US State Department's Font Face-lift: The Shift from Calibri to Times New Roman Explained

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US secretary of state Marco Rubio has ordered diplomats to return to using Times New Roman font in official communications, calling his predecessor’s decision to adopt Calibri a “wasteful” diversity move, an internal department cable reveals.

The department under Antony Blinken in early January 2023 switched to Calibri, a modern sans-serif font, saying this was a more accessible font for people with disabilities because it did not have the decorative angular features and was the default in Microsoft products.

A cable dated 9 December sent to all US diplomatic posts said that typography shapes the professionalism of an official document and Calibri is informal compared to serif typefaces.

“To restore decorum and professionalism to the Department’s written work products and abolish yet another wasteful DEIA programme, the Department is returning to Times New Roman as its standard typeface,” the cable said.

The directive to maintain a consistent and professional voice in all communications is part of the President’s One Voice for America’s Foreign Relations initiative. This initiative emphasizes the Department’s duty to present a coherent and unified narrative on the international stage, ensuring that all official statements reflect the administration’s policies and perspectives.

The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Some studies suggest that sans-serif fonts, such as Calibri, are easier to read for those with certain visual disabilities.

Upon assuming office in January, President Trump, a Republican, swiftly undertook measures to dismantle federal Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs. His administration actively discouraged these initiatives within both the private sector and educational institutions. This included mandates to terminate diversity officers at federal agencies and withdrawing grant funding from various programs that supported diversity efforts.

DEI policies became more widespread after nationwide protests in 2020 against police killings of unarmed Black people, spurring a conservative backlash. Trump and other critics of diversity initiatives say they are discriminatory against white people and men and have eroded merit-based decision-making.