated in the open.

What the studio would do differently. Checking Marlowe Display's embeddability before designing with it would have saved the replacement step. The 1.9 MB is the price of the client editing in the studio's fonts, and at 13.9 MB the file stays far below the 100 MB Google Slides conversion limit if the client ever opens it there [13].

The studio also turned the audit into a short eight-slide deck built in NOXI, sent with the file so the client's team knows which copy to open.

Here are two slides from this article's worked example, as NOXI built them, unedited.

Three prompts for clean fonts in NOXI

These prompts cover the jobs from this guide in NOXI: a Fix formatting brief for a deck whose fonts are a mess, a follow-up edit for sizes and contrast, and a short deck that explains a font audit to a client. Replace the bracketed parts.

Build it in NOXI: six steps

These six steps run one flow, Fix formatting, on a deck whose fonts and spacing have drifted; a full deck uses about 25 of the 1,000 monthly credits, and the file you download carries its fonts.

Frequently asked questions

How do I embed fonts in PowerPoint?

On Windows, select File, then Options, then Save. Under Preserve fidelity when sharing this presentation, tick Embed fonts in the file, choose Embed all characters if anyone else will edit the deck, select OK and save. The setting applies to that file only, so switch it on in every presentation you send.

How do I embed fonts in PowerPoint on a Mac?

Open the PowerPoint menu, choose Preferences, then Save under Output and Sharing, and tick Embed fonts in the file under Font Embedding. Microsoft lists font embedding for PowerPoint for Microsoft 365 for Mac, PowerPoint 2024 for Mac and PowerPoint 2021 for Mac. On older Mac versions, save the embedded copy on a newer version.

Why is Embed fonts in the file greyed out or not working?

Embedding fails when a font is an unsupported type, such as PostScript Type 1 or AAT, or when its maker set it to Restricted, which cannot be changed. Check Font embeddability in the Windows Fonts control panel, then replace blocked fonts with Home, Replace, Replace Fonts. Microsoft documents the embedding option for desktop PowerPoint only.

Why do my PowerPoint fonts change on another computer?

The other computer does not have your font and the file does not carry it, so PowerPoint substitutes Times New Roman or the default font, and the wider letters make text wrap and overflow. Embed the font with all characters, use a cloud font such as Aptos, or send a PDF to people who only need to view the deck.

Should I embed all characters or only the characters used?

Embed all characters whenever someone else might edit the deck; Microsoft calls it best for editing by other people. Embedding only the characters used keeps the file smaller, but any new letter the recipient types falls back to a different font. Reserve that option for a final deck that will only be presented or printed.

Can you embed fonts in Google Slides?

Google's help pages document no font-embedding setting in Google Slides. Slides uses the fonts in its own menu, and you add Google Fonts through Font, More fonts. A PowerPoint file opened in Slides is converted, up to 100 MB, and drawn in fonts Slides has, so choose a family both apps offer when a deck must work in both.

How do I use Google Fonts in PowerPoint?

Download the family from fonts.google.com, install the .ttf or .otf files in Windows or in Font Book on a Mac, and restart PowerPoint so the font appears in the list. Google says its fonts are open source and free for commercial use. Embed all characters before sending, because recipients will not have the font installed.

What is the difference between Aptos and Calibri?

Aptos replaced Calibri as the default font across Office; Calibri had been Microsoft's default for 15 years when the switch began in July 2023. Aptos, first called Bierstadt, was chosen from five fonts Microsoft commissioned. Both are cloud fonts, and the previous look survives as the theme named Office Theme 2013–2022.

What is the best font size for a presentation?

Keep text at 18 pt or larger, which Microsoft's PowerPoint accessibility guidance recommends, and aim for body text of 24 to 28 pt and titles of 32 to 44 pt on a 16:9 slide. Pair size with contrast: WCAG 2.2 asks for 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for text of 18 pt or larger.

Do embedded fonts make PowerPoint files bigger?

Yes. Microsoft says the file size increases somewhat when fonts are embedded, and some fonts are much larger than others. In our fictional example, embedding two families with all characters took a 12.0 MB deck to 13.9 MB, 15.8% larger. If size matters, pick a smaller font or rely on cloud fonts for Microsoft 365 recipients.

Changelog

• 20 October 2026. First edition: embedding steps for Windows and Mac, the four embeddability levels with their OpenType values, the Aptos timeline, Google Fonts and Google Slides, PDF and Arabic fonts, a seven-point pre-send checklist and a worked audit, all from official pages opened on 20 October 2026.

