Level 1 (8 points)

Cannot set font size 15 for Body text in Apple Mail

Apple Mail v.16.0, macOS 27.2. When composing an email, a menu below tool-bar has drop-downs. First one is for Title, Subtitle, Body and Caption. See attached. Three more drop-downs for font, font style and font size. I want to use Atkinson Hyperlegible font 15 but the menu jumps from 14 to 18. "Body" is set to 14. "Subtitle" is set to 15, but Bold and a Grey font. In Mail menu, Show Fonts, same problem - jumps from 14 to 18. Is there a way to adjust the font size for Body?

Posted on Nov 4, 2026 11:10 AM

2 replies

tillu_code

Level 4 (2,112 points)

Nov 4, 2026 3:51 PM in response to Bjornqc

Try typing the size in directly instead of picking from the menu. In Mail, with your cursor in the message body, choose Format > Font > Show Fonts, click in the size box at the top right of the Fonts panel, type 15, and press Return. The panel accepts any size you type, even if the pop-up list jumps from 14 to 18.

If you want 15 every time, go to Mail > Settings > Fonts & Colors, click Select next to Message font, choose Atkinson Hyperlegible and type 15 as the size. That sets the default for new messages (the Title/Subtitle/Body styles in the compose bar may still override it for formatted text). Let us know if the Fonts panel still refuses it.

Bjornqc Author

Level 1 (8 points)

Nov 5, 2026 8:37 AM in response to tillu_code

Thank you! It seems to be the solution.. (I said "seems", because it is working but I am no longer confident that any change I make to a setting will stay that way. I pine for iOS 7.)

I had to add a step to the instructions in your second paragraph. Mail > Settings > Fonts & Colors, Message font, would not let me change the size. So, with that panel still open, I went back to the first paragraph and changed the font in Format > Font > Show Fonts. Then the Message Font in Settings was 15.

Again, thank you so much for the help - very much appreciated!

Originally posted at discussions.apple.com/thread/256388834