How to Change the Default Fonts & Text Size in OS X’s Notes App

Notes, an iOS app that found its way to OS X in Mountain Lion, is a great way to keep track of simple items and tasks, especially when combined with the syncing capabilities of iCloud. In keeping with its simplistic heritage, however, the OS X version of Notes lacks any preferences that allow users to customize their note-taking experience.
One customization option that many may find useful is the ability to set a default font size. Notes lets users change the default font to one of three choices (Noteworthy, Marker Felt, and Helvetica), and allows users to change the font size manually once a note has been created, but there is no way in the menus to set a default font size for new notes.
Change Notes Default Font OS X
Like many OS X apps, however, settings that are not readily accessible in the app’s user interface can still be changed by modifying preference and configuration files.
To change the default font size in Notes, first close the app and then head to your system’s Applications folder (/Applications) and right-click on Notes.app. Select “Show Package Contents,” which will open a new Finder window. Navigate to Contents > Resources > en.lproj. That last folder is for English language users; those using OS X in another language should navigate to the appropriate localization folder (de.lproj for German, es.lproj for Spanish, and so on). In this folder you’ll find a preference file called “DefaultFonts.plist.”
This file is locked to prevent unauthorized changes. You can edit it by creating a duplicate of the file on your desktop, modifying it there, and the copying it back to its original location. An easier way, however, is to use the built-in Nano text editor in Terminal, along with a “sudo” command to give yourself the proper permissions to edit the file.
Change Default Font Size Notes OS X
To do this, open Terminal and type the following command, changing the “en.lproj” as described above if necessary:

How to Change the Default Fonts & Text Size in OS X's Notes App
sudo nano /Applications/Notes.app/Contents/Resources/en.lproj/DefaultFonts.plist

Terminal will prompt you for an administrator’s password and then will open the file in the Nano text editor, which you’ll navigate using your keyboard’s arrow keys. Below some header information, you’ll see three entries for the three default font options in Notes. In each entry is an integer value which is set to 15 or 14 by default. This represents the default size for each font. To change it for one or more fonts, move your cursor using the arrow keys to the number’s location and replace it with a larger or smaller one. You’ll want to experiment with font sizes in Notes first so that you know what size works best for you.
Change Default Font Size Notes OS X
Once you’ve changed your font sizes, save the preference file by pressing Control-X. Nano will ask you if you’d like to save the changes. Press the “Y” key to do so and then press Return to overwrite the existing file. You can now close Terminal.
Change Default Font Size Notes OS X
Finally, open Notes again and create a new note. You’ll see that your default font size has increased to the value you set in the preference file. If you don’t like the change, simply close Notes, reopen Terminal, and enter the command again to further modify the preference file.

Change Default Font Size Notes OS X

If you’d like to further customize the default options in Notes, you can also change the default font to one besides the default three that Apple includes. To do so, edit the preference file as we did above, but this time change the string value under the Font Name key. In the example screenshot above, we changed the Noteworthy font to Palatino. Once we saved the changes and reopened Notes, our default font was Palatino.
Change Default Font Size Notes OS X
As long as the font exists in your /Library/Fonts/ folder, you can set it as a default font in Notes. With a little experimentation, the already useful Notes app can be perfectly customized to suit any user’s needs.

17 thoughts on “How to Change the Default Fonts & Text Size in OS X’s Notes App”

Vamshi Krishna Grandhe says:
LOLL!!
Just open the Notes app. >> On the menu bar, click on “Notes” >>Then go to “Preferences” in the dropdown. >>Change the “Default Text Size” accordingly in the option given and it will apply automatically. >> This can be changed anytime in the same way.
Chris Weiss says:
For those using some older versions of OS X, this option doesn’t exist.

This was very clearly explained, and worked beautifully. So much easier on my eyes – thank you very much!

Shelah Cochran says:
This is such a helpful article. Thank you much!
Alexa Oo says:
Anyone else doing this in 2016? This doesn’t work T______T
kurt says:
I’ve tried in 10.11.6. I was able to change the info in the file by disabling the permissions:
* restart your mac in recovery mode (hold CMD+R) when restarting
* select utilities / terminal
* type csrutil disable
* reboot.
But this has not changed the notes application. I don’t know why, but the notes application does not seem to be looking at this file. Almost like it needs to “re-load” the file into notes. Any idea’s how to do this?
BTW, to get your permissions enabled go back into the recovery mode, open the terminal, and type csrutil enable. If anyone finds an answer, please email me at [email protected]. Thanks!
vousplaisentezouquoi says:
Does not work with El Capitan
Thai Amulet says:
Doesnt work no permissions – Error Writing /Applications/Notes.app/Contents/Resources/en.lproj/DefaultFon
I am admin
Ri George says:
Hi thanks for the clear instructions. Sadly after changing one default font Notes crashed with “terminating app due to uncaught exception ‘NSRangeException’, reason: ‘*** -[__NSArrayM objectAtIndex:]: index 0 beyond bounds for empty array’ Any idea what I did wrong please ?
rai68 says:
I get an error saying “Error writing…” when I try to save.
Chance Devlin says:
i got that message too.. did you find a workaround?
kurt says:
Maybe this will help
I’ve tried in 10.11.6. I was able to change the info in the file by disabling the permissions:
* restart your mac in recovery mode (hold CMD+R) when restarting
* select utilities / terminal
* type csrutil disable
* reboot.
But this has not changed the notes application. I don’t know why, but the notes application does not seem to be looking at this file. Almost like it needs to “re-load” the file into notes. Any idea’s how to do this?
BTW, to get your permissions enabled go back into the recovery mode, open the terminal, and type csrutil enable.
Cole Tierney says:
Thank you! I’ve discovered you can also add another default element if you want.
Abraham S says:
What do you mean by that?
IwanoMai says:
Thanks. You’d think Apple would make it easier. Your tip worked really well.
venuschild104 says:
Perfect; thank you!
Smack Of Ham says:
Thank you – this worked perfectly the first time. It’s amazing how Apple is so good in some areas but makes you jump through hoops for something as simple as a font change.
abhijit says:
found it very helpful. thanks a lot….
bingeboy says:
Nice work. I’d recommend using VIM or anything besides nano. Odd choice for editing files. But helpful. Thanks!
Sumflow says:
Seems like you left out a very important step. How do we unlock the file?
TekRevue says:
No, as stated in the article there are two ways to get around the lock: 1) copy the file to your desktop and modify it there, or 2) use the sudo command to edit it with nano.
Sumflow says:
Or change permissions on package results, contents, rescurces, and en.lproj, before changing them on DefaultFonts.plist.
Thai Amulet says:
cannot change permissions with padlock, because ‘i do not have the permission to do that’ system has read write permissions but wheel, and user and administrators dont. Cant add them, because no permission to add
Thai Amulet says:
cant copy and paste back to original folder. Wont allow, no permissions
Lauren Best says:
Warm thanks to you
François Rendón says:
I wanna change the font of the app-store appliaction, please can you help me?
Claudia Olivié says:
Thank you!!

Comments are closed.

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