font classic thesis

Classic Thesis Style v4.2 by André Miede

This is an easy to use LaTeX template for a PhD or masters thesis, and it is also well suited to a report or book. It provides a classic, professional-quality typographic style that is influenced by Bringhurt’s The Elements of Typographic Style . This Thesis LaTeX template should allow anyone to create a beautiful document with ease.

This is Classic Thesis Style v4.2, originally published on ShareLaTeX and subsequently moved to Overleaf in December 2019.

Have you checked our knowledge base ?

Message sent! Our team will review it and reply by email.

What font should I choose for my thesis?

This post is by DrJanene Carey, a freelance writer and editor based in Armidale NSW. She occasionally teaches academic writing at the University of New England and often edits academic theses, articles and reports. Her website is http://www.janenecarey.com

Arguably, this question is a classic time waster and the student who poses it should be told to just get on with writing up their research. But as someone who edits theses for a living, I think a bit of time spent on fonts is part of the process of buffing and polishing what is, after all, one of the most important documents you will ever produce. Just bear in mind that there is no need to immerse yourself so deeply in the topic that you start quibbling about whether it’s a font or a typeface that you are choosing .

Times New Roman is the standard choice for academic documents, and the thesis preparation guidelines of some universities stipulate its use. For many years, it was the default body text for Microsoft Word. With the release of Office 2007, the default became a sans serif typeface called Calibri. Lacking the little projecting bits (serifs) at the end of characters makes Calibri and its many friends, such as Arial, Helvetica and Verdana, look smoother and clearer on a screen, but generally makes them less readable than a serif typeface when used for printed text . The other problem with choosing a sans serif for your body text is that if you want passages in italics (for example, lengthy participant quotes) often this will be displayed as slanted letters, rather than as a true italic font.

You would like your examiners to feel as comfortable as possible while their eyes are traversing the many, many pages of your thesis, so maximising legibility and readability is a good idea. Times New Roman is ubiquitous and familiar, which means it is probably the safest option, but it does have a couple of drawbacks. Originally designed for The Times in London, its characters are slightly narrowed, so that more of them can be squished into a newspaper column. Secondly, some people intensely dislike TNR because they think it has been overused, and regard it as the font you choose when you are not choosing a font .

If you do have the luxury of choice (your university doesn’t insist you use Times New Roman, and you have defined document styles that are easy to modify, and there’s enough time left before the submission deadline) then I think it is worth considering what other typefaces might work well with your thesis. I’m not a typographical expert, but I have the following suggestions.

• Don’t use Calibri, or any other sans serif font, for your body text, though it is fine for headings. Most people agree that dense chunks of printed text are easier to read if the font is serif, and examiners are likely to expect a typeface that doesn’t stray too far from the standard. To my eye, Calibri looks a little too casual for the body of a thesis.
• Typefaces like Garamond, Palatino, Century Schoolbook, Georgia, Minion Pro, Cambria and Constantia are all perfectly acceptable, and they come with Microsoft Word. However, some of them (Georgia and Constantia, for example) feature non-lining numerals, which means that instead of all sitting neatly on the base line, some will stand higher or lower than others, just like letters do. This looks nice when they are integrated with the text, but it is probably not what you want for a tabular display.
• Consider using a different typeface for your headings. It will make them more prominent, which enhances overall readability because the eye scanning the pages can quickly take in the hierarchy of ideas. The easiest way to get a good contrast with your serif body text is to have sans serif headings. Popular combinations are Garamond/Helvetica; Minion Pro/Myriad Pro; Times New Roman/Arial Narrow. But don’t create a dog’s breakfast by having more than two typefaces in your thesis – use point sizes, bold and italics for variety.

Of late, I’ve become quite fond of Constantia. It’s an attractive serif typeface that came out with Office 2007 at the same time as Calibri, and was specifically designed to look good in print and on screen. Increasingly, theses will be read in PDF rather than book format, so screen readability is an important consideration.  Asked to review Microsoft’s six new ClearType fonts prior to their release, typographer Raph Levien said Constantia was likely to be everyone’s favourite, because ‘Even though it’s a highly readable Roman font departing only slightly from the classical model, it still manages to be fresh and new.’

By default, Constantia has non-lining numerals, but from Word 2010 onwards you can set them to be lining via the advanced font/number forms option, either throughout your document or in specific sections, such as within tables.

Here is an excerpt from a thesis, shown twice with different typefaces. The first excerpt features Calibri headings with Constantia body text, and the second has that old favourite, Times New Roman. As these examples have been rendered as screenshots, you will get a better idea of how the fonts actually look if you try them on your own computer and printer.

