Trying to make a heading for your whiteboard or a note more easily legible? Whether you are working on your board alone or brainstorming in collaboration, find out here how to change the font size and make text larger in MS Whiteboard (and make text bold to boot).
First, Good Seeds for Measure
The seeds gathered easily from a carob tree’s ripe pods are not all of the same weight; they are not all the same shape or size either, it seems.
So, either for a false perception of uniformity in spite of this or because this renders the differences easy to judge, carob seeds came to be a counterweight and measure. Throughout history, gold and precious stones have famously been classified in comparison to the seeds—or carats. Today, a “metric” carat is defined as 200 mg (some 0.0071 oz).
Now, let’s see if we can’t alter fonts in MS Whiteboard so they are not all of the same size—or weight:
How to Change the Font Size in MS Whiteboard
Time needed: 1 minute
To change the size of text you have entered on a whiteboard in MS Whiteboard:
- Choose the selection tool in Whiteboard.
Here’s how: Click the mouse cursor head in the toolbar.
Keyboard shortcut: You can also press Alt S (Windows and Linux) or Control S (Mac) to elect to select. - Select the text element or elements where you want to change the font size.
Here’s how: Click an individual element as it is highlighted in blue when you hover the selection mouse cursor over it.
More than one: You can hold Ctrl (Windows and Linux) or Command to select multiple elements; alternatively, draw an outline around all elements you want to select. - Use one of the handles to scale the element or elements and increase or decrease the font size correspondingly.
Here’s what happens: MS Whiteboard will scale the element, and the font or ink writing will scale with it.
No handle: If you see no handle at all, zoom a little further into the whiteboard; if the element is too small even at a zoom of 500%, see below for what to do.
How to Change the Font Size in MS Whiteboard: FAQ
How can I make one text element the same size as another?
To make two text elements the same size:
- Move one element so that their tops align horizontally.
- Now change the font size for the desired element until its size snaps to the template element’s.
Multiple lines: If the elements have a different number of lines, you can either temporarily cut the extra lines or line up the elements so their top left corners are exactly on top of each other, then resize the element until the first line’s heights match.
Is there a way to enter font sizes directly?
No.
The way to change the size of written text in MS Whiteboard is to scale it or its container.
Can I make text bold in MS Whiteboard?
Yes.
To make text bold (and increase its font weight) in Microsoft Whiteboard:
- Use the selection tool to pick the element that holds the text you want to make bold.
Typefaces: You can bold text set in a typeface (e.g., text in a note or in a text field), not inked handwriting.
One element: MS Whiteboard lets you change the formatting for individual items, not more at a time. - Select B in the contextual toolbar.
- Now click Bold to make the text bold.
All text: You cannot apply bold formatting to only part of the text; use separate text fields next to each other to achieve that effect.
More formatting: You can also make text italic and underlined in the same formatting toolbar section.
How can I increase the font size for an element that has no resizing handle at maximum zoom?
To resize an element too small to have a resizing handle in MS Whiteboard (and consequently increase the font size of the element):
- Use the election tool to select the element.
- Duplicate the element.
Here’s how: Click More in the contextual toolbar, then choose Duplicate. - Draw an outline encompassing and selecting both the original element and the duplicate copy.
Moving: Optionally, move the duplicate away from the original before selecting them both. - Use the selection handle to enlarge both elements.
- Delete the duplicate copy.
Here’s how: Click the copy with the selection tool, then click Delete in the contextual toolbar.
(How to change the font size tested with MS Whiteboard 24.10705; first published July 2024)