VS Code – How to change the font

It's easy for a developer to underestimate the importance of their working environment. No, we are not talking about the color of your chair, your desk and your walls. We are talking about your virtual work environment.

Making your Visual Studio code editor feel like home is hugely important to your work efficiency. The font covers a lot of the overall feel of VS. In this article, we are going to teach you how to change fonts in different parts of the VS Code editor.

How to change font in VS Code

Even if you are a developer who has been working with VS for a long time, you might still not know about its font changing options.

If you don't care about the importance of choosing your own font, skip ahead to the tutorial a few paragraphs below. Keep in mind, however, that your reasons for changing fonts (outlined below) can help you with your decision.

Why are fonts so important in VS? Well, if the aesthetic aspect isn't enough for you (and believe us, after hours and hours spent in a code editor, it starts to count), it's actually also a question of functionality. So what makes a font “appropriate” for VS?

Primarily, you'll want the distinction between similar characters to be noticeable. For example, easily distinguishing between the number 1 and the lowercase L can dramatically speed up your coding and save you time.

Then there's the fact that some developers like to use ligatures. Ligatures are a few symbols put together. These are also called "glyphs", and they can mean a lot when coding.

Without further ado, here's how to change the font family in VS:

1. Open your VS editor.
   
2. Go to the top of the screen and select deposit.
   
3. Now in the drop down menu go to Preferences > Parameters.
   
4. You will now see the commonly used section with a menu on the right side of the screen, you can access the font from this page or by following the step below.
   
5. Or click Text Editor > Font and find the default entry « editor.fontFamily » : « Consoles".
   
6. Then, instead of " Console tables”, enter the name of your favorite font.
   

This should automatically change the font family.

How to change font size in VS Code

Even if you have perfect eyesight, you'll want to keep your eyes as comfortable as possible when writing lines of code. Just as the difference between similar characters is important when choosing a font family, font size matters to make coding easier to see and help you work more efficiently.

There is no magic formula for the best font size for coding. Ideally you want to see the characters as clearly as possible, but you also want the line to fit the VS window. So, experiment with different font sizes and find the one that best suits your coding needs.

Here's how to change the font size in VS Code:

1. Navigate to the User settings menu (step number 3 of the font tutorial).
   
2. Look for it « editor.fontSize »: 15 line, your font size may be set to something different.
   
3. Then, instead of " 15”, enter your preferred font size.
   

How to change explorer font in VS Code

The Explorer feature in VS Code works just like the Explorer feature in most other apps. It is used to manage, browse and open files and folders to work on your project. Since VS Code is based on folders and files, Explorer lets you get started easily – just open the file/folder using VS Code. It's that simple.

You can expect to use VS Code Explorer quite a bit. If the explorer font size isn't to your liking, you'll be glad to know that you can change it.

1. Go to User settings menu again.
   
2. Find it « editor.fontSize »: 14 input, your font size may differ.
   
3. Change this to a font size of your choice, 18 is used in this example.
   

How to change terminal font in VS Code

Instead of switching windows or changing the state of the existing terminal, VS Code lets you use a built-in terminal, which sits at the root of your project/workspace. Of course, you might want to make changes to the font here for ease of use. Here's how to change the VS Code terminal font:

1. Navigate to the root folder of your project/workspace.
2. Open the settings.json file using VS Code. Alternatively, in VS Code, press Ctrl+Maj+P (instead of Ctrl, use Command for Mac devices) and find the settings.json drop off.
3. Replace the three corresponding lines with this:
   “terminal.external.osxExec”: “iTerm.app”,
   “terminal.integrated.shell.osx”: “/bin/zsh”,
   “terminal.integrated.fontFamily”: “D2Coding”,
   Note that D2Codage is an example. You can also choose any other font you prefer.
4. Save the settings when finished.

To change the terminal font size, access the « terminal.integrated.fontSize » : input and set it to the one you want.

How to change comment font in VS Code

Code comment entries are, by default, in the same font as the rest of the code. Changing this makes them stand out, which can often save hours of wasted work (it's easy to miss a comment when it's in the same font as everything else in VS). As simple as this sort of thing may seem, the solution is a bit more complex than expected. Also, the results may not be ideal, as this can lead to alignment issues. Still, it doesn't hurt to try:

1. Navigate to the root VS Code installation folder on your device.
2. Navigate to the style tactile.css entering the terminal. This will create a style sheet.
3. Now it's time to add the font rule. Here is a styling example:
   .mtk3 {

   font-style: italic;

   }

4. Open settings.json and add this entry:
   "vscode_custom_css.imports":
   "file:///Users/username/.vscode/style.css"],
5. Now download the Custom CSS and JS Loader plugin.
6. Once installed, use the Ctrl+Maj+P command and make sure the plugin is enabled.
7. Restart VS Code.
8. Comments should now have a new font.

How to change sidebar font size in VS Code

There is no setting in VS Code that allows the user to change the terminal font size. However, a workaround exists and involves the mentioned Custom CSS and JS Loader plugin.

1. In the plugin, navigate to the extension details and carefully follow the tutorial section.
2. Use the following logic:
   "vscode_custom_css.imports": ["[insert custom file URL]"]
3. Do this for each custom file.

The result should be a much better and better looking VS Code sidebar.

How to change the font using different operating systems

If you are coding in VS, you are using either a Windows computer, a Mac or a Linux system. While these three are not the same in terms of VS, the differences mainly come down to the option of the Ctrl/Cmd key and the default locations of the VS Code files. So the principle of changing fonts in VS Code remains pretty much the same on all devices.

Additional FAQ

Why can't I change the font in VS Code?

There are a lot of mistakes you can make in VS Code, and changing the font isn't as easy as doing it in MS Word. Since you will be using a lot of coding to modify the actual VS Code font, you should be aware of the most common oversights people make. Make sure each entry is surrounded by quotation marks. For example, « vscode_custom_css.imports » : [“file:///Users/username/.vscode/style.css”], will only work if you use quotes. Also, make sure you use spaces between commands.

What font is used for code in VS Code?

By default, the font used for coding in VS Code is Consolas. If you follow this guide, you can change most fonts in VS Code, whether it's the code itself, the terminal, comments, or the explorer function.

However, if you're talking about the font found on the images on the official VS Code site, no one can tell you which one was used. Unless the VS Code developers explicitly reveal which font was used, there's no way to tell.

How to hack a VS Code font?

Originally hacking meant modifying, but if by that you mean adding the Hack font to VS, you can add it via the Hack's site. Download the TrueType font from Hack. Extract the downloaded zip file. Install the extracted files. Then go to Tools, followed by Options. From the Options menu, select Environment, then navigate to Fonts and Colors. Open the Font drop-down menu and select the Hack entry.

What font do hackers use?

Typically, every coder, including hackers, uses a font they like. Ray Bluetens, also known as Lawn Dart Fonts, would be a good example of a popular font that would be a “hacker's pick”.

Changing font options in VS Code

Dealing with font options in VS Code is certainly not as simple as changing fonts in a text editing program. However, since we are talking about coding software here, VS offers a wide variety of options compared to its competitors. Follow the instructions in this article and make your coding experience as personalized, user-friendly, and smooth as possible.

Did you manage to change your font settings in VS Code? Did you encounter any problems? Scroll down and check out our comments section below. It is full of good advice. Also, don't shy away from asking a question or starting a discussion. Our community is more than happy to help.