Popular font Calibiri has been banned by US state departments, the reason will shock you

Calibiri

In a move that has left designers blinking in disbelief and diplomats adjusting their document templates yet again, the US State Department has officially banned the Calibri font. Yes, banned. And the reason behind the decision is far more dramatic than anything you might expect from a conversation about fonts.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has reversed a 2023 Biden-era directive that required government paperwork to be typed in Calibri. Instead, he is sending the State Department straight back to Times New Roman, insisting that only the classic 14-point serif font will be accepted in official correspondence.

The memo announcing this shift came with an equally dramatic title: “Return to Tradition.” Rubio claims Calibri is simply too “informal,” saying it clashes with the department’s letterhead and downgrades the seriousness of official documents. But the real twist lies in why Calibri was chosen in the first place — and why Rubio wants it gone.

According to reports, Calibri’s introduction in 2023 was tied to the State Department’s diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility initiatives. Sans-serif fonts like Calibri are generally easier to read for people with low vision or dyslexia. The Biden administration adopted it to make government communication more accessible.

Rubio, however, called the switch “wasteful” and tied it to what he sees as unnecessary DEI efforts. Since taking over, he has disbanded the department’s DEI office entirely, and banning Calibri appears to be part of that cleanup. In his memo, he even said the font’s use “achieved nothing except the degradation” of the department’s written work.

Times New Roman, he argued, represents decorum, professionalism and nearly two decades of tradition.

Ironically, Calibri’s earlier adoption had stirred its own storm. Traditionalists grumbled about losing their beloved serif font, and Secretary Blinken’s decision to bump the standard size from 14 to 15 points annoyed diplomats who suddenly had to adjust page limits.

With this latest reversal, Times New Roman is back on top, Calibri has been exiled, and the world has been reminded that even something as simple as a font can spark a surprisingly political debate.