Changing the default text in a Google Doc

Did you know that you can permanently change the font and size of text in your Google Docs? This is great for students with vision impairments or Dyslexia, requiring varying fonts and font sizes than the default. Using the steps below, you can change it once instead of having to change it every time you open a new document!

1. Open a document in Google Docs.
2. Begin typing.
3. Highlight the text you want.
4. From the bar
5.  at the top of the page, select the font you want to add as the default.
6. Click FormatParagraph stylesNormal TextUpdate ‘Normal text’ to match.
7. With the text still highlighted, click FormatParagraph stylesOptionsSave as my default styles.

After the default font has been set, all new documents that you create will use this font unless you change the default option again.

_________________________

Our team often recommends using the Verdana font in size 14 (of course this is a student preference and not good for all students). We have also started recommending Muli. I don't believe this font has been included in any studies, but we like it because the "a" looks like a handwritten "a" rather than typewritten.

_________________________

Good Fonts for Dyslexia – An Experimental Study
Abigail Marshall August 22, 2013

To determine readability of text, the researchers measured both reading time, and fixation duration using eye tracking data, while subjects read carefully selected 60-word paragraphs. Subjects were also asked to indicate their own preferences, ranking each font on a 1 to 5 scale.

Use of the OpenDyslexic font did not enhance text readability or reading speed. The study participants strongly preferred Verdana or Helvetica over the OpenDyslexic alternative. Based on their findings, the researchers recommended Helvetica, Courier, Arial, Verdana and Computer Modern, based both on reading performance and subjective preference; and cautioned against the use of italic texts.