Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. If you are using a later version (Word 2007 or later), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for later versions of Word, click here: Embedding TrueType Fonts by Default.

Embedding TrueType Fonts by Default

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated June 25, 2022)
This tip applies to Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003


Like many Word users, Don uses TrueType fonts extensively in his documents. When preparing documents to be used by others, he routinely sets the document to embed TrueType fonts. Since doing this for every document is a bit laborious, Don wondered if there was a way to set font embedding so that it was on, by default, for all documents.

Embedding TrueType fonts is done by choosing Tools | Options | Save, and then setting the embedding options on the dialog box. (See Figure 1.) This setting is persistent for a single document, meaning that when you save a document, the settings related to font embedding are saved with it. Because of this, you can change the setting in a template, and it will affect all the documents that are created based upon that template. Just load the template (even the Normal template), change the embedding options, and save the template.

Figure 1. The Save tab of the Options dialog box.

Remember that this approach affects only new documents based on the template. They will all have the embedding turned on, but existing documents to which the template is attached will not be affected. Why? Because the document already has the font embedding settings turned off, and the document setting overrides the template setting.

There is one caveat to all this—remember that turning on font embedding can increase the size of your documents, sometimes dramatically. If you change a template so that it has embedding turned on by default, this means that all your documents created from that template will be larger than they would otherwise be—perhaps unnecessarily so. You'll need to take pains to turn off font embedding on those documents where it is not specifically needed, in order to minimize document size.

If the main problem is setting the embedding options the way you want, you could create a macro that sets them for you. This would not be a difficult macro, and it could be assigned to a shortcut key or to a toolbar button—one click, and the options are properly set for the document that is open. The following is an example of a macro that turns on font embedding:

Sub EmbedTrueType()
    With ActiveDocument
        .EmbedTrueTypeFonts = True
        .SaveSubsetFonts = False
        .DoNotEmbedSystemFonts = True
    End With
End Sub

This macro sets all three options related to font embedding. If you want the settings to be different, you can change the True/False settings for each option. (Of course, you'll need to make sure that the .EmbedTrueTypeFonts property is always set to True in order to actually embed the fonts.)

Note:

If you would like to know how to use the macros described on this page (or on any other page on the WordTips sites), I've prepared a special page that includes helpful information. Click here to open that special page in a new browser tab.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (231) applies to Microsoft Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. You can find a version of this tip for the ribbon interface of Word (Word 2007 and later) here: Embedding TrueType Fonts by Default.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. ...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Using the Spike to Edit

Most Word users are proficient in cutting and pasting text using the Clipboard. One of the lesser-known editing tools, ...

Discover More

Removing All Comments

Need to get rid of all the comments in your document? You can do so by using the regular Find and Replace feature of Word.

Discover More

Adding Individual Styles to the Template

One of the things you can store within templates are styles. When you use styles, it is critical that you understand how ...

Discover More

Learning Made Easy! Quickly teach yourself how to format, publish, and share your content using Word 2013. With Step by Step, you set the pace, building and practicing the skills you need, just when you need them! Check out Microsoft Word 2013 Step by Step today!

More WordTips (menu)

Determining if a Document is Corrupt

Think you might have a corrupt document? There is no easy way to tell if this is the case, but there are some things you ...

Discover More

Saving in MS-DOS Text Mode

Over the years Microsoft has made changes in Word. One change is to the import and export filters provided with the ...

Discover More

Marking Multiple Documents

After using Word for a while, it is easy to accumulate quite a few documents. At some point you may want to make a change ...

Discover More
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is six minus 6?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)


This Site

Got a version of Word that uses the menu interface (Word 97, Word 2000, Word 2002, or Word 2003)? This site is for you! If you use a later version of Word, visit our WordTips site focusing on the ribbon interface.

Videos
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

View the most recent newsletter.