Over time, you may accumulate many fonts on your computer that you no longer need or use. Having too many fonts installed can slow down Microsoft Word and make the font menu difficult to navigate. Here are step-by-step instructions for safely deleting fonts from Word 2013.
Locate Unused Fonts
Before deleting fonts, first determine which ones are unused or unnecessary.
- Open the Fonts folder by going to Control Panel > Appearance and Personalization > Fonts. This displays all fonts installed on your computer.
- Review the font list and make note of any that you no longer need. Avoid deleting fonts used by Microsoft Office or other major programs, as this can cause display issues.
Back Up Font Files
Before proceeding, create backup copies of the font files you plan to delete. This allows you to restore them later if needed.
- Right-click each font file and select “Copy”.
- Paste the copies into a safe location like an external hard drive or cloud storage.
Delete Fonts in the Control Panel
Here is how to permanently delete unnecessary fonts from your system:
- In the Fonts folder, right-click the first unwanted font and select “Delete”.
- Click “Yes” at the prompt to confirm the deletion.
- Repeat this for each font you want to remove.
Deleting fonts this way removes them from all programs, including Microsoft Word.
Remove Fonts from the Word Menu
If you only want to remove a font from the Word font menu, without deleting it fully, use these steps:
- Open a Word document and select the “Home” tab.
- Click the small arrow in the bottom-right corner of the “Fonts” section.
- Scroll through the menu and uncheck any fonts you want to hide.
- Click “OK” to apply the changes.
Now those fonts will no longer appear in the menu, streamlining your selection.
Organize Remaining Fonts
To further organize your shortened font list in Word, consider adding styles or using a font management tool like NexusFont.
With styles, you can:
- Define a style for each font use case (headings, body text, etc.).
- Apply the appropriate style to text instead of selecting fonts each time.
Tools like NexusFont allow you to:
- Categorize fonts into custom groups.
- Tag fonts for use in different programs.
- Compare fonts side-by-side.
Good organization helps you locate preferred fonts faster for future documents.
Troubleshoot Issues
If deleting fonts causes display problems in Office programs:
- Restore the font files from your backup.
- Double-check online that the fonts are not required by Microsoft Office before attempting to remove them again.
Conclusion
With a few simple steps, you can remove unnecessary fonts from Microsoft Word 2013 to streamline your font menu. Just be sure to back up files first and watch for potential display issues afterwards. Organizing the remaining fonts makes them easier to access going forward. Your documents will open faster and workflow will improve.
