Choose a permitted paper font
APA’s February 2026 guidance includes 12-point Aptos, 11-point Calibri, 11-point Arial and 10-point Lucida Sans Unicode. Serif examples include 12-point Times New Roman, 11-point Georgia and normal 10-point Computer Modern.
These are font-and-size combinations. Do not assume that changing every family to the same point value reproduces the stated examples.
Keep the paper consistent
APA recommends the same font throughout the paper with specific exceptions. Figure text, code and automatically inserted footnotes can have different settings under that guidance.
For a class paper, apply the selected style consistently and then inspect pasted quotations, references and captions for accidental changes.
Follow the actual submission requirements
An instructor, department or publisher may give additional instructions. Confirm those before changing a supplied template. APA also notes that different fonts occupy different space, so word count can be a better length measure than page count.
Keep the source document editable and check its exported appearance before submission.
Understand the named families
Explore Arial, Calibri and Times New Roman for family background. Their appearance here is separate from whether the actual font is installed in your writing app.
Your questions, answered.
Does APA always require Times New Roman 12?
No. APA’s current guidance lists several permitted readable font-and-size options; follow any additional assignment instructions.
Should every figure use the body font size?
APA provides separate guidance for text within figure images. Consult the original guidance for the applicable range and other exceptions.
Sources & background
Sources supporting this page’s explanations. Practical examples are our editorial suggestions.