Calibri vs Times New Roman: Which Font to Use
Calibri and Times New Roman are two of the most widely used fonts in the world, and they represent fundamentally different approaches to type design. One is a modern sans-serif designed for screens; the other is a classic serif designed for print. Choosing between Calibri vs Times New Roman comes down to context — what you are creating, who will read it, and what impression you want to make. This guide breaks down their histories, design characteristics, and practical strengths so you can make an informed choice for resumes, academic papers, business documents, and beyond.
Calibri Overview
Calibri is a humanist sans-serif typeface designed by Lucas de Groot and released by Microsoft in 2007. It was part of a suite of six new “C fonts” (ClearType Font Collection) created specifically to take advantage of Microsoft’s ClearType text rendering technology, which smooths fonts on LCD screens.
History and Design
Calibri was designed from the ground up for on-screen reading. Its rounded letterforms, open apertures, and generous spacing make it highly legible at small sizes on digital displays. Unlike geometric sans-serifs that prioritize clean shapes, Calibri has a warm, humanist quality — subtle curves and slight irregularities that make it feel approachable rather than clinical.
When Microsoft Office 2007 launched, Calibri replaced Times New Roman as the default font in Word and Outlook, and it held that position for over 15 years. In 2023, Microsoft replaced Calibri with Aptos as the new default, but Calibri remains installed on virtually every Windows machine and is still one of the most commonly used fonts in business communication.
Key Characteristics
Classification: Humanist sans-serif
Designer: Lucas de Groot
Release: 2007
Weights: Light, Regular, Bold, and their italic counterparts
Defining features: Rounded terminals, large x-height, open counters, subtly warm and friendly tone
Times New Roman Overview
Times New Roman is a transitional serif typeface commissioned by the British newspaper The Times in 1931 and designed by Stanley Morison and Victor Lardent. It is arguably the most recognized typeface in the English-speaking world and has been a default font on computers since the earliest days of personal computing.
History and Design
Times New Roman was created to solve a specific problem: The Times needed a typeface that was highly legible at small sizes in narrow newspaper columns while also being space-efficient. Morison and Lardent delivered a design with strong vertical stress, moderate stroke contrast, and compact proportions that allowed more words per line than many competing serifs.
The font entered the digital world early. It was included with early Apple Macintosh computers and has shipped with every version of Windows. It became Microsoft Word’s default font and held that position from the program’s early versions through Office 2003 — a reign of roughly two decades. Even after losing its default status to Calibri, Times New Roman remains the standard font for many academic institutions, legal documents, and formal publications.
Key Characteristics
Classification: Transitional serif
Designers: Stanley Morison and Victor Lardent
Release: 1932
Weights: Regular, Bold, and their italic counterparts
Defining features: Moderate stroke contrast, sharp bracketed serifs, compact proportions, vertical stress, efficient use of horizontal space
Key Differences
Understanding how these two fonts differ across several dimensions will help you choose the right one for your project.
Serif vs. Sans-Serif
The most obvious difference is typographic classification. Times New Roman is a serif font — it has small strokes (serifs) at the ends of its letterforms. Calibri is a sans-serif font — it lacks these strokes, presenting clean, unadorned letter endings. This fundamental difference drives many of the practical distinctions between them. Serifs are traditionally associated with formality, print legibility, and classical aesthetics. Sans-serifs are associated with modernity, screen readability, and clean design.
Screen Readability vs. Print Legibility
Calibri was engineered for screens. Its design decisions — rounded forms, generous spacing, large x-height — all optimize for digital display. It looks crisp and clear on monitors, tablets, and phones at body text sizes.
Times New Roman was engineered for print. Its compact proportions and serif structures guide the eye along lines of printed text efficiently. While it is perfectly readable on modern high-resolution screens, it was not designed with pixels in mind, and its fine serifs can appear rough on lower-resolution displays.
Space Efficiency
Times New Roman is significantly more compact than Calibri. At the same point size, Times New Roman fits more characters per line and more text per page. This is a direct consequence of its newspaper origins — it was designed to save space. Calibri’s more generous spacing and wider letterforms take up more room, which can mean more pages for the same word count.
This difference matters practically. A 10-page document in Calibri might be 8 pages in Times New Roman at the same size. For documents with page-count requirements (like academic papers), this is a real consideration.
Tone and Personality
Calibri projects a modern, approachable, slightly casual professionalism. It is friendly without being informal, making it well-suited to business emails, reports, and presentations. Its warmth comes from its humanist design roots.
Times New Roman projects tradition, authority, and formality. It carries the weight of decades as the standard for academic, legal, and official documents. However, its ubiquity has also led some to perceive it as a “default” choice — the font you get when you do not think about fonts.
Weight Options
Calibri offers more weight variations than Times New Roman. Calibri comes in Light, Regular, and Bold (plus italics), giving designers more flexibility in creating visual hierarchy with font weight. Times New Roman is limited to Regular and Bold (plus italics), which constrains its range for creating nuanced typographic hierarchies.
Which Font to Use for Resumes
The Calibri vs Times New Roman for resume question is one of the most searched font comparisons, and for good reason — your resume font affects first impressions. Here is how each performs in this context.
