The best font size for a cover letter is 10 to 12 points, and the safest font choices are clean, widely available typefaces like Calibri, Garamond, Cambria, Aptos, Candara, or Montserrat. These fonts are professional, easy to read on screen, and compatible with applicant tracking systems (ATS), the software many employers use to scan and filter applications before a human ever sees them.
Best Fonts for a Cover Letter
You want a font that looks polished on screen, prints cleanly, and won’t get scrambled when an ATS parses your document. Stick with standard fonts that come preinstalled in word processors. Here are six strong options:
- Calibri — A sans-serif font that has been a Microsoft Word default for years. It’s neutral, modern, and universally readable.
- Aptos — Microsoft’s newer default font, slightly warmer than Calibri with a contemporary feel.
- Garamond — A classic serif font that looks elegant without being stuffy. It runs slightly smaller than other fonts at the same point size, so you may want to bump it up to 12 points.
- Cambria — A serif font designed specifically for on-screen reading. It pairs well with Calibri if you want your resume and cover letter to use different but complementary typefaces.
- Montserrat — A geometric sans-serif with a clean, modern look popular in tech and creative fields.
- Candara — A rounded sans-serif that feels approachable while staying professional.
All six are ATS-friendly, meaning the software can read and parse them without converting your text into garbled characters. Decorative, script, or novelty fonts (think Papyrus, Comic Sans, or anything that mimics handwriting) will hurt both readability and your credibility.
Serif or Sans-Serif?
Sans-serif fonts (Calibri, Aptos, Montserrat, Candara) have no small strokes at the ends of letters, giving them a sleek, modern appearance. They tend to be easier to read on screens, which matters because most recruiters review cover letters digitally. Industries like technology, healthcare, biotech, and startups often lean toward sans-serif typefaces because they signal a forward-looking sensibility.
Serif fonts (Garamond, Cambria) have those small decorative strokes and carry a more traditional, polished tone. They work well for roles in law, finance, academia, or publishing where a classic look feels appropriate. Either category is perfectly acceptable for any industry, so pick whichever matches the impression you want to make.
What Size to Use
Set your body text between 10 and 12 points. Within that range, the right choice depends on the font itself and how much content you need to fit. Garamond at 11 points looks noticeably smaller than Calibri at 11 points, so test how your letter looks on screen and in print before sending it.
Your name at the top of the letter can be a few points larger, typically 14 to 16 points, to create a clear visual hierarchy. If you include a header with your contact information, keep that at the same size as your body text or just slightly smaller.
Avoid going below 10 points for any body text. Small text forces recruiters to squint or zoom in, and accessibility guidelines warn that running text below 9 points creates a genuine reading barrier. On the other end, don’t go above 12 points for body paragraphs. Oversized text looks like you’re trying to fill space, which signals that you don’t have enough substance to share.
Margins, Spacing, and Layout
Font choice and size only look right when the rest of your formatting supports them. Set your margins between 0.75 and 1 inch on all sides. One-inch margins are the standard default and give you plenty of room without making the page look cramped or empty.
Use single line spacing or 1.15 spacing for the body of your letter. Add a blank line between paragraphs rather than indenting the first line, since block-style formatting is the norm for business correspondence. Keep your cover letter to one page. If you find yourself shrinking the font below 10 points or narrowing margins past 0.5 inches to fit everything, cut the content instead.
Matching Your Resume
Use the same font on your cover letter and resume. When a hiring manager reviews your application, consistent typography ties the two documents together and looks intentional. If you use Calibri at 11 points on your resume, use Calibri at 11 points on your cover letter. Matching your name header style across both documents reinforces a cohesive personal brand without any extra effort.
Saving and Sending
Once your formatting looks right, save the file as a PDF unless the job posting specifically asks for a Word document. PDFs lock in your font choices, spacing, and layout so the recruiter sees exactly what you designed, regardless of what software or operating system they use. A Word file can reflow or substitute fonts if the recipient’s computer doesn’t have your chosen typeface installed.
Before you submit, open the PDF on a different device or send it to yourself and review it. Check that the font rendered correctly, the spacing looks clean, and nothing shifted during the conversion. This 30-second check catches formatting problems that could make an otherwise strong cover letter look careless.