A probable solution to the default font problem in Illustrator.

I had a shot at creating a plugin that fixes this slightly irritating problem and I think Ive got something that works.
It's called Default Font Setter.
Simple install: Quit Illustrator, Unzip the file, take the folder containing the extension and put it in the CEP folder. Thats usually here in a mac...
Users/(insert name of user here)/Library/Application Support/Adobe/CEP/extensions. Restart Illustrator,

Not sure where in a PC sorry!

Then restart Illustrator and you can find it in Extensions under the Window pulldown.
When launched theres a few selections like - choose a font , choose a size, I always leave "Auto applyfor new documents" on then just click "Save as default"
The next click of your Text Tool activates as that font. Then with each new document just click on " Apply" and it resets Myriad to whatever you select in the font choice window.
It should be dockable, it should be resizable to a point. I couldnt make it super resizable as theres adobe restrictions it seems.

But it works for me. If you'd like to vibe code it up to do other things Ive made the code super friendly for Claude re-editing.

on top of the other issues with this, in an Enterprise setting, often that folder with the document profiles in it is administratively locked so the user can't actually edit those without contacting IT support to copy files back into that folder. this is a really bad solution for setting defaults.

Adobe really needs to get on this and make it work the same way it does in InDesign, where you can set defaults with no documents open.

couldnt agree more. I suggest asking claude to make a plugin that removes extraneous "new improvements" and of course stupid unused old ones. Ive actually had some success with that.

Yes, 4 years later, im here voting for a simple fix. Careful tho, with the increased subscription cost they might use the money to make it even worse somehow. (like an ai tool that selects a new document font based on your mood but every time it just picks comic sans 256pt.). I honestly wish I could use my CS4 software with the permanent license, everything worked great back then, now we are paying more and way more often while functionality is consistently removed or muddled up. What gives?

Please Adobe, My time is getting wasted, doing the preference only for a document and not for other documents is an pain in my dash. PLEASE DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS!!!

Please just make there and simple way to set up a default font for an Adobe application. This method is not user friendly at all.

Even after doing this, if you paste an unformatted text into Illustrator outside any existing textfield or textarea, it will override the [Normal Character Style] and be Myriad 12pt.
The attached video shows how creating a new text field and typing uses the correct character style, but pasting text into the document creates a new text field with Normal Character Style overridden to use Myriad.

this can be very important for enterprise users who have brand fonts that they need to follow. every time i open a new document, i have to change the font instead of just starting with the brand typeface.

Donna, I checked older versions, starting with Ai1.
Indeed Ai10 allowed to make changes within Character panel with no documents opened, and the choice persisted.
Later versions keep the panel disabled — but unlike Ai10, they have text styles. Changing a default paragraph style just by fiddling with the panel for all the new documents seems quite reckless from a first glance... but there should be definitely a way to do it faster, I agree! Perhaps a warning should be put in all places where we can change the font parameters, to inform users this would change the settings... but then again — WHICH of the document profiles this change would modify? Print? Web? Illustration? Ai has several now, while Ai10 had just none.

This is an absolutely ridiculous way to do this. In previous versions of Illustrator, you could quickly and easily change the default type font and size in the preferences BEFORE you opened any document. It needs to be put back to the original way which was fast and simple.

Let's make this happen please!

C'mon Adobe! Get off your a** and do it! I'm sure you'll get a standing ovation at Adobe Max for this!

the fact that setting a default font is not one of the most basic preferences is astonishing. How do you overlook this? And still so many years later, still not have it added?

May Myriad Pro burn in ****

Myriad Pro 12pt is a formidable foe for the New Document. Perchance one day it shall be vanquished.

This feature is long overdue. I hardly ever use Myriad Pro 12 pt in my illustrations, and yet Adobe gives no straightforward way to set my own default font and size.

Bumping this thread, as this is a much needed improvement to Illustrator that will decrease friction at the beginning stages of design and greatly enhance user experience.

Please make this more discoverable in the future. Finding it in a document in a tutorial here is hardly the way I would like to work.

I have used the "intended method" and it is a deterrent to the task. Yes, there needs to be a way to do this.

Can you please let users change the default text size. I couldn't find it, and adobe help couldn't either and directed me here. When working on 60"x60", I get tired of dropping in 12pt text and taking extra steps to find it, enlarge it, etc. Thanks.