Fix Stuck or Unchangeable Font in Compose and Reply - Airmail for macOS

If you cannot change the font in the Airmail composer or in your reply emails on macOS - for example a Helvetica or Helvetica Condensed font keeps reappearing every time you start a new message - the issue is usually inherited from one of four sources. Follow the steps below to identify and fix it.


This article applies to Airmail for macOS distributed via the Mac App Store and uses only the standard, sandbox-safe settings available inside the app.


  1. Check your signature

The signature is the most common cause of a stuck font, because anything inside it carries its own formatting into every new message.


  • Open Airmail and go to Airmail > Preferences > Signature.
  • - Select the signature you use, then press Cmd+A to select the entire signature content.
  • - From the macOS menu bar choose Edit > Remove Formatting (or use the formatting controls in the signature editor) to strip the existing font.
  • - Re-apply your preferred font (for example Verdana or Arial) using Format > Show Fonts (Cmd+T).
  • - Save and close the Preferences window.
  1. Set the default composer font

Airmail lets you define a default font, size and style that will be used every time you start a new email.


  • Open Airmail > Preferences > Composer (or Default Composer).
  • - Set the Font, Size and Style to your preferred values.
  • - Make sure the composer is set to Rich Text if you want font formatting to be preserved (Plain Text will discard any font choice).

A detailed guide is available here: https://help.airmailapp.com/en-us/article/default-composer-airmail-for-macos-8ioljq/


  1. Override the font in a reply

When you reply or forward, the quoted message keeps its original formatting and the quoted content can visually push your new text to the same font.


  • Start the reply.
  • - Press Cmd+A to select all the text inside the composer.
  • - Open Format > Show Fonts (Cmd+T) and choose the font, style and size you want.
  • - Click into the message body and start typing. The new font should now apply to both the new content and the quoted area.
  1. Make sure Rich Text mode is active

If the composer is in Plain Text mode, font choices are ignored.


  • Inside the composer, open Format from the macOS menu bar.
  • - Verify the option Make Rich Text is available. If it is, the message is currently in Plain Text and you should switch it to Rich Text.
  • - Repeat for any draft or reply where the font is not changing.
  1. Final check
  • Quit Airmail completely (Cmd+Q), then reopen it.
  • - Start a brand new message: the default font should now match what you set in step 2.
  • - Open an existing reply: the quoted text font is decided by the original sender, but your reply text should use the font you applied in step 3.

Still not working?


If the font is still stuck after following all the steps above, please contact Airmail Support and include:


  • The Airmail version (Airmail > About Airmail).
  • - Your macOS version.
  • - A short screen recording showing the issue.

We will be glad to investigate further with our development team.

Updated on: 05/13/2026

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