Related posts

Should I get an editor for my thesis?

Love the Thesis whisperer and want it to continue? Consider becoming a $1 a month Patreon and get special, Patreon only, extra Thesiswhisperer content every two weeks!

Share this:

The Thesis Whisperer is written by Professor Inger Mewburn, director of researcher development at The Australian National University . New posts on the first Wednesday of the month. Subscribe by email below. Visit the About page to find out more about me, my podcasts and books. I'm on most social media platforms as @thesiswhisperer. The best places to talk to me are LinkedIn , Mastodon and Threads.

• Post (606)
• Page (16)
• Product (5)
• Getting things done (257)
• Miscellany (137)
• On Writing (137)
• Your Career (113)
• You and your supervisor (67)
• Writing (48)
• productivity (23)
• consulting (13)
• TWC (13)
• supervision (12)
• 2024 (3)
• 2023 (12)
• 2022 (11)
• 2021 (15)
• 2020 (22)

Whisper to me....

Enter your email address to get posts by email.

Email Address

Sign me up!

• On the reg: a podcast with @jasondowns
• Thesis Whisperer on Facebook
• Thesis Whisperer on Instagram
• Thesis Whisperer on Soundcloud
• Thesis Whisperer on Youtube
• Thesiswhisperer on Mastodon
• Thesiswhisperer page on LinkedIn
• Thesiswhisperer Podcast
• 12,088,371 hits

Discover more from The Thesis Whisperer

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Type your email…

Continue reading

• Color Palettes
• Superhero Fonts
• Gaming Fonts
• Brand Fonts
• Fonts from Movies
• Similar Fonts
• What’s That Font
• Photoshop Resources
• Slide Templates
• Fast Food Logos
• Superhero logos
• Tech company logos
• Shoe Brand Logos
• Motorcycle Logos
• Grocery Store Logos
• Beer Brand Ads
• Car Brand Ads
• Fashion Brand Ads
• Fast Food Brand Ads
• Shoe Brand Ads
• Tech Company Ads
• Web and mobile design
• Digital art
• Motion graphics
• Infographics
• Photography
• Interior design
• Design Roles
• Tools and apps
• CSS & HTML
• Program interfaces
• Drawing tutorials

The Bethesda Logo History, Colors, Font,

Out of This World: Space Color

The Bungie Logo History, Colors, Font,

After Dark: Night Color Palettes for

Design Your Way is a brand owned by SBC Design Net SRL Str. Caminului 30, Bl D3, Sc A Bucharest, Romania Registration number RO32743054 But you’ll also find us on Blvd. Ion Mihalache 15-17 at Mindspace Victoriei

[email protected]

Academic Appeal: The 11 Best Fonts for Academic Papers

• BY Bogdan Sandu
• 26 February 2024

Imagine settling into the rhythm of crafting your academic magnum opus—the words flow, ideas chime, yet it all hinges on how your prose meets the reader’s eye. You’re well aware that  the best fonts for academic papers  don’t just whisper to the intellect; they shout to the discerning critic in each evaluator. Here unfolds a narrative, not merely of  typography  but your academic saga’s silent ambassador.

In forging this guide, I’ve honed focus on one pivotal, often underestimated player in the academic arena:  font selection .

Navigate through this roadmap and emerge with a treasure trove of  legible typefaces  and format tips that ensure your paper stands hallmark to clarity and professionalism.

Absorb insights—from the revered  Times New Roman  to the understated elegance of  Arial —paired with indispensable  formatting nuggets  that transcend mere compliance with  university guidelines .

Dive deep, and by article’s end, unlock a dossier of sage advice, setting your documents a class apart in the scrutinous world of academic scrutiny. Here’s to  typography  serving not just as a vessel but as your ally in the scholarly discourse.

The Best Fonts for Academic Papers

Traditional choices and their limitations, times new roman : ubiquity and readability vs. overuse.

Times New Roman’s historical significance and widespread use

And then there’s Times New Roman. The OG of academic fonts. It’s got history, it’s got style, and yes, it’s everywhere, but that’s because it works. It’s like the classic blue jeans of fonts – you just can’t go wrong with it.

FAQ On The Best Fonts For Academic Papers

What’s the best font for readability in academic papers.

Serif fonts  rule the academic roost for legibility.  Times New Roman  stands out; it’s visually comfortable for long reads—your thesis panel will thank you. Serifs guide the reader’s eye along lines of text, a scholarly norm.

Can I use sans-serif fonts for my dissertation?

