Changing the Default Mozilla Thunderbird Message Font

Adjust the size, color, and style of your message text

By
Heinz Tschabitscher
Heinz Tschabitscher
Heinz Tschabitscher
Writer
  • University of Vienna
A former freelance contributor who has reviewed hundreds of email programs and services since 1997.
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Updated on April 12, 2021
Reviewed by
Jerrick Leger
Jerrick Leger headshot
Reviewed by Jerrick Leger
Jerrick Leger is a CompTIA-certified IT Specialist with more than 10 years' experience in technical support and IT fields. He is also a systems administrator for an IT firm in Texas serving small businesses.
lifewire's editorial guidelines

What to Know

  • Go to Menu > Account Settings > Composition & Addressing and make sure Compose messages in HTML format is checked.
  • Next, select Global Composing Preferences, choose General, then scroll down to Language & Appearance to adjust the font.
  • To change the font when composing a message, select Format > Font.

This article explains how to change the default font in Mozilla Thunderbird for composing new messages. The instructions below apply to Thunderbird for Windows, but the process is similar on Macs.

Change the Default Mozilla Thunderbird Message Font

To set your own default font for composing new messages in Mozilla Thunderbird:

  1. Select the menu icon (the three lines) in the upper-right corner, then select Account Settings.

    Account Settings in Mozilla Thunderbird

  2. Select Composition & Addressing under your email address in the left sidebar.

    Composition & Addressing in Mozilla Thunderbird Settings

  3. Make sure the Compose messages in HTML format box is checked, then select Global Composing Preferences.

    Compose messages in HTML format and Global Composing Preferences in Mozilla Thunderbird Settings

  4. Select General in the left sidebar, then scroll down to Language & Appearance to adjust the default font and text size.

    Language and Apperance in Mozilla Thunderbird settings

    Select Advanced under Fonts & Colors for more options, including fonts for different languages.

  5. Close the Thunderbird settings windows. The change takes effect the next time you compose a message.

It's also possible to change the font for incoming mail in Thunderbird if you want to make your messages easier to read.

Change the Font in Thunderbird Messages

To change the font for an individual email, compose your message and select Format > Font.

Format in the Mozilla Thunderbird message composition window
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