Sources & methodology

How this guide was made: every fact about PowerPoint, Keynote, Google Slides, Google Fonts, Acrobat and WCAG was read on Microsoft's, Apple's, Google's, Adobe's and the W3C's own help, specification or announcement pages, opened on 20 October 2026 (pages that render by script were read in a browser). Size ranges above 18 pt and the pre-send checklist are our editorial rules. Kite & Key Studio, Harbor Lane Hotels and the Marlowe Display font are fictional.

• [1] Windows embedding steps, the two character options and Microsoft's recommendation, Mac versions that embed, embeddability level names, OTF/TTF advice, cloud fonts and online PDF conversion — Microsoft Support, Benefits of embedding custom fonts; checked 20 October 2026.
• [2] Two reasons a font cannot be embedded, Font embeddability values and their meanings, the Mac Preferences path, effects on file size, and the complex-script warning — Microsoft Support, Some of your fonts can't be saved with the presentation; checked 20 October 2026.
• [3] fsType embedding values 0, 2, 4 and 8, no-subsetting and bitmap-only flags — Microsoft Learn, OpenType specification 1.9.1, OS/2 and Windows metrics table; checked 20 October 2026.
• [4] Cloud fonts definition, availability by app and platform, subscription and connection requirements, embedding for older versions, and the cloud font list incl. Aptos and Arabic families (last updated 12 March 2025) — Microsoft Support, Cloud fonts in Office; checked 20 October 2026.
• [5] Installing custom fonts on Windows and Mac, and substitution by Times New Roman or the default font — Microsoft Support, Download and install custom fonts to use with Office; checked 20 October 2026.
• [6] Replace Fonts, slide master fonts, multiple masters, and no whole-deck font change in PowerPoint for the web — Microsoft Support, Change the fonts in a presentation; checked 20 October 2026.
• [7] Theme fonts update all title and bullet text; Customize Fonts and Create New Theme Fonts — Microsoft Support, Create your own theme in PowerPoint; checked 20 October 2026.
• [8] Default fonts through the slide master and saving them in a template — Microsoft Support, Change the default font in PowerPoint; checked 20 October 2026.
• [9] Aptos as the default font across Office and the "Office Theme 2013–2022" (© Microsoft 2026) — Microsoft Support, New Office theme; checked 20 October 2026.
• [10] Five commissioned fonts, Bierstadt renamed Aptos, Calibri's 15 years and the rollout (19 July 2023) — Microsoft Design, A change of typeface: Microsoft's new default font has arrived; checked 20 October 2026.
• [11] 18 pt or larger, sans serif fonts and familiar fonts such as Arial or Calibri — Microsoft Support, Make your PowerPoint presentations accessible to people with disabilities; checked 20 October 2026.
• [12] Contrast of 4.5:1 and 3:1, large text at 18 pt or 14 pt bold and its px equivalents — W3C, Understanding WCAG 2.2 Success Criterion 1.4.3 Contrast (Minimum); checked 20 October 2026.
• [13] Up to 100 MB for presentations converted to Google Slides — Google Drive Help, Files you can store in Google Drive; checked 20 October 2026.
• [14] PowerPoint formats converted to Slides; embedded charts and videos converted to images — Google Docs Editors Help, Work with Office files; checked 20 October 2026.
• [15] Adding fonts through Font > More fonts and My fonts in Docs, Sheets and Slides (13 August 2019) — Google Workspace Updates, New fonts intended to help improve reading speed; checked 20 October 2026.
• [16] Open-source, free and commercial use, licences, Noto coverage, Google Sans under the Open Font License since November 2025, and stale font caches — Google Fonts, Frequently Asked Questions; checked 20 October 2026.
• [17] Missing-font notice and Format > Font > Replace Fonts in Keynote — Apple, Keynote User Guide for Mac: Open or close a presentation; checked 20 October 2026.
• [18] Embedding in PDFs requires the vendor's permission, substitution, subsets, file size and the Fonts tab in Document Properties (last updated 23 September 2025) — Adobe, Embedding fonts in PDFs overview; checked 20 October 2026.
• [19] NOXI Fix formatting, upload limit, monthly credits and PowerPoint export with embedded fonts — NOXI, product site; checked 20 October 2026.

Embed the fonts, check the licence, test on a second screen. If a deck's typography has drifted beyond a quick fix, NOXI can recreate it with consistent fonts and spacing and give it back as an editable PowerPoint with the fonts embedded, free.