Most committees nod approval at  sans-serif fonts  for figures and tables. Think  Arial  or  Calibri —crisp for data presentation. Main text? Stick to serifs. Sans-serifs are modern, sure, but tradition wins in dissertation style.

Is there an ideal font size for academic documents?

Size 12 strikes a balance—neither squint-inducing nor space-hogging. It’s the go-to for  MLA and APA guidelines . Exceptions exist; footnotes and figure text often shrink to  size 10  without side-eye from the scholarly crowd.

Does line spacing matter in academic papers?

Absolutely. Double-spacing is your friend here. It allows breathing room for annotations and comments—a courtesy to readers and graders. Plus,  formatting guidelines  generally mandate it for everything except block quotations, footnotes, and bibliographic entries.

Should I use different fonts for headings and subheadings?

Consistency  is key but differentiate hierarchically. Use  bold or italics  for distinction, maintaining the same font family. This unifies the document while subtly navigating readers through your paper’s structure.

What’s the most accepted font for academic journal submissions?

Journals often have  publisher requirements — Times New Roman, 12-point  font frequently tops the list. When in doubt, consult the submission guidelines to avoid the faux pas of using a non-standard font.

What are some lesser-known fonts suitable for academic writing?

Branch out with  Garamond —it’s elegant and legible.  Book Antiqua  also offers that classic vibe without being overused. Exploring beyond  Microsoft Word’s  default list can distinguish your work subtly yet effectively.

How crucial is font choice in peer-reviewed papers?

Font choice is your paper’s handshakes—first impressions matter.  Legible typefaces  support peer reviewers in engaging thoroughly with content. Underestimating font’s impact is akin to ignoring the dress code at a gala—noticeable and potentially distracting.

Do different academic fields prefer specific fonts?

Indeed, fields pivot on tradition. Humanities often herald  Times New Roman ; STEM fields lean into  Arial’s clean lines  for clarity in data-driven documents. Match your font to the field’s ethos.

Can I be creative with fonts in my academic paper?

Creativity in academics lives in content, less in formatting. Keep the font choice within the bounds of  readability  and  academic institution guidelines . Let your research shout, not your typeface. Originality lands in your discoveries, not font escapades.

Stepping back, eyeing the canvas of our discourse on  the best fonts for academic papers , it’s clear:  Typography  wields quiet power—shaping perception, ensuring clarity, the unsung hero in the story of academic success.  Serif fonts —with Times New Roman at the helm—have held the baton in traditional scholarly compositions, swaying with the rhythm of  legibility  and  convention .

Yet, amidst the staccato of intellectual exchange, the modern beats of  Arial  and  Calibri  press forth—bringing sleekness to tables and lucidity to data. Foreground this takeaway: your words, the intense research, the hypotheses—they’re the protagonists.  Fonts , however, set the stage, inviting eyes to linger longer, to comprehend without strain.

So, equip your arsenal with the  typographic titans  treasured in these halls of learning. Their silent echo underscores your voice, bearing it aloft through the critical gaze of peers and mentors. With this map in hand, chart a course through the vast sea of academia—poised to make your indelible mark.

If you liked this article about  the best fonts for academic papers , you should check out this article about  the best fonts for accessibility .

There are also similar articles discussing  the best fonts for children’s books ,  the best fonts for neon signs ,  the best fonts for vinyl lettering , and  the best fonts for invitations .

And let’s not forget about articles on  the best fonts for Google Slides ,  the best fonts for mobile apps ,  the best fonts for blogs , and  the best fonts for magazines .

• Recent Posts

The Pittsburgh Penguins Logo History, Colors, Font, And Meaning

The dallas stars logo history, colors, font, and meaning.

You may also like

Ad Impact: The 19 Best Fonts for Advertising

• Bogdan Sandu
• 20 December 2023

T-Shirt Typography: 30 Best Fonts for T-Shirts

• 21 December 2023

Classicthesis Typographic Thesis

This template has been designed as a homage to the Elements of Typographic Style. As such, it has an air of efficiency and optimal design. It is suitable for any high-level degree thesis such as for a PhD, Masters or Honors. Sections within the thesis are clearly separated in a consistent way, as are sections within each chapter. The default structure of the thesis proceeds in the following order: title page, dedication, abstract, publications, acknowledgements, contents, list of tables/figures/listings, acronyms, content chapters, appendices, bibliography, colophon and declaration.

Description

This template has been designed as a homage to the elements of typographic style. As such, it has an air of efficiency and optimal design. It is suitable for any high-level degree thesis such as for a PhD, Masters or Honors. Sections within the thesis are clearly separated in a consistent way, as are sections within each chapter. The default structure of the thesis proceeds in the following order: title page, dedication, abstract, publications, acknowledgements, contents, list of tables/figures/listings, acronyms, content chapters, appendices, bibliography, colophon and declaration.

