Calibri font banished as U.S. diplomacy returns to Times New Roman
(The Washington Post | Dec. 11, 2025) A sans serif font, Secretary of State Marco Rubio just decreed, is simply inadequate for world-class diplomacy.
Rubio on Tuesday ordered the agency to immediately cease using the Calibri font and go back to Times New Roman in official communications, reversing another Biden administration policy intended to help employees who are visually impaired or have low-vision issues.
In a secure memo to staff with the subject line “Return to Tradition: Times New Roman 14-Point Font Required for All Department Paper,” he described the decision of predecessor Antony Blinken — directing the department to use a larger sans serif font in high-level internal documents — as a “wasteful” diversity move. Rubio labeled Times New Roman “more formal and professional” …
… But accessibility and vision impairment advocacy groups widely recommended and advocated for sans serif fonts, noting that those without decorative “wings” and “feet” (the small lines or strokes at the end of characters, common in serif fonts like Times New Roman) are more legible and easier to read for people with visual impairment.
Christine Ashby, director of Syracuse University’s Center on Disability and Inclusion, said the change “reflects a broader pattern of dismissal of the needs of disabled people.”
“The switch back to Times New Roman was hailed by Secretary Marco Rubio as a return to tradition and an end to DEI waste,” Ashby said. “In reality, this change will make it more challenging for some individuals to access federal documents, creating barriers to access and engagement.”
The Washington Post uses the serif-friendly typeface Miller Daily in print and Georgia in digital versions.