Times New Roman and Arial have become the default fonts in many documents because they both balance readability with a clean, professional look. Here’s a bit more about why they tend to be the go-to choices:
Readability
Times New Roman is a serif font, meaning it has small lines or “feet” at the ends of letters. These serifs help guide the reader’s eye from one letter to the next, making long stretches of text easier to read, especially in printed material. That’s why Times New Roman is popular for books, academic papers, and anything that involves long blocks of text.
Arial, on the other hand, is a sans-serif font (without the little lines), giving it a more modern and streamlined look. It’s great for digital screens, where serif fonts can sometimes look cluttered. Arial’s simplicity makes it very legible at smaller sizes or in shorter bursts of text, like emails, presentations, or websites.
Standardisation & Accessibility
Both fonts are included in most operating systems and word processing software, like Microsoft Word and Google Docs. That means they’re universally available and can be opened without formatting issues across different platforms. When you choose one of these fonts, you know your document is going to look the same for almost everyone.
They’re also “safe” choices because they comply with accessibility guidelines for readability and clarity. This is important in professional, academic, and publishing contexts, where readability is key.
Tradition
Times New Roman has been the default in many word processors for years because of its origin in print—originally designed for The Times newspaper in London in 1931. Its history in print media meant it was trusted as a solid, reliable font for professional communication, which is why it became standard in academia and publishing.
Arial was designed in the 1980s and became popular for its clean, simple design that worked well on digital screens. As computers and screens became more important in everyday life, Arial was adopted as a standard because it looked clean on monitors and projected well.
Professionalism
Both fonts carry a professional reputation. Times New Roman is often seen as more traditional and academic, while Arial gives off a modern, sleek vibe. When in doubt, they’re safe choices to ensure a document looks professional and isn’t distracting with quirky font choices.
Why Stick to Them for Manuscripts?
When preparing a manuscript, you want to avoid anything that distracts from the writing itself. The simplicity of Times New Roman or Arial allows editors, agents, or readers to focus entirely on the content. Using an unusual font can make it harder to read and may even make the work look less serious or professional.
However, these fonts are not set in stone. Some self-published authors and designers choose different fonts for aesthetic reasons in their final books, but for the manuscript stage (especially when submitting to agents, publishers, or editors), Times New Roman and Arial help to keep things clean, familiar, and easy to read.