The template includes a chapter to get you started using the template and provides several useful suggestions which are worth reading. Also included are two chapters showing the capability of the template to give an idea of how it will look with your content.

Important note: this template comes as a zip file with multiple files and folders within it. It is a good idea to familiarize yourself with each of the included files and to read the introductory chapter so you are well equipped to make use of this template.

This thesis was originally created by André Miede based on Robert Bringhurst’s seminal book on typography “The Elements of Typographic Style”. The template has been modified to fit the commenting style of this website to make it easier to use by Vel .

Current Version

v1.4 (January 1, 2016)

This template is licensed under a GNU General Public License (v3) license.

Open Template for Free Editing Online

Download template, have a question.

• Ask a Question at LaTeX.org
• Report via Email

This page last updated on: January 1, 2016

LaTeX Templates Information

General enquiries [email protected]

Most templates licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

LaTeX Templates is developed in New Zealand

© Creodocs Limited. All Rights Reserved.

TheSans is part of the Thesis superfamily which Luc(as) de Groot first published in 1994. Over the subsequent decades, TheSans came to epitomize the useful-yet-friendly, all-purpose contemporary sans-serif. It has become the face of thousands of organisations, publications and web sites, making it one of the most widely used sans-serifs world-wide.

Thesis was conceived as a versatile typographic system of ambitious scope. It grew out of a dissatisfaction with the limited range of good typefaces available for corporate identity projects. It aims to fill that gap by providing the user with three compatible styles – TheSans, TheMix and TheSerif  – in an optically harmonious range of eight weights, including real italics for each weight.

TheSans is a low-contrast typeface – i.e., the differences between thin and thick strokes are not very pronounced. Yet the reference to writing with the broad-nibbed pen is still present, giving the letters a diagonal stress and a forward flow that facilitates reading. The roman letterforms tend to have some characteristics of an italic or written construction. Yet the italic forms themselves are very distinctive: they were not derived from the upright but were individually designed while perfectly complementing the roman forms.

Version history

FontFont published FF TheSans in 1994. In 1999, Luc(as) began selling licenses himself, renaming it TheSans (classic) . The fonts had Proportional Oldstyle figures, but TheSans Basic was created to offer Proportional Lining figures. We also used to sell TheSans Caps , with small caps instead of lowercase. These fonts supported Western European languages only. OpenType allowed us to include more characters, and we created a system for package naming. Here’s a description .

TheSans Office

This four-font family has the structure that’s conventional on Windows: Regular, Italic, Bold, Bold Italic. These are linked, meaning they can be accessed through the “B” (Bold) and “I” (Italic) buttons in office programs. The TrueType versions are manually hinted, giving them excellent reading quality on-screen in Microsoft’s Windows applications.

TheSans in corporate design

Related articles

• Nikolaikirche Features
• The Thesis Project
• University of Zürich logo
• Digitus II Poster
• Birds & Brass
• moBiel Website
• BranD International Design Magazine
• WestfalenBahn
• International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam
• Sibelius Anniversary
• University of Hamburg
• Ostseebad Kühlungsborn
• Victoria & Albert Museum
• 900. Jubiläum Zwickau
• Dnevnik newspaper website
• Museumsnacht Zwickau
• Detailtypografie
• Michael Otto website
• Graphic Design Museum
• Stadtmuseum Berlin
• Universität Bonn
• LBS website
• Erzbischöfliches Berufskolleg Köln
• Arabic typography: a comprehensive sourcebook
• Exhibit inside the Château de Chenonceau
• Geschlossene Gesellschaft
• Europe Works
• Maastricht University’s 40th Anniversary
• De Beauvoorder Website
• Walmart Size Statistics
• Helsinki Music Center
• Science Movies
• Berliner Wasserbetriebe

Back to family overview

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. Read our Privacy Policy .

• Create an email message
• Suggested recipients
• Use @mentions
• Create a signature
• Add attachments
• Check spelling
• Add a reaction
• Out of office replies
• Delay or schedule
• Recall a message
• Automatic forwarding
• Read receipt
• Save a file or draft
• Change display name
• Create a folder
• Use inbox rules
• Conditional formatting
• Use Favorites
• Custom views
• Message font size
• Message list view
• Focused Inbox
• View as conversations
• Filter and sort messages
• Number of messages
• Chat with recipients
• Share an email
• Status in Outlook
• Phishing and suspicious behavior
• Blocked senders
• Protected messages
• Open a protected message
• More to explore

Create and add an email signature in Outlook

In Outlook, you can create one or more personalized signatures for your email messages. Your signature can include text, links, pictures, and images (such as your handwritten signature or a logo).

