How can I set the default font?

[DavidWSnow]

On my Mac in the preferences for writer, I can set the default font to Noto Serif and point size, but there is no choice for regular, condensed, etc.

In new documents the default paragraph is Noto Serif Condensed and I can’t change it.

[Hrbrgr]

I think you should not change the “Default Paragraph Style”.
You should learn and consider which styles you need for which purposes.
The discussion about styles doesn’t lead anywhere as long as you don’t describe what exactly you want to achieve related to the text.
Read the various instructions before you continue to poke around in the fog.

Professional text composition with Writer

English documentation

[ajlittoz]

I assume you went to LibreOffice Writer>Basic Fonts (Western) where only the font face (and size) can be set but not the font style (weight or slant angle). You need to access a more exhaustive dialog.

You can do this by customising Default Paragraph Style. Your change will cascade to all other styles, except where this choice is overridden, i.e. in the styles enumerated in Basic Fonts (Western).

• open the style sidepane if not already displayed with Styles>Manage Styles (F11 will not work under MacOS because it is intercepted by the OS)
• right-click on Default Paragraph Style and Modify
• in the Font tab, select your preferred font face and style

Now, you probably asked becaused you want this to be the default whenever you create any new document. Your customisation must then be recorded in a template.

• create a new blank document with File>New>Text Document
• customise Default Paragraph Style (and any other built-in styles to your liking or add your user styles)
• File>Templates>Save as Template
  In this dialog, there is a Set as default template check box to make your new template the default for future documents.

[DavidWSnow]

Changing from “Condensed” to “Regular” in the “Default Paragraph Style” and saving it. Was the second thing I tried. It goes back to “Condensed” after the save.

There must be somewhere else to change this.

[ajlittoz]

You didn’t describe thoroughly how you proceed. Remember we aren’t behind you to see your keystrokes and other gestures. Did you really modify the style (and not just set the font with the menu in the toolbar)? Are you trying to create a new fresh document after the save? Have you failed to reconfigure the default template? Give maximum information and attach a sample document with a note telling what to look for.

[DavidWSnow]

1. Create a new text document from Writer
2. I modified, applied and closed the "Default Paragraph Style. On the screen it looked like I changed from “Condensed” to “Italic”.
3. When I try to modify it again and it is set to to “Condensed Italic”

It would “appear” that "Condensed is getting added to everything. Is there some place that font modifiers like “old style numbers” can be set?

I think that I will wipeout my profile and see of that helps.

[DavidWSnow]

1. I exited LO. I renamed the “user” profile, restarted LibreOffice Writer.
2. I set preferences for Name, Address Etc. Then set Writer’s Basic fonts to 11pt Noto Serif.
3. Opened a new document and looked the Default Paragraph Style. It was “Condensed”. Yuk

[ajlittoz]

I don’t think wiping out your profile will help.
Modifying Default Paragraph Style is not sufficient: it is stored in the current document. If you want this change to be available for new documents, you must make the change available to these documents (which are totally unrelated to the current document). This is why I described how to record it in a template and set it as THE default template. Failing this, you’ll get only the configuration coming from the current default template and the configuration for Basic Fonts (Western) which is kept inside your user profile.

Have you modified your default template?