The U.S. State Department has reversed a font change implemented during the previous administration, directing a return to Times New Roman for all official documents. This directive, issued by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, mandates the use of Times New Roman 14-point font, effective Wednesday, according to a State Department statement provided to NPR.
Background of the Font Change
Times New Roman served as the State Department's official font for nearly two decades, from 2004 until 2023. In 2023, then-Secretary of State Antony Blinken implemented a change to Calibri.
The State Department stated that consistent formatting "strengthens credibility and supports a unified Department identity." According to the Associated Press, Secretary Rubio indicated in a cable to U.S. embassies and consulates that the 2023 change was considered part of what he described as "misguided diversity, equity and inclusion policies."
Font Characteristics and Accessibility Considerations
Calibri is a sans-serif font, characterized by the absence of decorative strokes at the ends of its letters. In contrast, Times New Roman is a serif font, which includes these decorative elements.
Kristen Shinohara, who leads the Center for Accessibility and Inclusion Research at the Rochester Institute of Technology, explained that serif fonts can be more challenging to read for individuals with learning or reading disabilities, such as dyslexia, or for those with low vision. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) mandates the use of sans-serif fonts for physical signage and display screens due to their enhanced legibility in those contexts. However, serif fonts, including Times New Roman, remain standard in print media such as newspapers, books, and legal documents.
The State Department's statement affirmed that Times New Roman and serif fonts generally are perceived as "more formal and professional." The department did not address inquiries regarding potential impacts on accessibility.
Times New Roman was originally designed for the British newspaper The Times in the 1920s. It became the default font for Microsoft programs like Word in the 1990s before being replaced by Calibri in 2007, a font designed with screen display in mind. Microsoft itself replaced Calibri with the sans-serif font Aptos in 2023.
Broader Policy Context
Secretary Rubio's memo referred to the 2023 font change as "another wasteful DEIA program," asserting that it did not lead to a significant reduction in the department's accessibility-based document remediation cases, as reported by Reuters and The Associated Press.
The current administration has previously implemented changes affecting diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. This has included executive orders dismantling DEI programs within federal agencies and other sectors. Secretary Rubio's tenure at the State Department has also involved the abolition of offices and initiatives related to inclusion and diversity.
The State Department indicated that the return to Times New Roman aligns with the administration's "One Voice for America's Foreign Relations" directive from February, which underscores "responsibility to present a unified, professional voice in all communications." This decision is consistent with broader administrative preferences for certain aesthetic and traditional styles, as seen in previous directives concerning federal building architecture and other design elements.
Previous administrations have also issued directives concerning language use within federal departments. For example, the Department of Health and Human Services removed web pages related to LGBTQ health and HIV, and the Department of Energy instructed personnel to avoid terms such as "climate change." Additionally, court filings have shown a list of words, including "disability," "race," and "women," that federal Head Start programs were instructed not to use.