Note:  If the steps under this New Outlook tab don't work, you may not be using new Outlook for Windows yet. Select Classic Outlook  and follow those steps instead.

Create and add an email signature

On the View tab, select   View Settings . 

Select Accounts > Signatures .

Select    New signature , then give it a distinct name.

In the editing box below the new name, type your signature, then format it with the font, color, and styles to get the appearance you want.

Select Save when you're done.

With your new signature selected from the list above the editing box, go to  Select default signatures and choose whether to apply the signature to new messages and to replies and forwards.

Select Save again.

Note:  If you have a Microsoft account, and you use Outlook and Outlook on the web or Outlook on the web for business, you need to create a signature in both products.

Create your signature and choose when Outlook adds a signature to your messages

If you want to watch how it's done, you can go directly to  the video below .

Open a new email message.

Under Select signature to edit , choose New , and in the New Signature dialog box, type a name for the signature.

Under Edit signature , compose your signature. You can change fonts, font colors, and sizes, as well as text alignment. If you want to create a more robust signature with bullets, tables, or borders, use Word to create and format your signature text, then copy and paste it into the Edit signature box. You can also use a pre-designed template  to create your signature. Download the templates in Word, customize with your personal information, and then copy and paste into the Edit signature box. 

You can add links and images to your email signature, change fonts and colors, and justify the text using the mini formatting bar under Edit signature .

You can also add social media icons and links in your signature or customize one of our pre-designed temlates. For more information, see Create a signature from a template .

To add images to your signature, see Add a logo or image to your signature .

Under Choose default signature , set the following options. 

In the E-mail account drop-down box, choose an email account to associate with the signature. You can have different signatures for each email account.

You can have a signature automatically added to all new messages. Go to in the New messages drop-down box and select one of your signatures. If you don't want to automatically add a signature to new messages, choose (none). This option does not add a signature to any messages you reply to or forward. 

You can select to have your signature automatically appear in reply and forward messages. In the  Replies/forwards drop-down, select one of your signatures. Otherwise, accept the default option of (none). 

Choose OK to save your new signature and return to your message. Outlook doesn't add your new signature to the message you opened in Step 1, even if you chose to apply the signature to all new messages. You'll have to add the signature manually to this one message. All future messages will have the signature added automatically. To add the signature manually, select Signature from the Message menu and then pick the signature you just created.

Add a logo or image to your signature

If you have a company logo or an image to add to your signature, use the following steps.

Open a new message and then select Signature > Signatures .

In the Select signature to edit box, choose the signature you want to add a logo or image to.

To resize your image, right-click the image, then choose Picture . Select the Size tab and use the options to resize your image. To keep the image proportions, make sure to keep the Lock aspect ratio checkbox checked.

When you're done, select OK , then select OK again to save the changes to your signature.

Insert a signature manually

If you don't choose to insert a signature for all new messages or replies and forwards, you can still insert a signature manually.

In your email message, on the Message tab, select Signature .

Choose your signature from the fly-out menu that appears. If you have more than one signature, you can select any of the signatures you've created.

See how it's done

Top of page

Note:  Outlook on the web is the web version of Outlook for business users with a work or school account.

Automatically add a signature to a message

You can create an email signature that you can add automatically to all outgoing messages or add manually to specific ones.

Select Settings   at the top of the page.

Select Mail >  Compose and reply .

Under Email signature , type your signature and use the available formatting options to change its appearance.

Select the default signature for new messages and replies.

Manually add your signature to a new message

If you've created a signature but didn't choose to automatically add it to all outgoing messages, you can add it later when you write an email message.

In a new message or reply, type your message.

If you created multiple signatures, choose the signature you want to use for your new message or reply.

When your email message is ready, choose Send .

Note:  Outlook.com is the web version of Outlook for users signing in with a personal Microsoft account such as an Outlook.com or Hotmail.com account.

Related articles

Create and add an email signature in Outlook for Mac

Create an email signature from a template

Need more help?

Want more options.

Explore subscription benefits, browse training courses, learn how to secure your device, and more.

Microsoft 365 subscription benefits

Microsoft 365 training

Microsoft security

Accessibility center

Communities help you ask and answer questions, give feedback, and hear from experts with rich knowledge.

Ask the Microsoft Community

Microsoft Tech Community

Windows Insiders

Microsoft 365 Insiders

Find solutions to common problems or get help from a support agent.

Online support

Was this information helpful?

Thank you for your feedback.