Calibri for Resumes
Calibri is a strong choice for resumes in most industries. Its clean, modern appearance signals that you are current and professional. Since most resumes are read on screens first (either by hiring managers or ATS software), Calibri’s screen-optimized design is a practical advantage. It is widely available across platforms, so your formatting will look consistent regardless of what device the recruiter uses.
The main drawback: because Calibri was the Microsoft Office default for so long, it can look like you did not make an active font choice. Some hiring professionals interpret Calibri as “did not bother to change the default.” Whether this is fair or not, it is a perception that exists.
Times New Roman for Resumes
Times New Roman works well for resumes in traditional, formal industries — law, academia, government, and finance. Its classic appearance conveys seriousness and respect for convention, which are valued in these fields. Its compact proportions also allow you to fit more information on a single page.
The drawback: outside of traditional fields, Times New Roman can feel dated. Design-forward industries, tech companies, and creative fields may see it as old-fashioned. Like Calibri, it also carries a “default font” stigma since it was the Word default for so many years.
The Verdict for Resumes
Both are safe, professional choices. If you want something slightly more modern, go with Calibri. If you are in a traditional field that values formality, go with Times New Roman. For more resume font options, consider alternatives like Garamond, Cambria, or Helvetica to stand out slightly from the defaults while remaining professional.
Which Font for Academic Papers
Academic formatting is heavily governed by style guides, so the “right” font often depends on which guide you are following.
APA Style
The 7th edition of the APA Publication Manual accepts both Calibri (11pt) and Times New Roman (12pt) as recommended fonts, among several others. This gives you genuine flexibility — either is acceptable for APA-formatted papers.
MLA Style
MLA guidelines specify a “legible” font such as Times New Roman at 12pt. While MLA does not mandate Times New Roman exclusively, it is the most commonly expected choice in MLA contexts. Using Calibri for an MLA paper is not technically wrong, but it may raise eyebrows from instructors who expect the traditional look.
Chicago Style
The Chicago Manual of Style does not mandate a specific font but recommends a “readable” serif or sans-serif. Times New Roman is the conventional choice for Chicago-style academic papers, though Calibri is also acceptable in most contexts.
The Verdict for Academic Papers
When in doubt, use Times New Roman at 12pt for academic papers. It is the safest, most universally expected choice. If your style guide explicitly permits alternatives and you prefer Calibri’s screen readability, it is a valid option — just confirm with your instructor or publisher first.
Which Font for Business Documents
For everyday business documents — emails, memos, reports, presentations — Calibri has largely replaced Times New Roman as the standard. Its screen-friendly design aligns with how business communication is consumed today: on laptops, phones, and tablets. Most major corporations and organizations have moved to sans-serif fonts for internal and external communications.
Times New Roman still appears in formal business contexts: contracts, legal correspondence, official statements, and documents that benefit from a traditional, authoritative tone. If the document will be printed and read on paper, Times New Roman’s print-optimized design gives it an edge.
ATS Compatibility
Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) parse resume files to extract information. Both Calibri and Times New Roman are ATS-safe fonts. They are standard system fonts that every ATS can process without issues. You will not encounter font-related parsing problems with either choice. Unusual or decorative fonts can sometimes cause ATS issues, but standard professional fonts like Calibri and Times New Roman are always safe.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Calibri more readable than Times New Roman?
On screens, yes — Calibri was specifically designed for digital display and performs better at body text sizes on monitors. In print, the difference is less clear-cut: Times New Roman’s serifs aid reading flow in long-form printed text, while Calibri’s clean forms work well in shorter printed documents. “More readable” depends entirely on the medium.
Can I use both Calibri and Times New Roman in the same document?
It is technically possible but generally not recommended. Mixing a serif and sans-serif within a document can work when done intentionally (for example, sans-serif headings with serif body text), but Calibri and Times New Roman are not a natural font pairing. Their proportions and personalities do not complement each other especially well. If you want to pair a serif with a sans-serif, consider combinations designed to work together.
Which font makes my document look longer?
Calibri produces longer documents than Times New Roman at the same point size because it is wider and has more generous spacing. If you need to fill pages, Calibri at 12pt will help. If you need to condense content into fewer pages, Times New Roman at 12pt is more space-efficient.
Are there better alternatives to both Calibri and Times New Roman?
Many designers and professionals prefer alternatives that offer similar functionality without the “default font” association. Garamond and Georgia are popular serif alternatives. Helvetica, Arial, and Aptos are popular sans-serif alternatives. For body text in professional documents, the most popular fonts include several options that split the difference between these two classics.
Final Thoughts
The Calibri vs Times New Roman choice is ultimately about context and audience. Calibri is the modern standard for screen-first documents and everyday business communication. Times New Roman is the traditional standard for formal, print-oriented, and academic documents. Neither is inherently superior — they excel in different environments.
If your document will primarily be read on screens, Calibri is the stronger choice. If it will be printed, or if convention and formality are paramount, Times New Roman remains a dependable option. And if neither feels right, explore the wide world of professional fonts for alternatives that might suit your specific needs even better.
