Arial Black or any won't save as default Gimp 3.0.4

ShopHere · **Joined:** Sep 12, 2025 **Posts:** 7

GIMP Version: 3.0.4
Operating System: Windows
GIMP Experience: New User

The default keeps staying on moonscape, I just can't get it to stay on Arial or any other popular ones

Nidhogg · **Posted:** Sat Sep 13, 2025 2:24 am **(#2)**

1. Select your font
2. Preferences->Tool Options. Untick "save tool options on exit".
3. Save tool options now.
4. Restart Gimp. (Works for me on Win11 Gimp 3.04)

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ShopHere · **Joined:** Sep 12, 2025 **Posts:** 7

Tried it, does not work, sorry

rich2005 · **Joined:** Mar 04, 2011 **Posts:** 2610

Well, it does work (at least for me) but you do need to go one step further

Much the same as Nidhogg to start with. You are fixing things so not only font and font size, go through tools you like to start with, brush for example. Then in edit preferences, also interpolation if you want, before fixing (1)
The next step (and is the same with Gimp 2.10) is in preferences and repeat for Input devices. (2)
...untick save on exit, click on Save ...Settings now ...and of course when complete OK the dialogue.

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ShopHere · **Joined:** Sep 12, 2025 **Posts:** 7

Still no luck, just won't work. I'm on Gimp 3.0.4

rich2005 · **Joined:** Mar 04, 2011 **Posts:** 2610

ShopHere wrote:

Still no luck, just won't work. I'm on Gimp 3.0.4

Well, it looks like you are out of luck with your Windows Gimp 3.0.4 installation.

Does Gimp start slow and do lots of "installing" plugins and fonts in the splash ?

It might be something deleting your settings but I do not know what that might be.

You can do your own investigation, all text files in your Gimp profile:

I think this most probable, the file devicerc

Code: Select all

# GIMP devicerc

(GimpDeviceInfo "Virtual Core Pointer"
    (icon-name "gimp-cursor")
    (name "Virtual Core Pointer")
    (tool-options "GimpTextOptions"
        (tool "gimp-text-tool")
        (palette "Color History")
        (font "Arial Bold"))

or in the tool-options folder the file gimp-text-tool

Code: Select all

# GIMP gimp-text-tool options

(palette "Color History")
(font "Arial Bold")

# end of gimp-text-tool options

Maybe check those to see what font is used.

ShopHere · **Joined:** Sep 12, 2025 **Posts:** 7

bit to confusing the last post, not sure how to?

Wallace · **Posted:** Tue Sep 16, 2025 11:02 pm **(#8)**

If the font still won’t stick even after trying all the other steps,
perhaps it could be a profile issue.
One simple thing you can try is forcing GIMP to create a fresh user profile:

1. Go to your GIMP profile folder
(on Windows it’s usually in `C:\Users\<YourName>\AppData\Roaming\GIMP\3.0`).

2. Rename the folder (for example, change `3.0` to `3.0-old`).

3. Restart GIMP. A new, clean profile will be created automatically.

This resets all preferences,
so you’ll have to re-set your tools once,
but if the font then saves correctly,
you’ll know the old profile was corrupted.

Nidhogg · **Posted:** Wed Sep 17, 2025 2:04 am **(#9)**

ShopHere wrote:

bit to confusing the last post, not sure how to?

Before deleting the user profile, and having to reconfigure all your personal preferences, I'd try this:

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Make sure Gimp is closed and "view hidden items" enabled.
Browse to your Gimp user folder \User\AppData\Roaming\GIMP\3.0
Open devicerc with a text editor. (I prefer Notepad++ on Windows)
Line 11: Change "Monospace" to "Arial Black". Save the file.

in \User\AppData\Roaming\GIMP\3.0\tool-options you have gimp-text-tool. Open in text editor.
Line 6 same thing as above.

Launch Gimp. What happens?

ShopHere · **Joined:** Sep 12, 2025 **Posts:** 7

Still didn't work, i did both things.

Wallace · **Posted:** Wed Sep 17, 2025 11:45 am **(#11)**

ShopHere wrote:

Still didn't work, i did both things.

I'm also using Windows along with GIMP 3.0.4 installed and do not have this issues.

Since you’ve already tried both methods (resetting the profile and the “save tool options now” trick),
the next step seems to be to manually check/edit the config files in your profile.
If those don’t “stick,”
then I'm baffled and it’s probably a bug in 3.0.4 on your specific Windows install,
meaning the only real fix might come in a patch update.

Change font to "Arial" within these files.
gimp-text-tool
devicerc

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When you relaunch GIMP,
the default font should now be Arial instead of Moonscape.
If this doesn't do anything.
I would suggest a uninstallation and reinstallation of GIMP,
or install an earlier version other than 3.0.4.

ShopHere · **Joined:** Sep 12, 2025 **Posts:** 7

No idea where to find that. I'll uninstall Gimp, download again then see what happens. Thanks

Wallace · **Posted:** Thu Sep 18, 2025 1:13 pm **(#13)**

ShopHere wrote:

No idea where to find that. I'll uninstall Gimp, download again then see what happens. Thanks

When uninstalling GIMP,
be sure to check that the user folder has also been removed.
Often times it's left behind during uninstallation.

The user folder for GIMP 3.0 on Windows is typically located at:
C:\Users\<yourname>\AppData\Roaming\GIMP\3.0

If this folder is not removed or renamed,
the same issue may present themselves once again within the new installation.

Note:
The AppData folder is a hidden folder within Windows.
To view it,
you must enable the display of hidden items in File Explorer's View options.

ShopHere · **Joined:** Sep 12, 2025 **Posts:** 7

I didn't do that, but it worked, fresh install did it, thanks