Farewell, Calibri: Introducing Aptos

Three years ago, Microsoft announced its intention to move away from using Calibri as the default font for Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and other apps in the suite formerly known as Microsoft Office, now known as Microsoft Office 365. After evaluating five candidate fonts, Aptos, formerly known as Bierstadt, has emerged as the winner.

What Is Aptos?

• Aptos is a sans-serif font family designed by Steve Matteson, who also created Times New Roman, Arial, and Courier New. Matteson also created the widely used Segoe font (Windows’ default system font since Vista and also part of Microsoft’s current logo).
• The main flavor of Aptos is described as “Helvetica” with “a bit of a human touch,” making it “more approachable and less institutional.”
• Aptos comes in various styles, including condensed, monospaced, and serifed versions.

Why the Change?

Microsoft hasn’t explicitly stated why it’s moving away from Calibri, but the change suggests that Aptos was crafted with more modern high-resolution, high-density displays in mind. When Calibri replaced Times New Roman as the default font in Microsoft Office 2007, “Retina” displays were not yet widespread, and 1024×768 and 1280×800 screens were the norm.

Implementation and Availability

The switch to Aptos has already begun for Microsoft 365 subscribers, including those at the university with the latest version of the Office 365 applications.

Conclusion

In summary, Aptos brings a fresh look to Microsoft Office, combining professionalism with a touch of humanity. As we bid farewell to Calibri, let’s welcome this new font family into our digital workspace.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact your Computer Support Specialist.