The best fonts for email
The font you pick on your screen isn't always the font your reader sees. Choose one that every inbox already has, and your email looks the way you meant it to.
The safest email fonts are ones built into almost every computer and phone: Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, Georgia, Tahoma, Trebuchet MS and Times New Roman. Use 14 to 16 pixels for body text. Custom web fonts work in some apps, such as Apple Mail, but others like Gmail replace them, so always set a safe backup font.
Web-safe fonts for email
| Font | Type | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Arial | Sans-serif | Everyday and business email. Clean and neutral. |
| Helvetica | Sans-serif | Similar to Arial; standard on Apple devices. |
| Verdana | Sans-serif | Very readable at small sizes; wide letters. |
| Tahoma | Sans-serif | Compact and clear. |
| Trebuchet MS | Sans-serif | Friendly, a little more character. |
| Georgia | Serif | Newsletters and longer reading; classic feel. |
| Times New Roman | Serif | Formal letters; can look old-fashioned on screens. |
Sans-serif fonts are usually easier to read on phones and screens. Serif fonts suit headlines and formal or literary newsletters.
What font size to use
- Body text: 14 to 16 px. Smaller text is hard to read on phones.
- Headings: about 22 to 28 px.
- Line spacing: about 1.4 to 1.6 times the font size.
- Footer text: no smaller than 12 px.
Custom fonts and Google Fonts in email
Some email apps, including Apple Mail on Mac and iPhone, can load web fonts linked in the email. Many others, including Gmail, show their own default font instead. Classic Outlook for Windows can fall back to Times New Roman if a custom font fails and no backup is set.
The fix is a font stack: list your custom font first, then safe fonts, for example font-family: 'Lato', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;. Readers whose app can't load Lato see Arial instead.
Default fonts in Gmail and Outlook
- Gmail uses its own sans-serif font for messages you write. You can change your default under Settings → See all settings → General → Default text style.
- Outlook uses Aptos as its default font in newer versions of Microsoft 365, replacing Calibri. Change it in Outlook's settings under compose and reply, or Stationery and Fonts in classic Outlook.
Fonts for email signatures
Use the same web-safe font as your email body, at 12 to 14 px for contact details. Avoid script and decorative fonts: they are often replaced, and they make phone numbers hard to read. Build one with the free email signature generator or browse email signature examples.
Readability beats style
Dark text on a white background, short paragraphs and a single font family do more for an email than any typeface. Check how easy your email is to read with the free email readability checker, and see how to format an email.
Questions people ask
- What is the most professional font for email?
- Arial, Helvetica, Calibri or Aptos for sans-serif, or Georgia for serif. They are clean, familiar and display correctly almost everywhere.
- Can I use Google Fonts in emails?
- Yes, but only some apps, such as Apple Mail, will show them. Always list a web-safe backup font, such as Arial, after the Google Font.
- What font size should an email be?
- 14 to 16 px for body text, and about 22 to 28 px for headings.
- Why does my email font change when someone else opens it?
- Their email app doesn't have your font installed or doesn't load web fonts, so it substitutes another one. Use a web-safe font or a font stack to control what they see.